Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy knows, SI 24 of 2023 is an unmanned aircraft systems order from the IAA. We have strong criminal sanctions in place and there is also a standard operating procedure to ensure that appropriate actions are taken when a drone is observed in the vicinity of the critical area. That includes how sightings and detections are reported and verified, notifications to air traffic control and the Garda, the suspension of operations and the validation or notification that the area has been cleared to enable the restart of operations. The Deputy will know that all airports have risk assessment systems that monitor this issue. From a departmental perspective, we are at an advanced stage of work on developing an overall policy framework for unmanned aircraft systems. We want to ensure we are in a position to potentially purchase counter-drone technology to try to mitigate the issues that I know have affected many passengers in recent weeks.

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