Brian Stanley demands action on dangerous e-scooters
Brian Stanley addressed the Dáil calling for urgent legislation after a series of serious e-scooter and e-bike accidents that left six children in intensive care in Temple Street and contributed to ten fatalities. He urged rules requiring tests, helmets, insurance and proper enforcement to curb the rising public safety risk.
Incidents and immediate concern: Brian Stanley opened by listing recent accidents and injuries, including six children in Temple Street ICU and multiple fatalities linked to e-scooters. He emphasised the pattern of harm seen across communities and argued that the scale of incidents requires a legislative response.
Vehicle capability and safety gap: Stanley compared modern e-bikes and e-scooters to older petrol scooters, noting many devices can reach 60 or 70 kilometres per hour and are not simply low-speed toys. He warned these are mechanically propelled vehicles that should be treated like other motorised transport when it comes to road safety rules.
Policy demands and enforcement: The TD called for clear requirements: knowledge of the rules of the road, a driving test, insurance, helmet use and strict enforcement of laws banning footpath use and unlit riding. He asked that regulation of these vehicles be made a priority in the next Dáil term.
Government response and next steps: A Minister acknowledged the scale of the problem, repeated the need for enforcement and said the matter would be raised with the Minister for Justice. The exchange underlined agreement on urgency but left timing and legislative detail unresolved.
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Over the last few weeks, we've had a number of serious accidents with e-scooters and e-bikes. People again being seriously injured, including six children who are currently in intensive care in Temple Street. One of them is from County Leach. So, it's one accident after another. With ten people being killed in e-scooters, two this year so far, it's time to act. And if you go back 50 years ago to drive a Honda 50 with a top speed of 35 miles an hour, you had to pass the test, wear a helmet and have tax and insurance. We need to stop kidding ourselves that these e-bikes and scooters are only capable of 20 kilometres an hour. Some of these can do 60 and 70 kilometres an hour. So, let's be clear, these are mechanically propelled vehicles, just like petrol driven scooters. So, there must be a requirement for to do the following, to know the rules of the road, pass the test, have insurance, wear a helmet and also for the current laws to be enforced around driving them on footpaths and people going round this town with no lights on them. So, can we make this a priority in the next term of the Dáil? And when will we see proper legislation for these mechanically propelled vehicles? These aren't ties, these are not ties Minister. This week we had a guard in court because he pursued one of them in a Garda car and he finished up and confronted the court over it. Absolutely, Les Cancora. I thank Deputy Stanley for raising a very important issue and critically you're quite right in terms of the capacity and power of e-scooters is a huge, huge risk to public safety. I know the government is taking it very seriously and I would echo your calls that we have to make it a priority. I know there's an enforcement unit within Garda Síochána, the work that they have to do and it takes time because the prevalence of e-scooters now is very significant. We can all see that in our communities, in our daily lives. So, we have a huge body of work to do. I was absolutely shocked to hear the number of children that were in ICU last week directly as a result of e-scooters and any parent would be so shocked to hear that. But we have to turn that shock into action and ensure that we have enforcement and that we take action. I will raise that with the Minister for Justice, absolutely Deputy. Thanks.
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