Amazon, AliExpress and Decathlon have delisted e-scooters capable of travelling faster than 20 km/h from their Irish storefronts, after the devices were found to violate national regulations introduced in May 2024. Amazon and AliExpress told the Oireachtas Transport Committee they would not sell e-scooters that fail to comply with Irish law, and an investigation is underway into one foldable model Amazon pulled.
The withdrawals follow calls from Fine Gael's Michael Murphy for all retailers to halt e-scooter sales until products meet legal requirements, including a minimum rider age of 16. Green Party leader Roderic O'Gorman welcomed the removals and urged others to follow. The debate comes as e-scooters have become the top cause of traumatic brain injuries among children.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin told the Dáil he was leaning towards banning e-scooters completely, while Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly voiced support for a ban. Public policy adviser Oisín Coghlan called an outright ban a 'lazy admission of failure.' Despite 1,921 fixed penalty notices issued since the rules took effect, no underage riders have been fined.