Commercial drone operations in Dublin

Question for written answer E-003463/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Lynn Boylan (The Left)

Residents in Dublin have expressed serious concerns regarding the growth of commercial drone operations in their areas. Such operations have been permitted without the required baseline or impact assessments on noise, privacy, health or the environment having been conducted.

Concerns have been expressed that standards required under EU aviation safety law[1] and related environmental law, namely the Habitats Directive[2] and the Birds Directive[3], have not been met.

Can the Commission clarify whether:

• 1.Ireland is meeting its obligations under EU aviation safety and environmental law regarding the permitting of commercial drone activity?
• 2.EU standards and laws apply to the environmental, noise and safety assessments of drones?
• 3.regulatory oversight in Ireland has met the standards laid out by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and appropriate levels of public consultation have been conducted in formulating policy?

Submitted: 5.9.2025

• [1] Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 of 24 May 2019 on the rules and procedures for the operation of unmanned aircraft (OJ L 152, 11.6.2019, p. 45, ELI: https://http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2019/947/oj).
• [2] Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7, ELI: https://http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/1992/43/oj).
• [3] Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds (OJ L 20, 26.1.2010, p. 7, ELI: https://http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2009/147/oj).