National standard needed for commercial drone operations – O’Connell

The decision by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council to refuse a planning application for the opening of a drone delivery hub has highlighted the need to address commercial drone usage once and for all, a Fine Gael TD has said.

Deputy Maeve O’Connell said that the current regulation of commercial drone activity and bases is like the Wild West.

She said: “The National Framework for Unmanned Aircraft Systems currently delegates policy decisions to local authorities across the country. It is unreasonable to expect local authorities to apply planning laws that were designed for homes, roads and shops to apply to air based developments.

“All this will result in is piecemeal policy, where drone operators can be subject to one set of rules on one side of the Dodder River and another set for the other. This is unfair on everyone; it’s unfair on local residents and its unfair on businesses.

“The existing National Framework for Unmanned Aircraft Systems has been a let-down for communities across Dublin and is also unfair to drone operators, who don’t know how their business might reasonably develop.

“We must develop a national standard that decides once and for all what is the plan for our skies.

“How many drones do we want flying overhead, at what heights, at what size, and delivering what products? All of this remains to be teased out, despite the framework acting as a de facto set of guidelines.

“Without a clear set of rules and proper governance, there will continue to be applications going in for hubs beside churches and other private areas, which will lead to more frustration for local residents as they await decisions for which there is very little precedence.

“There may be a need to extend the powers of the Irish Aviation Authority beyond just safety regulation of drone flight below 120m to also include congestion and noise pollution.

“There is absolutely a role for drones in our society; whether it’s for traffic monitoring, building inspections, carrying out emergency medical deliveries, and other services where drones have unique capabilities.

“However, nobody is asking for their homes and communities to be flightpaths or hubs for drones.

“That’s why I am calling on the Department of Transport to develop a national standard, to provide clarity for drone businesses and assurances to residents that fair standards will be upheld and properly managed.”