Consultants who deal with emergency medicine for children have reported a significant rise in the number of children suffering injuries from e-scooter use.
The annual conference of the Irish Paediatric Emergency Medicine heard today the most significant cases involve traumatic brain injuries, which can require neurosurgery.
Most of the injuries are seen in young people, usually males aged 12-15 years.
Doctors say many of the e-scooter injuries are single vehicle accidents where young people lose control.
Dr Caroline Fox, Consultant in Paediatric Emergency Medicine, CHI Temple Street, said there has been a significant rise in e-scooter related injuries over the last few years, despite legislation in 2024 which ruled that the vehicles can only be legally used on public roads by those aged 16 years and older.
Dr Fox said that a wide range of injuries are being seen but the most significant is traumatic brain injury and around half of the children admitted for this need neurosurgery.
Another consultant in paediatric medicine at CHI Temple Street revealed that e-scooter collisions remain the leading cause of traumatic brain injury requiring admission to facility.
Dr Paddy Fitzpatrick told RTÉ's Morning Ireland that many of those injured will have long hospital stays and face long-term consequences.
Encouraging the use of helmets is an important public health measure, he added, urging that the fact that e-scooters are not toys and are dangerous be the main focus of public messaging.
He said that doctors are predominantly treating children between the ages of 12 and 16, but they are seeing even younger children as well.
Dr Fitzpatrick said that the current legislation needs to be examined.
"What this problem requires, I think, is multiple agencies like the Department of Transport, the Road Safety Authority, An Garda Siochána as well as the health care and education sectors in terms of trying to promote that message and try to enforce the current legislation."
If this fails, measures used in other countries may be required such as registration and insurance of e-scooters, he said, a point also made at today's conference by the Fianna Fáil spokesperson on transport Shane Moynihan TD.
Dr Fox noted that the average length of stay for children with e-scooter injuries is around 19 days.
Other injuries seen involve limbs, soft tissue injuries and facial injuries.
The Government is currently looking at legislation making hi-viz jackets and helmets mandatory for e-scooter use.
