Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal East, Labour)
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108. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to provide an assessment of Dublin Airports preparedness to counter drone threats; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53650/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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All airports in the State with commercial traffic are required to have procedures in place to deal with the safety risk posed by illegal drone activity. The procedures are developed in accordance with guidance on managing drone safety risk issued by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. Safety critical areas are defined, interagency response procedures are put in place and a risk assessment must be maintained at each of our airports as part of their certification by the Irish Aviation Authority.

Following drone incidents that caused disruption at Dublin airport in early 2023, daa put in place a range of additional measures to counter illegal drone use. This includes a re-examination and updating of its standard operating procedures when drones are detected, an upgrade to its drone detection systems, a review of the safety critical area at the airport and the deployment of counter drone technology. The counter drone technology was deployed following a Government Decision on the matter and when the necessary approvals and licences were secured from the Irish Aviation Authority and ComReg. All relevant bodies at Dublin Airport now cooperate effectively to tackle illegal drone use and the disruption encountered in early 2023 has not been repeated.

It is important to note that while these measures have been effective in countering the careless and reckless use of drones, the type of malicious activity seen recently at some European airports would require a wider state response. Airport authorities have procedures to ensure the safety of the travelling public in such circumstances but would not be appropriate bodies to co-ordinate the overall response to such activity.