Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 9 July 2025
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport
Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Discussion
2:00 am
Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
Good morning. Thank you for being here. Today's meeting will be in two separate public sessions. The first session is to conclude at 10.45 a.m. Apologies have been received from Deputies Pa Daly, Grace Boland and Michael Collins. Senator Mark Duffy has allocated his speaking slot to Deputy Emer Currie. Deputy Pa Daly has allocated his speaking slot to Deputy Paul Donnelly. Deputy Grace Boland has allocated her speaking slot to Deputy Maeve O'Connell. A number of Deputies have indicated that they wish to speak in the spare slots towards the end of each session.
The purpose of today's meeting is for the joint committee to discuss unmanned aircraft systems. Witnesses' opening statements will be made in the following order: the Irish Aviation Authority, Dublin City Council and, not least, Maynooth University. Today is all about engagement and considering an issue that is both timely and rapidly evolving, which is the growing presence of drones in Irish society. As Chair, I begin by acknowledging both the potential but also the real concerns that this technology brings. On the one hand, drones offer clear and innovative opportunities. On the other hand, with that innovation comes genuine, understandable public concern around safety, privacy, noise pollution and the broader regulatory environment. People ask who is monitoring this, where drones can fly, what happens if something goes wrong and, crucially, how we balance the benefits of this technology with the rights and expectations of members of the public. There is also a wider national interest to ensure that Ireland is ahead of the curve in building a framework that encourages innovation, but not at the expense of public trust or safety.
Today's hearing brings together a diverse group of voices from regulators to local authorities, academic researchers and industry leaders. That is exactly what we need. Our goal is not just to listen but to understand what is working, what gaps may exist, and what steps need to be taken to ensure responsible and transparent drone integration in our society. With that, I look forward to an open and constructive discussion and I genuinely thank our witnesses for their time and presence here today.
On behalf of the committee, I am pleased to welcome from the Irish Aviation Authority, IAA, Mr. Enda Walsh, manager of the unmanned aircraft systems, UAS, division in the organisation, and Mr. Jim Gavin, chief operations officer. I call Mr. Gavin to make his opening statement.
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