‘No parent in Ireland’ should think of an e-scooter as a toy, says Tánaiste

The Government said new laws will be introduced to crack down on illegal usage of e-scooters.

The Tánaiste has said two things could immediately help the situation with e-scooters – one would be for parents not to buy them for their children, and the other would be for shops to stop selling them.

It comes as the Government said new laws will be introduced to crack down on illegal usage of e-scooters.

This includes increasing the legal age of usage from 16 to 18 from August onwards, requiring the use of a helmet and high-visibility clothing, and passing legislation to classify them as “mechanically propelled vehicles”, which will require licensing and registration.

Additionally, the Government is looking to provide further legal protections to gardaí when pursuing e-scooters and e-bikes, mirroring what is done in the UK and ban toy shops from selling them. 

The Taoiseach and junior transport minister Sean Canney have suggested that they were "leaning towards" an outright ban, following a meeting at Government Buildings on Monday with the Garda Commissioner, the Tánaiste and the Justice Minister, but the new rules were agreed at the meeting. 

Simon Harris said the figures in relation to incidents involving e-scooters and children were “extraordinarily stark”

“Every single day in Ireland now, between one and two children this summer are turning up in emergency departments with e-scooter injuries, and around a third of traumatic head injuries in our children are now being caused by e-scooter injuries. The biggest cause of children ending up in ICU is e-scooter injuries. So the data's stark and we have to act," he told RTÉ's Morning Ireland on Tuesday. 

Behavioural change needed 

Speaking on the programme, Mr Harris urged parents not to buy e-scooters for their underage children. 

“There is this bizarre situation going on where it is illegal for an under-16-year-old to be on an e-scooter. And the children are not going into the toy shops themselves with their pocket money buying the e-scooters. These are quite expensive things.

“So the first thing that has to happen in this country, I need to be blunt about this, is behavioural change. There should be no parent in Ireland thinking that an e-scooter is a toy," Mr Harris said. 

There will be penalties that will be applied to parents, he added.

“Immediately next month we're going to sign regulations that will bring in a number of changes. It'll actually make it illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to be on an e-scooter. It'll make it mandatory that you wear a helmet, mandatory that you wear high visibility clothing," Mr Harris said. “And it will also increase the fines if you breach the rules."

Retailers 

Mr Harris said new legislation around the sale of e-scooters, in particular, should reduce illegal usage.

“The idea that the garda chasing people around on e-scooters is going to get to the bottom of this is not fair.

“So what we're actually going to do in the legislation that will be produced in September and details of which will come to Cabinet next week, is we're going to change the whole structure here and make the obligation be on the retailer. 

“So the point of sale- this is how we've made progress in terms of the sale of alcohol. It's how we've made progress in terms of gambling; it's how we've made progress in a load of areas," he said. 

Mr Harris said it was about "the point of sale." 

“We're going to have to register the vehicle and the person selling probably either through a system that will be set up with retailers or the Revenue Commissioners. So we could decide to go for a tax and insurance model. 

“We could decide to go for pay a fee on point of registration. But the point I'm making is you will not be able to just walk into a shop, buy an e-scooter and head off on your merry way," he added. 

The Tánaiste claimed that it was difficult to enforce some laws at present due to the lack of a registration system. 

“That's changing as a result of our decisions. The Government was following the evidence of what had worked in other countries," he said. 

“You follow, quite frankly, what's practical and doable. As you say, there could be tens of thousands, if not more, e-scooters already out in circulation here. I think it's better and safer to have a regulatory system, one that is enforceable, one that keeps our kids off them.

“We don't ban everything that's dangerous. What we do is regulate them and put strict rules around them. And at the moment, this is a system that is largely unregulated.

“I think our frontline gardaí are being asked to do too much here. I think it's too easy to pass laws in Leinster House that look like you're doing something, but if you're a rank-and-file member of An Garda Síochána, you know it's not practical to implement it. And that's why I would say respectfully to the GRA (Garda Representative Association), we're changing the approach now," Mr Harris said. 

The Tánaiste said gardaí would have to enforce the law, but added that what the Government is trying to say is that these vehicles should be kept off the streets in relation to children and the usage of speeds that are not appropriate.