E-scooter injuries are becoming a public health crisis – we need a six week temporary ban to get the right regulatory systems in place
E-scooter injuries are becoming a public health crisis - we need a six week temporary ban to get the right regulatory systems in place - The Labour Party
Labour Dublin Central TD Marie Sherlock has called out Government’s inaction and gross lack of urgency on tackling the rising problem of e-scooter injuries.
Questioning the Tánaiste in the Dáil today, Deputy Sherlock has said comments this week by the Garda Commissioner and the Taoiseach favouring a outright ban were a “cop out”.
She said that in order to get the right regulatory and policing system in place to ensure there are special powers of pursuit, that there is a outright ban on the sale for the use by under 16’s, that a registration system and special drone detection technology can be applied, that a temporary ban on eScooters for the next 6 weeks needs to be considered in light this growing health crisis.
Deputy Sherlock said:
“There has been an utter failure by this Government to take on the serious and endemic issues being caused by e-scooters. Children’s Health Ireland have reported that one to two e-scooter related injuries are presenting to EDs every single day and that there has been a 50% rise in children sustaining traumatic life changing brain injury between June 2025 to May 2026.
“Last week, the Minister for Justice provided a reply to me in the Dáil that was disgraceful in saying that Gardaí have all the powers they need and today as the Dáil rises for the summer, I told the Tánaiste it is unconscionable that we walk away knowing teenagers are going to be injured every day over the next 8 weeks.
“I now believer we need to implement a six week ban on these scooters to give Government and the Gardaí time to catch up on the gaps in legislation and enforcement so that we have a functioning safe system in place come the Autumn.
“E-scooters are a legitimate form of transport for adults, when used in the right way. But we know that in many of the communities that I represent in Dublin Central they are often time used with impunity and as a tool for intimidation.
“While I know Gardaí locally have been doing good work locally with regard to confiscation, the reality is that their hands are with regard to pursuit and the apparent indifference of the Minister for Justice and inaction of the Minister for Transport with regard to the problems that exist must not continue.
“Public representatives and communities have been crying out for a comprehensive strategy to deal with this problem for years. Instead, the Government response has been half-hearted and slow. The Tánaiste has said he will meet the Taoiseach next week on these issues. There is a big weight of expectation of them to act; children’s lives depend on it.
“Nearly three years after promising regulation on where these vehicles can be used, we still have no meaningful enforcement framework and no operational policy on the use of drones. It has been all talk and very little action.”