I thank Deputy O'Gorman for bringing forward this really important Bill. In relation to naming companies in this Chamber, I was given out to about that recently. These companies are not individuals. They are not private individuals. They are big enough and bold enough to defend themselves, so I do not know whether we need to look at our rules on that. We should, in this House, be able to call out companies who are already-----

Sentiment score: 0.16

As Deputy Coppinger said, they are before the committees, they are in the papers, and they are big and bold enough to defend themselves.

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I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach. I was not having a go at the Chair.

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I am the first speaker this evening from outside of Dublin 15 and it has been noted that there are a couple of us here from outside the area. This is coming for us all. That is why I am here, and I am sure it is why Deputy Gibney is here. We have seen plans for Dundrum and elsewhere around Dublin. There should be a certain urgency to getting this right so that we nip the issues in the bud that we have seen arise in Dublin 15 and west Dublin and that we get it right quickly. As Deputy Gorman and others have set out earlier, we do need a balanced approach to drones. We have to be open to new technology and new developments and all of that, but we cannot be blind to the potential harms they bring including, as Deputy Coppinger noted, the potential for displacement of jobs. I will focus on the communities that have had their real concerns around drone usage just ignored for years. We urgently need to see proper regulation and this Bill would be a vital step forward. The last two years have seen parts of Blanchardstown and the surrounding areas become the Wild West of Dublin with planning permission sidestepped as a drone company claimed it was running a trial period. It is just not right that residents in Dublin 15 have been treated as guinea pigs while drone bases were established without planning permission and the Government essentially turning a blind eye. Just yesterday it was reported that the number of drone deliveries had surpassed 250,000 with more than 60,000 flights in Dublin 15 since commencing operations there two years ago. The measures in the Bill are basic, common-sense regulations that should have been in place before these machines ever took flight. Amending the Planning and Development Act 2024 through this legislation will hopefully force the Government to finally layout a national drone policy with similar statements in each council's local development plans. It would also allow for noise pollution complaints to be taken to the District Court on drones just as is the case for other sources of noise pollution. This is not about stifling innovation or limiting people's choice or convenience; it is about taking the sensible steps we need to make sure guardrails and safeguards are put in place to make sure that new technology like this is serving the best interests of our local communities. Of course, there may be benefits to the use of drones like this, but it needs to be accompanied by strong and effective regulation at both local and national levels. I pay tribute to the work of my Labour Party colleagues, Councillors John Walsh and Mary McCamley, who have recognised the great public concern this issue is causing in their communities as have the Deputies speaking here today. Over 1,500 people signed a community petition they launched calling for regulation of drones in Dublin 15. There is huge concern out there in the community. There are genuine concerns around noise, the unlimited frequency of flights, privacy and the impact on the environment, and this all has to be addressed. Ministers seem to have so far ignored public concerns while quietly facilitating the expansion of drone delivery services. Local councils need stronger support based on legislation to require and enforce rules on noise, privacy and environmental impact. There is no national or local regulation around the establishment of drone bases, frequency of flights or flight paths and that is just not acceptable. It effectively means that regulation of noise cannot hope to succeed and there is not regulation of the number or route of flights during the day. What is more, is that three of the four drone bases set up in Dublin 15 were established without any planning permission. The drone company effectively treated planning as an optional extra. Local communities were denied any input in the establishment of drone operations in their area. We have also seen serious concerns among local communities over the Government's national policy framework for unmanned aircraft systems, which was finally launched in August 2025 after a number of years of stalling. The framework is strongly focused on promoting commercial opportunity for drones and pays only lip service to genuine public concerns. The Government's strategy, which envisages a series of working groups to look at key issues further has barely left the drawing board and is lagging woefully behind the rapid expansion of drone companies. It includes hardly any specifics at all on how to address excessive noise from drones, how to manage unrestricted frequency of flights by drone companies and how to monitor the environmental impact of drones, especially in relation to wildlife. Deputy Donnelly referred to colleagues of his coming to Dublin and hearing the noise of the drones. I have been with friends in Castleknock. You do not appreciate until you are there how intrusive and noisy these machines are, how disruptive they will be to family life if you have kids in the garden and how exposed you feel when they fly over you. It is a serious disruption so we cannot go on treating residents across a swathe of our capital city as subjects of an experiment. No further expansion of drone delivery services should be permitted before a safe, sustainable drone traffic management system is fully established and independent research is conducted to assess the impacts of drones in terms of noise, privacy and the environment. Meaningful action to prevent noise, address concerns about privacy and ensure independent monitoring of environmental impacts must come before the development of the drone delivery sector, rather than haphazard mitigation after the horse has bolted. The Government has ignored concerns in Dublin 15 for far too long. Soon, expansion of services across other areas, towns and cities will mean it can no longer be ignored. We desperately need effective regulation and rules about drones at both national and local level. This Bill is a welcome first step. I share the disappointment of colleagues that the Bill is being kicked down the road for a year. I hope the Government will, in the intervening period, come up with its own proposals. We would look forward to engaging constructively with the Minister of State on them, if they could be brought through urgently.

Sentiment score: 0.07