Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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1292. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to regulate push and motorised scooters and other similar vehicles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19060/19]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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The Deputy is correct in making a distinction between push scooters and electrically powered scooters, also referred to as escooters. Push scooters are not mechanically propelled vehicles, and I have no plans to regulate them.

Escooters, however, are mechanically propelled vehicles under the terms of road traffic legislation. The Road Traffic Act 1961 defines a mechanically propelled vehicle as a vehicle intended or adapted for propulsion by mechanical means, including a bicycle or tricycle with an attachment for propelling it by mechanical power, whether or not the attachment is being used. It also includes a vehicle the means of propulsion of which is electrical, or partly electrical and partly mechanical.

Escooters fall into this category, and are therefore considered to be mechanically propelled vehicles. Any users of such vehicles in a public place (as defined in the Road Traffic Act 1961) must have insurance, road tax and a driving licence, with penalties under road traffic laws (including fixed charge notices, penalty points, fines and possible seizure of the vehicle) for not being in compliance with these requirements.

As it is currently not possible to tax or insure escooters or electric skateboards, they are not considered suitable for use in a public place.

I have requested the Road Safety Authority to research how escooters and other such vehicles are regulated in other countries, particularly other EU Member States. I am keen to understand the road safety implications of the use of such vehicles on public roads, especially when interacting with other vehicles as well as vulnerable road users.

I will make a decision on whether or not to amend existing legislation when I have received and considered the outcome of the Authority’s research, and not before then. I will need to be satisfied that permitting such vehicles on our roads will not give rise to safety concerns, both for the users themselves and for all other road users including cyclists, pedestrians and motorists.

Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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1293. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if measures will be introduced to prevent users of bicycles, skateboards and motorised scooters from using footpaths; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19099/19]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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Cycling along or across a footpath is already an offence under Section 13 of the Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) Regulations 1997, as amended, and a cyclist caught doing so by a member of An Garda Síochána faces a fixed charge notice of €60 or on summary conviction in court an offender is liable to a fine of up to €1,000 for a first offence, a fine of up to €2,000 for a second or subsequent offence, and a fine of up to €2,000 with a possible imprisonment for up to 3 months for a third or subsequent offence in any 12 month period.

It is also illegal to use an electric scooter on a footpath and an individual intercepted doing so faces a the same penalty as above, that is, a fixed charge notice of €60, rising to fines of €1000-€2000 if convicted in court.

There is no legislation in place regulating the use of non-electric skateboards and my Department has no plans to introduce any at this time.