Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
The Clare Byrne Show on Newstalk. With Aviva Insurance.
Tanaiste and Minister for Finance and leader of Fine Gael, Simon Harris, is joining me here in studio. Good morning to you, Minister.
Good morning, Ciara. Thank you for having me.
I want to start with this big splash in the front of the Daily Mail this morning. Cyclists face a clampdown that the government is considering, according to Sean Canney, your colleague, forcing cyclists to put registration plates on bicycles, wear high-vis vests and helmets as part of a major road safety clampdown. Was that conversation had yesterday?
What did Simon Harris say about the proposed cyclist registration claims in the headlines?
No, that's not what we would be doing. I mean, the government had a very good and very important meeting yesterday in relation to e-scooters. And these are extraordinarily dangerous, particularly for children. One in two children every single day are ending up in emergency departments in Ireland over the summer months. One third of traumatic brain injuries in children are now caused by e-scooter accidents. But I think there's a very big difference between a cyclist, let's call it a push bike, and something that is propelled, motor propelled. So the plans are in relation to e-scooters. And I look forward to those plans coming to Cabinet next week.
All right, so you're dismissing that completely. What we talked about yesterday in terms of e-scooters has not been extended to the push bike.
No, I wouldn't support that at all. I mean, helmets, like to be frank, helmets are a good thing to wear. They're advisory. But obviously there's an issue of personal responsibility here. But there's a very big difference between a push bike, a cycle bike versus a motor propelled vehicle.
All right. Well, we'll ask Sean Canney why he said that yesterday if he speaks to us on the programme sometime soon. Let's move on to the issue of e-scooters because it has had such a huge reaction from our listeners here in Newstalk over the last couple of weeks. Why stop short of the full ban?
So we don't rule it out, but we've got to do something that's practical, enforceable, and we can move quickly on. And can I just say the very first thing is, sometimes there are things the government needs to do, and of course there is, but there's also things we need to do as citizens. Every parent needs to stop buying children an e-scooter. I mean, children are not saving up their small sums of pocket money and walking into the shops and buying the e-scooter. It is illegal today in Ireland to be on an e-scooter under the age of 16. We intend to change that to 18. Yet we're seeing one to two children every single day in our emergency departments. So quite frankly, that shouldn't require a law. That requires people to actually stop buying them.
The second thing that could happen today without any change in law is that shops could stop selling them in relation to children.
How is the government planning to regulate e-scooters immediately and by September?
Toy shops could stop selling them. And I welcome the fact that there's been some progress on that.
It's not illegal for them to sell them.
Correct. No, it's about to be. And let me get to that. So what we agreed yesterday was next month, a number of things will happen by way of regulation. It will be illegal to be on an e-scooter under the age of 18 rather than 16. The fines will be increased for any breaches of the law. It will be mandatory to wear a helmet and to wear a high vis. And then in September, we will introduce laws that will really overhaul the entire system. And that's where we've got to move beyond this conversation about can the guard catch somebody on an e-scooter to a conversation about the point of sale. You've got to be able to make sure that it's illegal to sell an e-scooter to somebody under the age of 18. You've also got to make sure that there's registration.
I believe there should be insurance and either tax or a registration fee. So that's the major overall that's coming in September. But like I say, no one needs to wait for the government here. People could actually change behaviours today, particularly when it comes to children. But we are taking a series of decisive action.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:01–0:36
2
What did Simon Harris say about the proposed cyclist registration claims in the headlines?
0:36–2:22
3
How is the government planning to regulate e-scooters immediately and by September?
2:22–8:51
4
What age limits, helmet and registration rules will apply to e-scooters under new regulations?
8:51–22:56
5
How will enforcement, Garda training and indemnity change to address e-scooter dangers?
22:56–26:08