New laws on drones unveiled as rise in complaints expected

Gardaí are anticipating an increase in complaints regarding the use of drones in both urban areas and restricted air space in line with their rapidly growing popularity.

On Thursday, new laws were unveiled to govern the use of drones, or unmanned aircraft, which have been described as the "number one toy for Christmas", a status expected to see the estimated 5,000 such aircraft in Ireland double over the festive period.

This rise in consumer demand and availability, along with rapidly advancing commercial applications, have made the introduction of safety regulations essential.

From December 21st, all drones weighing 1kg or more must be registered with the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA).

Regulations, which will be enforced by gardaí, also prohibit their use in areas where they endanger other aircraft, over a group of people, or more than 300 metres from the operator.

Airport rules

They are banned from being within 5km of an aerodrome or airport, from rising to more than 400ft above the ground, or in built-up or other restricted areas - including military installations and prisons.

Serious breaches of the regulations may be pursued through the courts.

Many of these provisions can be overcome in line with a clearly set out licensing process, again overseen by the IAA.

As usage of the machines increases, incidents, while few in number to date, are anticipated.

“We would expect that over the forthcoming years and time we will receive increased levels of reports with respect to the use of drones, particularly in densely populated areas and in secure areas [like] Government installations,” said Chief Supt Fergus Healy, urging responsibility around safe use.

“The last thing we want to be doing is to investigate incidents where public safety is put at risk.

"We don't want to be investigating cases of endangerment, and these are issues that are of grave concern not only to An Garda Síochána but to the public at large."

Continual monitoring

Minister for Transport Paschal Donohoe, who attended the launch at the IAA, said the introduction of stronger safety regulations was important, and that the framework would be continually monitored and updated.

Other emerging issues such as data protection and privacy will be addressed by the Department of Justice, he said.

Regulations are likely to evolve in sync with commercial applications, an area Mr Donohoe said will become increasingly prevalent.

“I am convinced that the use of these units in the future is going to grow at a dramatic pace and that they will be used in ways and for services that at the moment are not evident to us,” he said.

The Department of Transport has not yet received any direct approaches from the private sector in terms of such intentions, but Mr Donohoe said he expected this to happen. In recent times, Amazon has captured the public imagination through its exploration of potential home deliveries via drone.

For now, users in Ireland must register online at the IAA website for a fee of €5 covering two years, or free of charge if done before the end of January. Details of regulations can also be found on the website.