The Director of Consumer Affairs has urged parents to ensure children playing on scooters are supervised.
Scooters, which are made of light aluminium and are capable of reaching speeds up to 25 m.p.h., were one of this year's favourite presents. Children trying them out were a familiar sight throughout Ireland on Christmas morning.
Scooters should not be used on roads or without the rider wearing proper protection such as a helmet and knee and elbow pads, the director, Ms Carmel Foley, said.
Her warning follows an inquest into the death of a nine-year-old boy in Liverpool. The boy died from head injuries following an accident with a taxi while he was playing with a scooter on a busy road.
Parents are advised to take care that their children use the scooters only in safe environments. Clery's store manager, Mr Shaun Rippington, reports that the shop is almost out of scooters. They had been offered for online sale at a discount, and had sold well before Christmas.
Mr Cathal O'Dea, of Smyth's Toystore in Jervis Street, Dublin, said the cheaper £39.99 versions were sold out but the store has stocked up on the £79.99 scooters. He expects them to sell well throughout the spring and summer.