Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 July 2026
323. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of incidents involving the illegal use of e-scooters reported to An Garda Síochána in County Mayo in each of the past three years; the number of fixed penalty notices issued and e-scooters seized during this period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52420/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra324. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the measures An Garda Síochána is taking to enforce legislation relating to the use of e-scooters by persons under the legal age requirement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52421/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra326. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of complaints relating to anti-social behaviour involving e-scooters in Ballinrobe, County Mayo since May 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52423/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra330. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of fines that have been issued in relation to the use of e-scooters, broken down by year, where data is available. [52589/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra331. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of e-scooters that have been seized by An Garda Síochána since the commencement of the recent enforcement campaign/clampdown on e-scooter regulations. [52590/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 323, 324, 326, 330 and 331 together.
Our road safety strategy takes a whole of government approach and is a shared responsibility. Development and implementation of road traffic legislation and policy falls within the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Transport, and the vital role of enforcing road traffic laws is carried out by An Garda Síochána.
Gardaí have significant legislative powers to combat the antisocial and dangerous misuse of e-scooters, e-bikes, scramblers and other such vehicles and I am assured that An Garda Síochána continues to adopt a proactive approach in addressing this issue.
Road traffic legislation is enforced as part of the day-to-day duties of members of An Garda Síochána, as well as through a programme of high-visibility road safety and enforcement operations carried out in partnership with other state agencies, in order to make our roads safer for all.
An Garda Síochána respond to all calls for service and calls are routed through a regional control room and prioritised for response. I can assure the Deputy that Gardaí respond to reports of anti-social behaviour and conduct operations on a continuous basis, targeting people engaged in anti-social activities involving the misuse of scramblers, electric motorbikes and e-scooters in public places. These initiatives are supported by campaigns across various media and social media platforms to highlight the dangers connected with the use of these vehicles.
The Central Statistics Office, as the national statistics agency, publish information on recorded crime. While there is no specific category for e-scooter, these offences generally fall under public order and other social code offences in addition to dangerous / negligent acts. Datasets providing figures on recorded crime incidents by Garda Station/ Division, type of offence and year/quarter can be accessed on the CSO website at the following link: www.data.cso.ie/
I am advised by An Garda Síochána that since the introduction of the Road Traffic (Electric Scooters) Regulations on 20 May 2024, there have been 1,921 recorded fines issued involving electric powered personal transporter (ePPT) vehicles.
The below table provides a breakdown of incidents by year where a fine was issued involving electric powered personal transporter (ePPT) vehicles from 1 May 2024 to 30 June 2026.
|
Year |
Incident Count |
|
2024 |
99 |
|
2025 |
1,223 |
|
2026 |
599 |
|
Total |
1,921 |
I am further advised by the Garda authorities that there were 40 Fixed Charge Notices issued in respect of e-Scooter offences in the Mayo/Roscommon/Longford Division for the period from 1 May 2024 to 30 June 2026.
Road traffic legislation provides for the detention, removal, storage and subsequent release or disposal of electric scooters by an Garda Síochána.
I am further informed by the Garda authorities that based on reported PULSE incidents of ‘Vehicle Detained’ and ‘Property Seized’ the following table describes the number of incidents in which e-scooters were seized or detained nationally in 2024, 2025 and 2026.
|
- |
2024 |
2025 |
2026 (as of 31 March) |
|
Incidents where e-scooters were seized or detained |
310 |
931 |
754 |
These figures include 25 incidents reported between 2024 and Q1 2026 in which an e-Scooter was seized or detained in the Mayo/Roscommon/Longford Division.
These figures are based on incidents which occurred from 1 January 2024 to 31 March 2026, inclusive. Figures for ‘seized or detained’ above are for those vehicles seized or detained under the incident types of ‘Vehicle Detained’, ‘Vehicle Detained Under Sec 41’ and ‘Property Seized'.
The information includes incidents where more than one vehicle was detained or seized. All information above is based upon operational data from the Fixed Charge Processing System and PUSLE system and is liable to change.
Please be advised that data on the number of e-Scooter seizures under new legislation introduced through Section 109A of the Road Traffic Act 1961 in April 2026 cannot be provided by An Garda Síochána at this point as a quarterly validation of incidents must first be completed.
The Road Traffic (Electric Scooters) Regulations 2024 limit the maximum speed of an e-scooter to 20 km/hr, provide for regulation of safety equipment for their operation and prohibit their use on footpaths and by anyone under 16 years of age. On this important point, I urge parents and guardians not to purchase e-scooters for their children, or to allow their children to operate these vehicles.
