Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

My understanding is that the Minister for Transport, Deputy O'Brien, is finalising work on a draft policy framework for unmanned aircraft systems. He expects to publish it in the summer and will seek to identify and address any public, regulatory or legislative gaps. There is a comprehensive EU legislative framework in place to regulate safe drone operations that is directly applicable in Ireland. These regulations cover both recreational and commercial use, including commercial drone delivery services. 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, which is the civil aviation regulator, oversees the implementation of the EU drone regulations and standards. In addition to complying with the EU drone regulations, drone operators must also comply with national laws, including environmental, planning and privacy laws. While there is a comprehensive regulatory framework in place, I am not so sure everybody knows that and perhaps that is something a Dáil committee could interrogate a bit more. There are areas where the rapid pace of expansion of drone operations has resulted in gaps and uncertainty - hence the development of a policy framework.

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