Fianna Fáil TD for Cork South Central, Deputy Séamus McGrath has called for a major expansion of the Garda e-bike pilot programme after new figures revealed that just eight e-bikes are currently in use by An Garda Síochána nationwide.
Figures provided to Deputy McGrath by the Minister for Justice show that while An Garda Síochána currently has 726 mountain bikes in operation and just eight electric bicycles.
The Garda e-bike pilot was launched in August 2023 with six e-bikes initially deployed in Dublin city centre, with plans at the time to expand the scheme to Cork City later that year.
Almost three years on, the number of e-bikes in operation has increased by just two.
Deputy McGrath said:
“When the pilot was launched in 2023, it was described as an opportunity to assess the wider use of e-bikes in Irish policing and there was an expectation that the programme would expand quickly if successful.
“To discover that there are still only eight Garda e-bikes in use nationwide almost three years later is disappointing.”
Figures show that six of the eight e-bikes are currently assigned to the Dublin Metropolitan Region, with the remaining two located at the Garda College in Templemore. A review of the pilot scheme is currently underway.
Deputy McGrath said e-bikes could play an important role in supporting frontline policing and increasing Garda visibility.
“E-bikes allow Gardaí to cover larger areas, spend longer on patrol and maintain a highly visible presence in our communities.
“They are particularly suited to busy urban centres, parks, greenways and areas where patrol cars can struggle to access quickly.”
Deputy McGrath called for the review to be concluded without delay.
“A major rollout of e-bikes would be a practical and cost-effective way of supporting frontline policing efforts and increasing Garda visibility in our communities.”