2026-07-09

89. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who have presented to accident and emergency departments with injuries arising from incidents involving e-scooters, whether as riders or pedestrians; and whether these incidents occurred on public roads, footpaths, or other locations, where such data is available. [52614/26]

There has been a big increase in the numbers of deaths and serious injuries caused by the use and misuse of e-scooters. E-scooters are now the biggest cause of traumatic brain injuries among children. Children are being killed and gardaí working in the area have been injured. CHI has reported that six children have been admitted to intensive care in Temple Street with traumatic brain injuries, following accidents involving e-scooters in just two weeks. What steps is the Government taking to prevent these injuries and then to ensure the necessary resources are there to treat those injuries?

I agree this is a very serious issue for paediatric trauma cases and potentially acquired brain injuries. In light of the recent series of cases and the position paper published by the faculty of paediatrics, the deputy chief medical officer has formally written to the HSE’s national director of public health seeking an initial public health report on e-scooter related injuries in children and young people. That report is intended to clarify the scale of the issue, the impact on health services and whether any recent public health assessment has been undertaken. The deputy chief medical officer has requested that initial report be provided by the end of July or in a proposed timeline if additional data is required in relation to it. I can also confirm my Department is in ongoing engagement with the Minister, Deputy Darragh O’Brien, and his officials in the Department of Transport to ensure that health, transport and road safety policy remain aligned as micro mobility usage continues to grow. The Deputy’s question asked about the number of people who present to emergency departments with injuries arising from e-scooters. Emergency departments do not track that data. They certainly do not track the location of an incident outside the hospital. Their job is to treat the child that has come in with a severe trauma. Nevertheless, the Road Safety Authority, RSA, has statutory responsibility for the promotion of public awareness, including the advancement of education and the safe use of roads. Therefore, I have referred the Deputy's question to the RSA for direct response as best it can. However, as to the Deputy’s question on the numbers presenting with injuries arising from incidents with e-scooters, whether as riders or pedestrians, emergency departments are in the business of treating people and not recording the nature or source of the injury or the location. Nevertheless, the public health assessment is an extremely important part of this and while I do not want to pre-empt it, I imagine it will give weight to any further actions to be taken by the Department of Transport.

I appreciate that it is the job of the accident and emergency departments to treat patients, but I also believe that you cannot manage if you cannot measure. The collection of data on public health issues is a key element to track the development of a public health crisis through society. I also understand that some of the issues around this are not necessarily under the Minister's Department's direct responsibility, but we do have a crisis in this country. I myself have seen children as young as ten or 11 whizzing around in gangs, oblivious to the directions of the roads and roundabouts, flying on paths in public parks. These vehicles are being misused around the country and it is leading to a public health crisis. Parents need to take responsibility. There is a massive lack of responsibility being taken by parents of pre-teen children. There should be fines involved in this, and gardaí need the ability to pursue scramblers and scooters to make sure they can actually bring them to a halt.

As the Deputy and I are in broad agreement on this issue, I will simply use this opportunity to reiterate the potential impact of an acquired brain injury on a child or a teenager. Acquiring a brain injury is a lifelong and potentially life-limiting condition. It can impact their ability to walk, to think, to speak, to eat. It is important that we say these things in the Dáil. The impact of an acquired brain injury can be devastating, not just for the individual but for everybody around them. To acquire a brain injury, whether as a rider, a pedestrian or any person, as a consequence of the misuse of these micro-mobility scooters, or whatever we want to call them, is such a tragedy and such a catastrophe. The Deputy is right that we need data. That public health assessment that is being done between the deputy chief medical officer, who was a clinician in Temple Street and who is very well linked into the paediatric system, and the HSE is the sort of basis on which we need to take other steps in other Departments to try to regulate and restrict usage.

I agree that it is important to focus on the outcomes of these tragic and serious accidents and the fact that many of these injuries are brought to the grave and are lifelong injuries that completely negatively impact the development of these children through their lives. It is time we looked at the registration of these vehicles. These are powered vehicles that can travel at speed. They should be registered in the same way motorbikes are registered. Nobody would think a person should be able to get on a motorbike without training, without being able to use the vehicle, without being at the right age and without registration and insurance. We know that prevention is better than cure. If we can prevent young kids getting onto these vehicles and driving them in a manner that is so dangerous, we can make sure that people can live positive, full lives and that the pressure does not come on the health service. If the Minister could use her influence at Cabinet to look for the registration of these vehicles, that would make a significant difference.

I have spoken to the Minister of State, Seán Canney, specifically on this in recent days and gave him a copy of the letter as to what is happening in relation to the public health assessment. I know that he, like the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, is very exercised by this, as is the Minister for justice. Not one of us in this House wants to enable or perpetuate a situation where children are acquiring injuries of this kind. They are devastating. At the same time, not one of us can go around and police every incident either. We therefore have to try to take the policy steps that will be appropriate, including supporting the Garda in making sure that it can pursue these cases and take the steps it needs to take to stop them. I thank the Deputy for raising this very serious issue. If any child were to see the impact of an acquired brain injury on what their life would look like for the future, I wonder if they might reflect on their use of these vehicles.