Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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191. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the regulations around e-scooters will be implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3852/23]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government has committed us to legislating for electric scooters, or e-scooters. The Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021, which has completed all stages in the Dáil and is now before the Seanad, includes provisions to allow for regulation of the use of e-scooters. The bill defines a new category of vehicle in the Road Traffic Act, 1961 to be called 'powered personal transporters' or PPTs, which will include e-scooters. Establishing this new category of vehicle will enable me to put regulations in place to govern the safe use of e-scooters. E-scooters which meet the criteria established in the Bill and subsequent regulations will become legal to use on their introduction.

Once the Bill has been enacted and the relevant sections commenced, formal drafting of the regulations can be commenced. It is worth noting that the introduction of new technical regulations for vehicles is subject to mandatory examination by the European Commission for a minimum of 12 weeks under the Single Market Transparency Directive (EU) 2015/1535.

The passage of the Bill through the remaining legislative stages is subject to the Oireachtas. It is anticipated that the Bill will be enacted before the end of Q1. Work will then progress on the Regulations, including the mandatory examination period noted above.