E-scooters 'need to be regulated' if we don't ban them, justice minister says

It is understood that further advice will be sought from the Attorney General before a decision is made on a ban

It comes amid reports from Children’s Health Ireland that there has been a 50% increase in the number of children seriously hurt while riding electric scooters, despite it being illegal for under-16s to use them. File photo

Justice minister Jim O’Callaghan has said that if e-scooters are not banned, they will need to be regulated, but warned there will always be “examples of people breaking the law”.

Government leaders will meet on Monday to discuss e-scooters, with Taoiseach Micheál Martin and junior transport minister Sean Canney both saying this week they were leaning towards a ban.

It comes amid reports from Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) that there has been a 50% increase in the number of children seriously hurt while riding electric scooters, despite it being illegal for under-16s to use them.

It is not clear, however, whether a decision on their future will be made on Monday, as the Irish Examiner understands that further advice will be sought from the Attorney General.

A report from CHI requested by health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNell and deputy chief medical officer Ellen Crushell will not be ready until the middle of August.

Speaking after a meeting of European justice ministers in Dublin Castle, Mr O’Callaghan said he would not “pre-empt any discussion that's going to take place on Monday”.

He said there is a “balancing act that needs to be weighed up”, as he noted that seizures have increased and “the gardaí are doing a good job”.

When asked why so many children were getting injured by illegally riding e-scooters if the gardaí were doing a “good job”, he suggested there would always be breaches of the law.

“No matter what laws we have, no matter what level of enforcement we're going to see, there are going to be examples of people breaking the law,” Mr O’Callaghan said.

“What is really worrying about the CHI report is that it's clearly the case that people who have accidents on e-bikes are really exposed to very serious injuries, and that's apparently happening at present.

“We need a broad response to this. My own view is that these certainly, if they're not going to be banned, they need to be regulated. We need to ensure that that happens.”

• Louise Burne, political correspondent