Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this question. It is interesting from a rural TD perspective to find out what is actually happening in the Deputy's constituency with drones and the delivery of fast food. As he said, it is new.

From an aviation safety perspective, the regulation of both the recreational and commercial use of drones, or unmanned aircraft systems are they are technically called, is provided for under European Union regulations that are directly applicable in Ireland. Two drone-specific EU regulations ensure drone operations across Europe are safe and secure. The two regulations, Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945 and the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947, set out common rules for the regulation of drones and drone operators, including training, licensing and registration. Regulation 2019/947 sets operational rules that apply to both professional drone operators and those flying drones for leisure. Regulation 2019/945 sets the common EU-wide technical requirements for drones, the features and capabilities drones must have to be flown safely and, at the same time, help foster investment and innovation in this sector through a harmonised framework across the European Union. The aim of the EU drone regulations is to achieve the same level of safety for drone operations as in manned aviation. The Irish Aviation Authority, the civil aviation regulator, oversees the implementation of the EU drone regulations and standards. The drone regulations are operation-centric and focus on the risk of drone operations, so regulation is lighter on low-risk operations and more demanding on higher risk operations.

Under the EU regulatory regime, drone operations are classified into three broad categories: open, specific and certified, with different regulatory considerations applied across each category. As one would imagine, commercial drone delivery operations are heavily regulated. Drone delivery operations like those in Dublin 15 fall into the medium-risk "specific" category, which requires specific authorisation by the IAA. This type of authorisation is recognised in all EU member states. To obtain an operational authorisation, an operator must provide a comprehensive safety portfolio, which includes assessing and addressing both ground and air risks with appropriate mitigations. These might include, for example, co-ordination with air traffic control, fitting the drone with a parachute and flight termination system, and dynamically routing away from more densely populated locations.

At a national level, SI 24 of 2023 Irish Aviation Authority (Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Drones)) Order 2023, came into force on 2 February 2023, replacing an earlier drones order. It restates the investigative and enforcement powers of the IAA and provides for arrangements between An Garda Síochána and the IAA in the enforcement of EU drone regulations. It also includes a section on privacy rights which draws the attention to drone operators to prepare a data protection impact assessment, where required, in accordance with the EU general data protection regulation. In addition to complying with EU drone regulations, drone operators must also comply with national laws, including environmental, planning and, as I mentioned, privacy laws. On top of the two EU drone regulations I outlined earlier, there is also a European regulatory framework, comprising Regulations (EU) 2021/664, 2021/665 and 2021/666, that allows for the safe development of the drone services market, including drone delivery, and the integration of drones into our airspace.

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