A ban on the use of e-scooters for under-18s is now in place.
Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien and Minister of State with responsibility for road safety Seán Canney last month introduced new regulations to raise the age limit for e-scooter users from 16 to 18 years. This change has now come into effect.
Fees for the detention and storage of seized e-scooters also doubles from Friday to an initial €80, plus €30 for each additional day of storage.
An e-scooter is a vehicle with a small standing platform and no seat. It may have two or more wheels and is propelled by an electric motor.
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The new regulations follow changes that made helmets and high-visibility clothing mandatory for e-scooter users since September 4th.
People stopped while not in compliance with these regulations are due to be fined €100, though the Garda Representative Association has warned that the rules will be difficult to enforce.
A number of doctors recently called for an outright ban on the use of e-scooters because of the high number of children presenting with critical injuries after using the vehicles.
The number of children and young people admitted to hospital with traumatic brain injuries following e-scooter incidents increased by 50 per cent year on year, according to data from Children’s Health Ireland (CHI).
There were 1,130 attendances to emergency departments at CHI between January 2021 and August 2025 due to e-scooter-related injuries.
A dozen children were admitted to CHI at Temple Street under the neurosurgery team with traumatic brain injuries sustained in e-scooter crashes between June 2024 and May 2025.
In one fortnight in July 2026, six children were put on life support in CHI at Temple Street due to injuries they sustained from riding e-scooters.
“Increasing the minimum age for e-scooter use to 18 is a necessary and proportionate road safety measure,” O’Brien said last month.
“We have seen a concerning number of serious injuries and fatalities involving young e-scooter users, and our regulations need to address this.
[ The crisis of e-scooters and traumatic brain injuries in childrenOpens in new window ]
“Together with the recent introduction of mandatory helmets and high-visibility clothing, these changes send a clear message that e-scooters must be used responsibly and safely.”
