Over the past two weeks we have had a number of serious accidents with e-scooters and e-bikes, with people being seriously injured, including six children who are currently in intensive care in Temple Street. One of them is from County Laois. It is one accident after another. Ten people have been killed on e-scooters, two this year so far. It is time to act. Fifty years ago, to drive a Honda 50 with a top speed of 35 m/h, you had to pass a test, wear a helmet and have tax and insurance. We need to stop kidding ourselves that these e-bikes and scooters are capable of only 20 km/h; some of them can do 60 km/h or 70 km/h. Let us be clear: these are mechanically propelled vehicles just like petrol-driven scooters. There must be a requirement to do the following: to know the rules of the road, pass the test, have insurance and wear a helmet, and for the current laws on driving them on footpaths to be enforced. People are going around this town with no lights on their vehicles. Can we make this a priority in the next term of the Dáil? When will we see proper legislation for these mechanically propelled vehicles? These are not toys. This week we had a garda in court because he pursued one of them in a Garda car. He finished up in front of the court over it.

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In the autumn?

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