Plan was expected to be put to the Cabinet today before it was withdrawn from the meeting of Government Ministers. A reported plan by Irelands Government to make the wearing of helmets and high-vis mandatory for e-scooter and e-bike users includes all bicycles, even those without a motor, the Department of Transport has confirmed this afternoon. People not wearing the gear would be subject to fines issued by Gardai, similar to the fines issued for offences such as cyclists running red lights or not using bicycle lights.Late this afternoon, a Department of Transport spokesperson said: Requirements for mandatory helmets and high-visibility equipment are currently being considered for e-scooters, bicycles and e-bikes.The Department has referred to it as being considered and under review, but others have said that it is a draft plan that should be taken seriously. Sources told this website that the Tnaiste Simon Harris and Minister of State, Sen Canney, were the main people pushing for mandatory high-vis and helmets at Cabinet today, and that he wanted the issue brought back to Government at the earliest opportunity.The move would make Ireland the only EU country to mandate bicycle helmets, and possibly the only member State to force people to wear high-vis generally. The effectiveness of both high-vis and helmets is widely questioned, including by researchin the areas of road safety and public health.Australia mandates helmets, but this is linked to years of decline in cycling, and mandatory helmets are also linked to low use of bicycle share schemes in Melbourne and Brisbane. 61% of survey respondents said mandatory helmet laws were their main barrier to using bike share in Melbourne and Brisbane, blocking significant health benefits which are linked to such programmes.In Ireland, it is expected that primary legislation will be required to legally require people to wear high-vis and helmets.The Department of Transports confirmation that bicycles are included was in response to questions from IrishCycle.com as to what e-bikes are included after The Journal reported this morning that a plan to make high-vis and helmets mandatory for e-bike and e-scooter users was being brought to Cabinet today.It is understood that the plan regarding mandating clothing and helmets was seen as being too complicated to deal with at this time, as it would distract from work on closing claimed loopholes on the use of scrambler motorcycles and the move to making it harder for seized scramblers to be returned to their owners, which currently happens at least in some cases after a fee is paid.The reason for the delay in making the helmet and high-vis equipment mandatory is reflected in comments from Taoiseach Michel Martin after todays Cabinet meeting. The Taoiseach said that they are very focused on scramber issue, which he said would be named Graces Law after 16-year-old Grace Lynch, who was killed when she was struck by a scrambler being driven by an 18-year-old man who has been charged. He added that they would then move onto work on e-scooters. This refers to the review, which also includes e-bikes and bicycles.The inclusion of bicycles in the plan to force peope to wear building site-like gear was first reported on by IrishCycle.com last week after a parliamentary answer in the name of Minister for State, Canney, said: The Department has begun examining this issue, with a view to considering mandating helmets for these and other vulnerable micromobility users the paragraph proceeding it mentioned bicycles, e-bikes and scooters, and besides e-scooters, micromobility usually refers to bicycles and electric bicycles.This was put to the Department at the time, and they did not deny it, but today was the first time that they have made it clear that all bicycles are included in the draft plans