‘E-scooters daily hazard’
E-scooters are becoming a daily hazard and should be banned from footpaths before someone is seriously injured, according to Mullingar councillor, Andrew Duncan.
Speaking at the monthly meeting of Mullingar Kinnegad Municipal District, on Monday of last week, he asked that pressure be put on gardaí to confiscate e-scooters that are used incorrectly.
Cllr Duncan moved a motion calling on the council to clearly designate where e-scooters are permitted and ask the gardaí to take action when they are being used on footpaths.
He was told that a bill is being considered in the Dáil which includes proposed legislation relating to e-scooters. The council are waiting on the outcome of that process.
The mayor of the Mullingar Kinnegad district, Cllr Aoife Davitt, said that some of the e-scooters can do high speeds, on footpaths and with no lights. She told of seeing a child of six or seven and another or three or four scooting around a busy area while bystanders looked on in dismay.
Cllr Ken Glynn said the government needs to “get their finger out” and sort it and proposed that they write to the relevant minister asking that they get on with it.
He referred to a story in the Westmeath Examiner about a woman who had been injured by one of these vehicles.
It was agreed that the council would write to the relevant minister and to the garda superintendent asking that the issue be addressed.
St Finian’s College
A vote of congratulations was passed with St Finian’s College, Mullingar, on their recent victory in the Leinster Junior D Camogie Final, at the February meeting of the Mullingar Kinnegad Municipal District.
The vote was proposed by Cllr Frank McDermott and endorsed by the other members on the municipal district committee.
Festivals funding
Westmeath County Council is accepting applications from this week for funding under the Festivals and Events Scheme.
The scheme remains open until Friday March 11, it was announced at the February meeting of the Municipal District of Mullingar Kinnegad.