Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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142. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the action his Department is taking to ensure stronger security measures across all Irish airports in light of recent events of drone activity at Dublin Airport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21033/23]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Irish airports have procedures in place to handle the risk posed by illegal drone activity, developed in accordance with guidance on managing drone safety risk issued by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. Safety critical areas are defined and a risk assessment is maintained at our airports. These procedures have been reviewed and revised where necessary in light of lessons learnt from the illegal drone incursions at Dublin airport earlier this year.

While the immediate focus has been to enable the deployment of counter drone technology at Dublin airport, the Government mindful of the need to protect other airports, other critical national infrastructure and other buildings, agreed that consideration should be given to an appropriate existing state agency being tasked to select and operate both drone detection and counter drone technological solutions as appropriate for the medium to longer term no later than 1 July 2023. Officials from my department are engaging with relevant Government departments and agencies to progress this work.