Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)

A huge number of residents of Dundrum and nearby locations contacted me recently. They are worried about privacy, noise and disruption and they are worried about drones. After several trials around Dublin and complaints from residents going unaddressed by this Government, a new drone depot is proposed for Dundrum. Let me be clear: I do not blame a company that, in the absence of regulation, has decided to take over our skies. That is what businesses do when we leave a regulatory gap. They take advantage of it. In the past few years, local authorities, An Bord Pleanála and the Irish Aviation Authority have each in turn pointed to the clear gap in regulation that needs to be filled to stop the space above our homes being flooded with commercial traffic. Assurances from these businesses that it is not that loud or that they will take care of privacy are not enough for the Dundrum community and they do not wash with me. The responsibility for this problem and for solving it lies with the Government. What is being done to ensure commercial drones are not given free reign over our homes and our communities?

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