The Irish Government is to introduce a range of new regulations to clamp down on e-scooter users. The new regulations will:-
- increase the minimum age for e-scooter users to 18;
- make helmets and high-visibility clothing mandatory for e-scooter users;
- increase Fixed Charge Notice for all e-scooter offences to €100, and
- double fees for the release of detained e-scooters to €80 for the first day and €30 for each subsequent day.
The Department of Transport will further engage with the Department of Justice, An Garda Síochána and relevant stakeholders in the coming months to explore further proposals. These include vehicle registration, mandatory insurance and the requirement to hold a valid driving licence or learner’s permit.
In light of these changes, the Department of Transport will now pause and review funding of public e-scooters schemes.
Further reforms at the Road Safety Authority (RSA) will:
- strengthen its effectiveness, visibility and impact by establishing a new Road Safety Ambassadors Programme to widen and diversify the reach of road safety messaging;
- expand existing road safety education programmes; and
- consolidate driver services of the RSA by increasing their operational delivery capacity.
The National Vehicle and Driver File, Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2026 will:
- enable sharing of traffic collision data so that local authorities, in their role as road authorities, may request, receive, and process road collision data from both the Road Safety Authority and An Garda Síochána;
- allow for the consideration of a charge of careless driving where a jury acquits a defendant of a charge of dangerous driving; and
- introduce a range of improvements and efficiencies for drivers including abolition of the requirement to display a paper motor tax disc.
Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien said:
“I am pleased to have secured approval from my Cabinet colleagues for this important package of road safety measures. Road safety is a priority for this Government, and the range of measures approved today demonstrates the breadth of actions required to make our roads safer. Improving road safety requires the right legislation, effective policies, strong enforcement, close cooperation between agencies and authorities, and greater public awareness of our shared responsibility as road users.
“Today’s e-scooter measures respond to the growing number of serious injuries and tragic fatalities associated with their use and provide clear regulations to protect all road users.
“Education and public awareness are key components of road safety. I am particularly pleased to see the introduction of a new Road Safety Ambassador programme, to bring road safety messages to a wide range of road users through human connection.”
“The publication of the National Vehicle and Driver File Bill marks another important milestone in delivering the Government’s Road Safety Strategy and our commitments under the Programme for Government. It will ensure that local authorities have direct access to collision data when undertaking road infrastructure investment. The legislative amendments will also facilitate greater real-time access to the database by An Garda Síochána in future, assisting with enforcement and contributing to safety on our roads.”
Minister for Road Safety Sean Canney said:
“The measures approved today reflect a comprehensive approach to improving road safety. Government has been clear on the need to address the risks posed by e-scooters when not used safely. Today’s measures establish a framework for their responsible use, and I look forward to progressing this in the coming weeks.
“Minister O’Brien and I took the decision last year not to split the RSA, in the belief that reform was both necessary and possible within the existing organisation, to improve its visibility, impact and effectiveness. The aim of the proposals approved today is to deliver improved customer services and better road safety outcomes. The proposals will consolidate driver and vehicle services in the RSA to provide a renewed focus on performance, efficiency and quality.
“The NVDF Bill will make a key contribution to road safety by enabling the sharing of traffic collision data between An Garda Síochána and local authorities. It will also bring improvements and efficiencies for drivers, including the abolition of the requirement to display a paper motor tax disc and allowing for open-ended declarations that a car is off the road. The abolition of motor tax discs is part of a wider project to remove the need to display paper discs in windscreens and I look forward to bringing the legislation through the Oireachtas in the Autumn.”