Sorry, I was agreeing with the Deputy. It was the idea of ordering a coffee on a drone.

Sentiment score: 0.14

It is unimaginable where I live, so-----

Sentiment score: 0.00

I had no idea people ordered coffee. I am in a lot of sympathy with the Deputies but that only shows there are many people out there very happy to order coffee by drone. That is part of the public view as well.

Sentiment score: 0.26

They are people who want coffee. They are voting with their orders as well. The Minister sends his apologies that he could not attend the latter half of the debate. I am happy to be here and respond to this important debate on behalf of the Government. The Deputies have made good contributions. Deputy O'Gorman has done incredible work bringing this to the House. We acknowledge the work that he has done. From a safety point of view, there is an effective EU-wide regulatory framework that is being implemented and overseen in the State by the Irish Aviation Authority, the civil aviation regulator, to ensure safe drone operations but the Government acknowledges, as the Minister already said, that the rapid expansion of drone use and drone operation has given rise to concerns and there is a need for clarity in areas outside of safety and in respect of the roles and responsibility of public bodies in drone operation. The concerns of communities impacted by increased drone operations are being heard. The Department of Transport will continue to engage with local representatives and communities on the issues raised. As previously outlined, the national policy framework for unmanned aircraft systems sets out the Government's policy in relation to the UAS sector to provide a balance between supporting growth and innovation in the drone sector, which, I have to say, I support because we have to be moving forward with technology where there are appropriate uses, but also to ensure safe and secure operations which are planned to minimise environmental and privacy impacts. The policy framework proposes a number of structures and actions that aim to address the concerns that have been raised in relation to the increasing usage of drones and operations in balance with the realisation of the economic and societal benefits that can happen from emerging and new technologies. The best approach to achieving this balance in as comprehensive and cohesive a manner as possible is through the implementation of the policy framework. As the drone innovation evolves new challenges may arise. The policy framework is a living document that will continue to evolve to keep pace with the evolution of the sector internationally and be responsive to emerging challenges and opportunities. The Government's position is that the issues raised are best addressed in a holistic approach through the implementation of the national policy framework for unmanned aircraft systems. This, we believe, is best facilitated through our proposed timed amendment. This will provide the space to examine any gaps in regulation and guidance and provide a more informed perspective on this Bill and any related regulatory issues. This debate and the contributions from Deputies today have been very valuable. The Government has heard the message from all contributors and will take this into the policy implementation process. We thank Deputy O’Gorman for the work he has done in this area that and, indeed, Deputies on all sides for their work to give voice and representation rightly to their communities on this issue.

Sentiment score: 0.40