Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 9 December 2015

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications

Forthcoming Transport Council Meeting: Discussion with Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport

9:30 am

Photo of Paschal DonohoePaschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Road Safety Authority is the body that does the work for us on this. I will pass the Deputy's view on to it and get a briefing on how it is being implemented.

On the point about drones, I agree with the Deputy. As I said earlier in response to Deputy Ellis, this is the next phase of development in aviation that will have a tangible effect on all our lives. The Deputy referred to Holland and the delivery of prescriptions. Large Internet shopping companies in America have talked about this in terms of delivering goods directly to people's homes. It is the next wave of development. Given the sophistication and electoral success of all members here, I will not rule out some of them integrating it into their forthcoming election campaigns. The Irish Aviation Authority is now looking at some of the matters raised by the Deputy on the size of drones, where they can fly, and particularly the altitudes at which they can fly. Altitude is one of the key issues. There will be a register put in place to record these units and the relevant forms will be supplied with drones that are purchased during the Christmas period. There will be a need to more actively monitor this in the future, given the greater size and use of drones.

On the Deputy's final point on the testing of new road traffic legislation for small haulage companies, it is a point I acknowledge needs further work and is not provided for in the Road Traffic Bill 2015.

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