THE GOVERNMENT PLANS to make it mandatory for users of e-bikes and e-scooters to wear helmets and high-visibility clothing. 

No timeline for the introduction of the regulations is yet in place, with the details still to be finalised by Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien.

Currently, it is not mandatory for users of standard e-bikes or e-scooters to wear a helmet or high visibility clothing, however, it is strongly advised by the Road Safety Authority. 

A regulation introduced in 2024 makes it a requirement for users of more powerful e-bikes (where the maximum continuous power is higher than 250w and/or where the motor continues up to 45km p/h) to wear motorcycle helmets.

The plans come following a renewed focus on road safety and the use of e-bikes, scramblers and scooters from the Government in recent weeks following the death of 16-year-old Grace Lynch, who was hit and killed by a scrambler bike. 

Today, Minister Darragh O’Brien will bring a memo to Cabinet to enable the drafting of regulations to explicitly prohibit the use of scramblers in all public places, including roads.

This comes as part of an effort to “provide greater legal clarity” around the use of scramblers on Irish roads. 

It is understood Minister Darragh O’Brien also intends to amend existing regulations to “streamline” the process for confiscating and destroying seized scramblers and to make it easier to destroy these vehicles once they are seized by gardaí.

Later this morning, representatives from cycling organisations are due to appear before the Oireachtas Transport Committee to discuss road safety. 

In their opening statements, seen by The Journal, Cycling Ireland, the Dublin Commuter Coalition and the Irish Cycling Campaign have all called on Irish politicians to push the Government to follow through with its plans to reduce speed limits in urban areas to 30km per hour.

Despite an initial plan in 2024 to reduce the speed limit in urban areas to 30km per hour across the board, the Government has since pivoted its approach and has asked all 31 local authorities to reduce speed limits by assessing roads individually. 

Representatives from Cycling Ireland will tell TDs and Senators today that nothing is preventing full implementation of the 30km limit right now, “except political will”.

Guardian ad Litem National Service

Separately, Minister for Children, Disability and Equality Norma Foley will this morning bring a memo to Cabinet about setting up the new Guardian ad litem National Service.

A Guardian ad Litem is an independent person appointed by a court to advise the courts on the best interests of a child in legal proceedings.

Approximately 3,500 children currently have a court-appointed Guardian ad litem, however, the current system is unregulated.

Efforts to reform the current system have been underway since 2014, with the new system due to begin in the middle of this year.

The service will be recruiting 65 new Guardians ad Litem and, in an effort to prevent a cliff edge for children currently in the system, there will be a 12-month transition phase for existing Guardians ad Litem working with children in care proceedings.

The move to the new system has proved controversial, with Guardians ad litem raising concerns about their independence under the new system. 

There are currently approximately 96 GALs operating around the country. 

A group representing existing workers is currently taking legal advice over the new service, which would reduce their number by a third.

They claim Minister for Children Norma Foley “appears to be unaware of the unravelling of… protections for children”.