Anti-drone technology will be in place at Dublin Airport within a matter of weeks.
Transport Minister Eamon Ryan is bringing a memo to Cabinet this morning asking colleagues to approve approving the purchases of the technology.
The memo also calls for airport operator DAA to be appointed as the operator of drone defences.
While new legislation allowing the technology to be put into use is not expected to be needed, it will take time to train people in using it.
On The Hard Shoulder last night, junior minister at the Department of Transport Jack Chambers said that could take a number of weeks.
Drone
Speaking last night, Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said he was also aiming to kick off a wider examination of the technology’s use – assessing the need for it at other airports, power plants, defence force facilities and Government properties.
“We need to look at it in a more strategic way right across the State,” he said.
“Not just in our airports but across a whole range of other infrastructure as to how we police and monitor and manage done activity.
“That bigger project will take slightly longer but first things first, we need to sort out the problem at Dublin Airport and I think the Dublin Airport Authority are going to have a critical role in how that happens.”
Dublin Airport
Drone disruption has seen flights grounded at Dublin Airport six times in the last six weeks, leading to bitter criticism of the Government from airlines including Ryanair.
Thousands of passengers have seen their flights suspended or diverted as a result of the disruption.
Fine Gael transport spokesperson Regina Doherty said urgent action is now needed.
“What we are looking for is no more delay,” she said.
“We have had too many; we have had too many occasions where the airport has been grounded and we have had threats of security – national security- being highlighted to us.
“That means we should be acting as an emergency, much, much faster than we have been.”
The anti-drone technology is already in use in many airports around Europe.
