Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy mentioned a question about planning and whether it is required. It is a matter for the planning authority. If somebody has a commercial enterprise in a location, they have to have planning permission for it. That is coming from the experience of working on the council for a number of years. Aviation is a highly regulated industry and there is a comprehensive legislative framework in place at both EU and national level to regulate safe drone operations.

The rapid pace of drone innovation and commercialisation has created challenges. I agree with that. The Government is aware that the impact of a growing drone sector with an increasing volume of drone operations needs to be further considered. The programme for Government includes a commitment to finalising and implementing a policy framework to guide high-level strategic planning and development of the drone sector in Ireland through supporting growth and innovation while ensuring safe and secure operations and managing environmental and other concerns. The policy framework recognises the importance of collaboration and engagement with a wide range of stakeholders. The foundation of the policy framework is cross-government engagement and it is informed by public and industry consultation. A public consultation was held in 2024. The consultation sought feedback from the public on several key areas, including how to respond to public concerns about the increased use of drones, as the Deputy has mentioned, how to position Ireland as a potential front-runner in the emerging sector, and how to future-proof responsible development of the drone industry.

The policy framework seeks to strike a balance between realising the benefits of the development and uptake of new technologies and the risks they can cause. It is envisaged this policy document will be published in the coming months. In the meantime, the IAA, as the civil aviation safety regulator, will continue to oversee drone operations throughout the State to ensure the operations are safe and comply with the EU regulations. I accept that this is a growing industry. We need to make sure we get in there early to ensure it is managed properly and that people's privacy is not invaded.

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