Calls for 'complete ban' of e-scooters operated by under 18s in Kildare MD

A Fine Gael councillor has called for a “complete ban” on e-scooters being operated by under 18s in Kildare’s Celbridge Leixlip municipal district.

Cllr Paul Brooks will table his motion at the upcoming meeting of Celbridge Leixlip Municipal District, on Friday July 17 2026.

Cllr Brooks will motion: “That the council engages with the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and An Garda Síochána to work towards a complete ban of e-scooters being operated by those under 18 years of age, on public roads and footpaths within the municipal district.”

Meanwhile, party colleague, Cllr Declan Ryan asks that the council undertake a survey of all public roads within the MD to identify road signs where visibility is impaired by overgrown vegetation, hedgerows, trees, etc.

Additionally, Cllr Ryan calls for a maintenance programme to be implemented to remove such growth.

Staying with Transport, and Cllr Rupert Heather (LAB) asks that the council provide a detailed delivery programme for the Celbridge Hazelhatch Mobility Corridor.

This would include, he states, design milestones, statutory approvals, procurement timetable, funding drawdown and anticipated construction commencement and completion dates.

Walled Gardens

Cllr Claire O'Rourke (SD) asks the council to explain why repair works are not scheduled for the Walled Gardens, Castletown, Celbridge.

Cllr O'Rourke requests details of “all inspections, engineering assessments and other examinations carried out, together with the findings, recommendations and the basis for the decision not to proceed with repairs.”

A second motion from Cllr Rupert Heather (LAB) calls on the council to carry out short-term improvements to the playground at Willowbrook Park, Celbridge.

Cllr Heather argues that given Willowbrook is Celbridge's only major public playground, “and is heavily used by families from across the town”, works should be prioritised.

In a similar vein, Cllr Paul Brooks (FG) calls on the local authority to consider the introduction of open space infrastructure, such as outdoor exercise equipment and commits to providing bench seating along the main avenue in Riverforest Estate, Leixlip.

Transport links for Ardclough

Transport links serving Ardclough is the basis of a motion tabled by Cllr Declan Ryan (FG).

He motions: “That the council writes to the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation requesting that funding be allocated in the forthcoming Budget to progress the delivery of a transport link serving Ardclough following recent correspondence with the National Transport Authority (NTA) and the positive response to this important transport infrastructure project.”

Finally, a motion from Cllr Nuala Killeen (SD) asks that the council write to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Inland Fisheries Ireland and Uisce Éireann.

Cllr Killeen is seeking “urgent action” following recent and previous fish kill incidents on the River Rye, including “the establishment of a formal rapid response protocol for serious river pollution incidents, a review of continuous water quality monitoring, an update on actions arising from the joint EPA/ Inland Fisheries Ireland report of 2022, and further measures to prevent recurrence.”