Electric bicycles and scooters

They do (need a licence and insurance) but the law is simply not being enforced while the Dept of Transport dithers tries to come up with a policy on how to deal with them.

They are mechanically propelled vehicles according to the 1961 Road Traffic Act so insurance and a driving licence are legally required to drive them in public places.....

https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1961/act/24/section/3/enacted/en/html#sec3

Powered scooters and bikes require tax and insurance, power assisted bikes do not. Power assisted means the thing won't move without you continuously contributing to the power output by pedalling and when you are not contributing the power from motors cuts out (e.g. freewheeling down a hill). Not sure about power asssisted scooters.

I thought the issue was those devices which are self propelled have no road legal classification therefore are not road legal and there is no means to tax or insure them.

Until they sort that out, there is no way to use them on the road (or public spaces) legally. You can only use them on private land.

As others have mentioned there are legal eBikes. Just because you see an eBike doesn't mean it's not legal.

I highly doubt that any of those criteria will change once the legislation passes..... in 10 years time. The Government have dragged their heels on this and won't put the extra brain power into coming up with new criteria. I think most countries in the EU have the same rules in place anyway.

The RSA website says that unless you need to continuously pedal, it's considered an MPV. Which concurs with the first bullet in your post, there is no mention of the other conditions you quoted.

• If it can be powered by mechanical or electrical power alone (i.e., it can continue without you pedalling or scooting it) then it is considered to be a ‘mechanically propelled vehicle’ (MPV).
• Under road traffic law if an MPV is used in a public place it is subject to all of the regulatory controls that apply to other vehicles i.e., it must be roadworthy, registered, taxed and insured.
• The driver of the vehicle must hold the appropriate driving licence and is obliged to wear a crash helmet.

https://www.rsa.ie/road-safety/road-users/special-purpose-vehicles/powered-personal-transportation

At the risk of sounding like a Brexiter, I wasn't aware that we had handed over the regulation of road traffic to bureaucrats in Brussels.

I think the situation in reality is that the EU effectively tells us to introduce regulations in certain situations e.g. tachographs in HGVs and that gets onto the statute book here, either by an Act of the Oireachtas or a Statutory Instrument (SI). But I don't think the EU can tell us what is and is not a mechanically propelled vehicle - that is a matter for domestic legislation.

Irish laws were updated to incorporate this categorisation last October. Pedelecs as you describe are legal here, though more powerful e-bikes remain 'mechanically propelled vehicles' and subject to all the same laws as typical motorcycles. The same legislation also legalised e-scooters within a similar performance envelope.

Was that legally bought in a shop here? Or perhaps modified after?

I know there are plenty of modified pedelecs on the roads, but they can’t be bought in the shop. Not sure how you’d stop anyone modifying them after though.

I'm not 'blaming' the EU for anything, you have it completely upside down. I'm saying that the regulation of road traffic is a matter for domestic legislation.

Hope the department sorts this out soon because the so called electric bicycles are getting bigger and bigger. There are a few flying down the local footpath during school rush time with tires that could fit on a Harley Davidson. I will say they're great things once they're used in a safe way though. Anything to reduce traffic and fumes.

Yes, in theory it makes sense to harmonise the regulations across the EU. The problem is that practice (what the locals get up to) and enforcement (whether the local cops care) are not the same across the EU, especially when it comes to something like electric bikes and scooters. It's down to each country to regulate what mechanised vehicles you can and can not ride on public roads.

Each country sets their own limit for the amount of alcohol that's permissible when you drive an MPV, driver testing and licensing is also controlled by local regulations, ditto the rules of the road. Telling us that something is legal in xx countries counts for naught when it comes to road traffic regulations.

I reckon there's very little enforcement outside these anecdotal stories. When they did stats on the fixed penalty fines for cyclists it was the equivalent one or two fines per day nationally. I expect it less now. I think if you are discrete and sensible you'd be unlucky to be stopped.

Its disgrace a legal framework is still not in place.

Another case here, but I've heard some on the news previously too

He wasn't done for driving in the Park, he was initially stopped in the park and the guard asked him if he was aware of the legalities of using them - he said he was and hopped off. The same guard was then outside the park in Castleknock, and the lad came flying out on the scooter - which is when he was stopped again.

Not sure what he was charged with to be honest, imagine it was driving without insurance. He's in with my wives firm because he's saying he never received the summons - and was banned in his absence. My wife was only asking me about it to see if I'd heard of similar.

Yes - a judge issued the ban - as I mentioned above, the guy missed the summons.

Wouldn't need to cover the details. Its not illegal to sell or own. Just use on public road/land

I think not pedaling and/or doing high speeds will be more obvious give away than the label.