Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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265. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the steps he has taken in 2018 in particular to address the dangers posed by drones at airports. [11023/19]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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Regulation on the licensing and registration of drones and drone owners has become an EU competency, under the remit of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).   New EU-wide rules will be rolled out in the coming few months, having been developed through technical EU working groups during 2017 and 2018.  Ireland, as an early mover with domestic legislation on drones, has made a substantive contribution to the development of these new EU rules.

Until such times as the new implementing rules are issued to give effect to the EU regulation, existing national regulatory rules set out under S.I. 563 of 2015 will continue to apply.  This includes no-fly zone restrictions around airports and aerodromes, and a range of other flight restrictions around public buildings and places.

The overall threat and risk posed by drones, to airports in particular, remains a priority matter for the National Civil Aviation Security Committee, which coordinates the State's response to civil aviation security matters. This Committee met in both January and February of this year to specifically scope out further measures which may be necessary and I await their recommendations.