The use of airborne drones for food delivery “is wild west territory” because planning regulations “are really lax”, Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman has said.
Calling for clarity on planning, safety and privacy in the use of the technology, he expressed concern about the noise level of the “buzz” of the drones. “There are now flight paths over certain estates in Dublin 15 where in an afternoon you could have 30 or 40 drones flying over and back.”
He warned there were “real dangers of a crash between drones” if the service was expanded without regulation because “these are hefty machines”.
Raising the issue in the Dáil, the Dublin West TD said the Green Party’s general election manifesto recognised the benefits of this technology, but regulation was needed because “right now it is wild-west territory in terms of how these are used”.
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Referring to Manna Drone Delivery, he said the company delivered takeaway food to homes around Blanchardstown and Castleknock in Dublin. It also operates in Oranmore, Co Galway, and Balbriggan, Co Dublin. It has applied for planning permission to operate in Tallaght, southwest Dublin.
“The drone flies over and the food comes down in a brown paper bag on a string. It is literally manna from heaven. Any time people are in Dublin 15, they hear the buzz and see the drone going over and know that a punter in Clonsilla is getting their burrito.”
He said the delivery service was about to spread to other areas across Dublin and “there is an urgent need for airborne delivery drones to be regulated because right now, the rules about their use are really, really lax”.
The noise could have a real impact on people. Some residents have described the drones as “flying lawnmowers”.
Expressing safety concerns, he asked what happened if a second or a third company started operating. “If they are not regulated or co-ordinated, a crash is a real possibility. These are hefty machines.”
He said drones were only supposed to use a camera “to oversee the drop of the paper bag”, but “who knows if they are on or off?”.
Minister of State Seán Canney said drone delivery operations like those in Dublin 15 were a medium-risk category, which required authorisation by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA).
Mr Canney said a policy framework was being developed following public consultation last year. The policy document “will be published in the coming months” and the IAA would continue to oversee drone regulation in the meantime.
“I do accept this is a growing industry. We need to make sure we get in there early to ensure it is managed properly and that people’s privacy is not invaded,” he said.
