Dublin councillors seek to block drone flights over privacy concerns
Dublin councillors have voted to request that drones are banned across the city, with exceptions for use by emergency services.
However, it will not have an impact on drones in the capital without intervention by Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien through the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA).
Councillors for Dublin’s North Central area on Monday passed a motion from Labour councillor Ali Fields requesting a ban in the capital for privacy reasons.
Speaking to the Irish Independent, Ms Fields said she also wanted to introduce a requirement that prospective owners of drones be Garda vetted before being able to get a licence for one.
“It could be anyone using it, kids playing out the back or anything. My own son has special needs and he plays out all summer and he does the maddest things and I wouldn’t want anyone recording that, you know,” she said.
“Hopefully something comes of it, but if not I’ll have to find another way of trying to raise it as a motion within the [full] council. There are 63 councillors there, and it can be discussed in there, and we’ll try it from there.”
She said with the growth of the far right, she would also be worried about any new technology enabling people to drop objects anywhere.
Other councillors supported the motion, out of which a letter will be drafted to Mr O’Brien calling for the ban.
A spokesperson for the Department of Transport said EU regulations on drones do allow for the establishment of an area where they are restricted or excluded for privacy, environmental or security reasons, known as Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) geographical zones.
“To establish UAS geographical zones in respect of privacy and environmental protection, the IAA requires input from relevant agencies, local authorities, and government departments.”
They said the recently-published National Policy Framework for drones “aims to address concerns in relation to increasing UAS usage and operations in balance with the realisation of the economic and societal benefits from the emerging drone sector.”
How drone planning and environmental issues will be addressed by the appropriate authorities is also being assessed as part of the strategy, they added, with a commitment to establish a national working group on the creation of the drone-restricted zones.
Drones have been a controversial issue around the capital, with residents in Glasnevin and in Dundrum raising concerns over plans for drone delivery hubs, following one already operating in Blanchardstown.