LAST UPDATE | 3 Mar 2023
MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT Eamon Ryan has said that solving the disruption at Dublin Airport due to drones is “not as simple” as Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has claimed.
O’Leary called for the minister this morning to take a “decision and action by lunchtime today” regarding the drones.
Flight activity at the Airport was briefly suspended yesterday evening due to drone activity, the sixth such disruption in as many weeks.
Minister Ryan will be bringing a memo to Cabinet on Tuesday to discuss the issue with senior members of Government.
Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, O’Leary said that anti-drone technology is a “reasonably easy” solution that would only cost around €100,000.
“We need that done today, we don’t need a memo to cabinet next Tuesday,” said O’Leary.
However, Minister Ryan hit back during the News at One, saying it is “not as simple as Michael O’Leary says, it’s not just a €100,000 decision”.
“He was saying this morning, oh if only you’d let Dublin Airport buy that equipment, they’d be fine,” Minister Ryan said, responding to O’Leary’s comments.
“There’s nothing stopping Dublin Airport buying that equipment but we need to make sure we get the right equipment and get the best defensive capability and make sure we do it in a way that protects passengers, protects people living close to the airport, and that we have the ability to prosecute people who are then caught and punish them accordingly,” the minister said.
Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, O’Leary said last night’s drone disruption resulted in three flights being diverted to Shannon and Belfast Airport.
The daa last night said this disruption was the “result of this reckless and illegal activity of flying a drone within 5km of Dublin Airport”.
Flight operations resumed at 18.59 after a confirmed drone sighting suspected operations at 18.27.
“500 passengers were taken to an airport they didn’t want to go to,” said O’Leary, “and 20,000 passengers had their flights delayed and disrupted at Dublin Airport last night.”
The Ryanair boss also accused Minister Ryan of preferring to “have meetings and produce memos” rather than “taking action”.
“I’d say the drone operators at Dublin Airport are terrified at the thought of Eamon Ryan producing a memo, that’s clearly going to clear the skies over Dublin,” he remarked on Morning Ireland.
“This is completely unacceptable. Dublin Airport is the only major EU airport that six times in the last six weeks has been shut by illegal drone activity.
“Every time for the last six weeks it’s been shut, Minister Ryan is holding meetings, he’s promising action, he’s meeting stakeholders, which of course is political speak for doing nothing.”
O’Leary claimed that the “solution” to the ongoing issues is “reasonably easy” and added that he doesn’t “want 15 year jail sentences, we want Dublin Airport to have the power to disable drones”.
“Most European airports, [like] Gatwick, Heathrow, Stansted Airport, all have anti-drone technology,” said O’Leary.
“It’s not expensive, it costs about €100,000 and it’s operated by their airport police.
“The problem here is that we have a minister who won’t take any action. He’d prefer to have meetings and produce memos and talk about it.”
The Ryanair boss told RTÉ that this anti-drone technology is needed, rather than legislation that he said could take up to a year to progress.
“What we need is not legislation, we need the Minister to authorise Dublin Airport to spend the €100,000 to buy the electronic equipment which will disable these drones once they’re identified and bring them down.
“We need that done today. We don’t need a memo to cabinet next Tuesday.”
O’Leary also accused Minister Ryan of “sitting on his hands for the last five or six weeks doing nothing” and said that it was “time to take action or resign”.
“How many more disruptions of Dublin airport will we have while we’re waiting for Minister Ryant to pass legislation,” said the Ryanair boss.
“Make a decision, take the drones down today and worry about the legislation afterwards.”
While Dublin Airport has drone detection technology, O’Leary told RTÉ that it is his understanding that the airport has “sought permission from the Department of Transport to acquire this [anti-drone] technology and they can’t get permission”.
“There’s no reason why our main airport should not have this technology in place today,” said O’Leary.
“It would take probably four weeks to train the Dublin airport police and all we need is a decision by Minister Ryan to protect passengers and flights at Dublin Airport
“We don’t need his memos, we don’t need his meetings, we just need a decision and action by lunchtime today.
“And if he won’t make that decision, he should resign as transport minister and return to the leafy suburbs of Ranelagh where he can worry about bicycle lanes.”
Minister Ryan told the News at One that the government is assessing potential suppliers for a contract to provide anti-drone technology but that the decision must be made carefully to get the best possible outcome.
“We’ve been engaging directly with the Garda Síóchána, with the airport, with our Defence Forces and others to make sure that we have similar capability [to other airport’,” he said.
We do need it. We need to be able to do a whole variety of things; detect drones, but also bring them down in a safe way.
“Government will act on that and will deliver those sort of systems, working with our law enforcement agencies on getting the right ones.
He said that anti-drone technology is “evolving and changing”.
“It’s evolving because the threat from drones has exponentially increased in recent times, including in the war in Ukraine,” the minister said.
“You want to make sure that you do get the best technology that it isn’t just the cheapest, off-the-shelf version, but it’s the one that gives you the best cover.
“You don’t have 100% cover, none of the airports or no one would promise that you can completely reduce the risk. But you want to make sure you get it right.”
Pressure has been increasing on Minister Ryan due to his handling of the drone disruptions, with several politicans coming out against him today.
Fine Gael Senator Regina Doherty criticised the “lack of a proper response” from both Ryan and the daa.
“My question is: what have Minister Ryan and the daa done about the need to take down drones, and drone operators, over the last few years?”
Doherty issued a call for anti-drone technology but said that this would require legislation.
“Minister Ryan and his department need to finally act swiftly and decisively, to enact legislation that will permit this technology,” said Doherty.
The Fine Gael Senator also called for “tougher sentencing for offenders”.
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on transport, Darren O’Rourke, accused Minister Ryan of “once again asleep at the wheel and of failing to respond to an obvious and increasing threat”.
He also claimed that the government has failed to put the necessary legislation in place to facilitate anti-drone technology being put in place.
“Minister Ryan says his department is working with the Departments of Defence and Justice but the solutions are obvious,” said O’Rourke, “and it beggars belief that we are still waiting on legislation to provide for interventions that would take drones out of the sky using technology.
“If the government continues to fail to introduce this legislation, then Sinn Féin will.”
Finance Minister Michael McGrath told Morning Ireland that the government recognises that “more needs to be done.”
“Because while we have drone detection technology in operation at Dublin Airport, what we don’t have currently is anti-drone technology that will, in effect, bring them down.”
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