Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

We have seen the rapid growth of commercial drone activity in Ireland, especially in my constituency of Dublin West. Manna Drone Delivery has been piloting a delivery service from a local base in Blanchardstown Shopping Centre and another site in the vicinity at junction six at the M50, which is the subject of some dispute. The company completes more than 300 deliveries daily within a radius of 3 km. The company has stated that by this summer its services will expand to cover around 500,000 residents across Dublin, with plans for ten drone bases citywide by the end of the year. Potentially, these will serve up to 1 million people.

This is no longer a trial or a novelty. It represents a significant modal shift in how goods and services are being delivered in our communities. It looks like it is here to stay and therefore demands our attention from a planning and regulatory perspective. While business innovation is welcome, as are the potential reduction in carbon emissions and the timely delivery of medicine and medical equipment, it brings to the fore issues we cannot ignore. These include protecting the public's privacy, ensuring safety and managing the day-to-day impact on people's lives, especially in densely populated areas. It is important that we support innovation while addressing the very real concerns of local communities, like noise pollution. The noise levels of drones in Dublin West can reach 60 dB to 65 dB above WHO recommendations for daily noise exposure. There are flight paths over residential areas. When we knock on the doors of houses like we do when we are canvassing and spend a significant time in an estate, it is possible to experience a snapshot of what residents inside that 3 km radius are now living with. It is a near continuous hum of drones overhead. Some liken it to the noise of a lawnmower. It is fine every now and again right beside you, but not all the time above you. We are used to the noise of passing traffic or a passing train during the day.

Rather than asking them, are we really telling residents that they must accept this change in their environment, this disruption and, to some, this intrusion without debate or public consultation? Currently, our planning and regulatory system does not support that. The first-hand experience of nearby residents must be taken into account as we move forward with developing a clear framework for commercial drone operations. It is essential that we do not let innovation outpace regulation. Some have that said drones are completely unregulated, but that is not true. Two EU regulations currently apply. One governs how drones are operated by weight and the other sets technical and safety standards for the drones. However, they focus on aviation safety and risk and do not take into consideration the needs of communities and residents who do not know who to contact to raise concerns or make a noise complaint. In addition, they do not know what their rights are. The national policy framework for unmanned aircraft systems currently in development needs to be launched. A national public awareness campaign on the role and responsibilities of the Irish Aviation Authority, IAA, and the rights of residents is necessary. We also need a clear distinction between the role of the planning authority and the IAA, and the establishment of a U-space, an unmanned traffic management system. This would allow authorities to define controlled flight zones, schedule flight times over residential areas and ensure that drones are safely and responsibly integrated into shared airspace.

Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank Deputy Currie for raising this matter which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Transport. From the aviation safety perspective, the regulation of the recreational and commercial use of drones, or unmanned aircraft systems as they are technically known, is provided for under European Union regulations that are directly applicable to Ireland. Two drone-specific EU regulations ensure that drone operations across Europe are safe and secure. In that context, Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945 and the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 set out the common rules for the regulation of drones and drone operators, including training, licensing and registration. Regulation 2019/947 sets out the operational rules that apply to professional drone operators and those flying drones for leisure. Regulation 2019/945 sets the common EU-wide technical requirements for drones, which are the features and capabilities that drones must have in order to be flown safely. This regulation also seeks to 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 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. Commercial drone operations may fall into any one of these categories depending on the risk associated with the operation. Low-risk commercial drone operations, such as aerial photography, may fall in the open category where regulation and oversight of operations are lighter. Other commercial drone operations, including drone delivery operations, are more closely regulated. These types of commercial drone operations may fall into the medium-risk specific category, which may require specific authorisation by the IAA. This type of authorisation is recognised in all EU member states. To obtain 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 and fitting the drone with a parachute and flight termination system.

At national level, SI 24/2023, Irish Aviation Authority (Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Drones)) Order 2023, which replaced an earlier drones order, came into force on 2 February 2023. It states the investigative and enforcement powers of the IAA and provides for arrangements between An Garda Síochána and the IAA in relation to enforcement of EU drone regulations. It also includes a section on privacy rights, which draws the attention of drone operators to the need 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 mentioned, privacy laws.

In addition to the two EU drone regulations to which I referred, there is also a European regulatory framework, comprising Regulations (EU) 2021/664, 2021/665 and 2021/666, which allows for the safe development of the drone services market, including drone delivery and the integration of drones into airspace. The U-space regulation - Regulation (EU) 2021/664) - emerged to support commercial operations with drones, especially those entailing greater complexity and automation, to provide for the safe integration of a number of drone flights in a volume of airspace. Essentially, U-space is an area of airspace where drone operations may only occur with the support of U-space services. At a minimum, these must include network identification, traffic management, flight authorisation and geo-awareness. U-space full services are not envisaged to happen until 2030. The establishment of U-space in high-density drone use areas may mitigate some concerns related to privacy and security.

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Minister of State's response proves my point. I thank him for it. This is heavy on regulation rather than on the rights of residents and communities. The language used is not at all consumer friendly. Meanwhile, we are seeing the fast development, growth and expansion of these deliveries and services and they are impacting communities. We have to make sure the regulations and public information are keeping pace with that innovation. The national policy framework currently in development needs to be launched. This framework needs to be consumer friendly. U-space services are the critical part of this because it gets down to the nitty-gritty of flight paths over housing estates. The Minister of State indicated that he does not see this as being fully envisaged until 2030. That will be too late. The IAA is collaborating with Maynooth University and Dublin City Council on a drone innovation partnership that will inform the development of an unmanned traffic system in the Dublin city region. Fingal County Council needs to be part of that. Other councils should be part of it too. The U-space approach needs to be prioritised.

This is not about curbing innovation. It is about building the right regulatory foundation so that innovation can grow with public confidence and local support. However, that is not happening. We need to take a consumer-friendly approach to engaging with and consulting the public on issues like this in order to make it relatable, relevant and explainable to residents who have legitimate concerns about noise and intrusiveness.

Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Aviation is obviously a highly regulated area, but I agree with the Deputy that the rapid pace of drone innovation and its commercialisation have created a challenge. The Government is aware of the impact of that and of the growing drone sector, particularly in the context of the increasing volume of operations. The programme for Government includes a commitment to finalise and implement a policy framework to guide high levels of strategic planning and the development of the drone sector in Ireland through supporting its growth and innovation but also ensuring other aspects, including safe and secure operations and managing environmental concerns.

A public consultation seeking feedback from the public on several key areas, including how to respond to public concerns about the increasing use of drones, how to position Ireland as a potential front runner in this emerging sector and the responsible development of the drone sector, was held in 2024. The policy framework seeks to strike a balance, as the Deputy stated, between those concerns. I will take her comments back to the Minister as I know she will. As someone who represents a constituency that is similar to hers, some of her concerns have been raised with me on an ongoing basis, particularly in relation to noise impact of continuous drone operation in residential areas. I very much hear what the Deputy is saying.