Government raises e-scooter age limit to 18 but delays decision on full ban
Government leaders agreed a range of new measures relating to the use of e-scooters.
The Government has deferred a decision on whether to ban e-scooters outright but will increase the minimum legal age for their use from 16 to 18.
The decision was made following a meeting between Government leaders and Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly at Government Buildings on Monday morning.
Government leaders agreed a range of new measures relating to the use of e-scooters.
The Taoiseach, Tánaiste and junior minister Seán Canney agreed the proposals with justice minister Jim O'Callaghan and the garda commissioner.
The proposals will be brought to Government by ministers Darragh O'Brien and Canney next week.
Speaking outside Government Buildings, the Taoiseach confirmed that toy shops will now be banned from selling the scooters, as he insisted that increasing the age limit will work.
“This will be progressive, but it will make a difference,” the Taoiseach said.
“We have other laws that ban stuff under 18, and it's crazy that young children should be using these scooters.
“I think parents need to take on responsibility here as well. They shouldn't be purchasing e-scooters for young people.
“What's also increasingly clear from the Garda Commissioner that e-scooters are being used significantly in drug dealing, money laundering, and for criminal enterprises. We want to make it very clear that if an e-scooter is seized, the penalties will be much higher to get that e-scooter back.”
Mr Martin said that discussions around e-scooters will continue, and “nothing is off the table”.
The Garda Commissioner advised that there has been a significant increase in garda operations involving e-scooters, with 1,412 e-scooters seized so far this year. There have also been 793 prosecutions for offences involving e-scooters this year.
The meeting also discussed initial data from Children's Health Ireland (CHI) and the HSE, which indicates a concerning pattern of serious and life-changing injuries caused by e-scooters.
More than one-third of all paediatric traumatic brain injury admissions to CHI at Temple Street in 2026 were related to e-scooters. Admissions for traumatic brain injuries resulting from e-scooter accidents have increased by 50% over the last 12 months.
CHI also estimates that one to two children are presenting each day across emergency departments this summer with e-scooter injuries. A full report will be available at the end of July.
It was agreed that high-visibility jackets and helmets will be mandatory for all e-scooter users, and the prohibition on use will be extended to those under 18. This will take effect in August.
Later this year, legislation will be introduced to treat e-scooters in the same way as other mechanically propelled vehicles, requiring licensing and registration.
The legislation will also prohibit the sale of e-scooters to minors and the sale of e-scooters that do not meet the legal requirements for use on public roads.
An outright ban will remain under consideration.
It was also agreed that further protections will be provided to members of An Garda Síochána similar to those in place in the UK.
This would grant greater legal protections to gardaí when pursuing e-scooters and e-bikes.
Junior transport minister Sean Canney, meanwhile, said he was “pleading with industry and retail” to consider why they are selling e-scooters, if they are in line with regulations, and if they are selling them to under-18s.
When it was put to him that he was “pleading” with shops to follow existing laws rather than enforcing punishment, Mr Canney said that “everybody has responsibility to themselves, to their children, to their family, and to other road users”.
“At the moment, the regulations that are there are very, very hard to enforce when you don't know who bought the e-scooter, you don't know where it was bought, and you don't know what it's been used for,” he said.
“So now, with the changes, that will regulate more and give gardaí a better opportunity to actually seize these machines if they're being used illegally.” Mr Martin described the preliminary report from CHI as “very serious”, with e-scooter injuries “the biggest issue now”, making up one third of presentations.
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