E-scooter ban for under 18s welcomed as new laws to come into effect within weeks

E-scooters will no longer be permitted for use by those under 18 years of age, the government has agreed. The new legislation will come into affect from August, while wearing hi-vis jackets and helmets will also be mandatory.

The decision comes days after Taoiseach Michéal Martin had said he was ‘leaning towards’ banning the vehicles. The government have said that an outright ban "remains on the table" but new legislation is hoping to give more serious considerations for the scooters in order to reduce incidents of collision and injury.

The personal, electric modes of transport have become hugely popular all over the country, including Meath, with uses vary from leisure to work commutes.

However, a recent report by Children’s Health Ireland has stated that there has been a 50 per cent annual increase in the number of children and young people who have been admitted to hospital for traumatic brain injuries which have occurred as a result of e-scooter accidents.

Closer to home, the Meath Chronicle today reveals Emergency Department data from Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital show 87 patients have attended the ED so far this year following an e-scooter or e-bike incident, compared with 23 patients during the whole of 2025.

Laws were introduced surrounding the scooters in May 2024, giving clear guidelines as to how the vehicles should be operated, and their capabilities.

These included that users must be aged 16 or older, users must obey a speed limit of 20kms an hour, and no passengers are permitted on the scooters. No licence, tax, or insurance is required for riders. Now, the new age is 18, but the speed limits and non-requirement of tax, a licence, or insurance remain the same.

Another requirement that hasn't changed is that an e-scooter must also be under 400 watts for public use, as anything over this threshold is considered ‘high-power’ and is only eligible for use in private settings.

Since the original legislation was introduced in 2024, 40 children have been admitted to hospital for brain injuries caused by e-scooter crashes. Prior to May 2024, there was just one incident.

The chair of the Oireachtas Transport Committee Michael Murphy said: “We cannot ignore the evidence of CHI and the numbers of young children presenting with serious injuries,” as he supports an outright ban of the scooters.

"I don't dispute for a second that e-scooters are an environmentally sustainable way to travel. But the problem is that public policy cannot just look at environmental benefits alone.

"We have to consider public safety. We have to consider child protection, criminal misuse, and whether the law can actually be enforced, and I think when you weigh up all of those factors together, I think the balance has shifted."

He also added that it would be challenging to find Garda resources that can adequately enforce the legislation.

"Who checks the age of every rider? Who checks the speed modifications? Who checks the insurance? Who checks the registration? How can you stop an illegal e-scooter at 40, 50, 80 kms an hour?"

There are also some differences when it comes to Irish and UK laws for operating an e-scooter, as pointed out by Cllr Emer Tóibín.

“In Ireland, e-scooters are legal to use on public roads and cycle lanes once they meet safety standards. If a rider breaches certain regulations, they may face fixed-charge notices, typically in the region of €50 for offences such as failing to have required equipment.

“In the UK, privately owned e-scooters remain illegal on public roads, cycle lanes and footpaths. The only legal scooters are those operating as part of approved rental schemes, and riders generally need a driving licence. A person caught using a private e-scooter on a public road can face a £300 fine, 6 penalty points on their driving licence and even seizure of the scooter.”

Cllr Tóibín posed the question on whether Ireland should consider adapting to a ruleset that is more similar to the UK’s, in order to find the right middle ground.

However, the UK is not without injuries either despite their approach. In 2025 in Great Britain, the Department of Transport said there had been approximately 485 ‘serious injuries’ over the course of the calendar year, and 989 slightly injured.

Meath West, Aisling Dempsey, has welcomed the Government’s decision to introduce the suite of new regulations aimed at improving e-scooter safety, saying they will provide greater protection for road users, pedestrians and members of An Garda Síochána.

“I hope these measures will reduce injuries and make our roads safer. The focus must now be on implementation.

“These regulations will only succeed if they are backed by strong enforcement and public awareness. That is how we will improve safety and better protect everyone who shares our roads and footpaths.”