For two decades, Ireland has positioned itself as Europe’s number one supporter of technological innovation. Google, Facebook, Twitter and Microsoft all have headquarters here. For the most part, it has been uncontroversial. That is about to change.
The next technological revolution – the age of the drone – is already under way. Recently Google announced it is following Amazon’s path in testing autonomous drone delivery systems. Facebook is also investing in drone technology and other commercial giants will surely follow. Drone technology, like computers, has an endless list of commercial applications, from real estate to agriculture.
It is tempting to dismiss drones as an interesting, and perhaps reckless, niche of amateur flyers. And the use of a drone to fly a flag and disrupt the Serbia-Albania soccer match on Tuesday will have only reinforced that view. But there’s a far more positive side to the use of drones.
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In their 2014 market study, aerospace analysts Teal Group estimated that worldwide spending on commercial drones (now roughly €4.9 billion) would double within the next decade.
Ireland is well placed to capitalise on this new high-tech sector. In addition to being a European hub for Silicon Valley, Ireland is already a global leader in manned aviation, with all of the top 10 aircraft leasing firms operating here and the sector providing 42,000 jobs directly and indirectly.
Privacy concerns
But drones have raised many pressing questions and a public debate has begun. How will we keep up with the speed of this growth to control drones use and potential misuse? How will we protect the safety of our land and skies? And how can we address the real privacy concerns raised by drones? Regulators across the world are now wrestling with these questions.
Spain, seemingly paralysed by the very question of drones, has imposed a total ban on commercial drone operations.
In the US the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) bans the commercial use of drones but is looking at liberalising the law. However, polls find deep public concern over the privacy implications.
In the town of Deer Trail, Colorado, a ballot was recently held on a proposal to permit the shooting down of drones. While the idea was rejected, the public discussion on drones has clearly taken an overwhelmingly negative slant.
New FAA rules are not expected until next year. In the meantime, drone companies are moving away from the US and going overseas to develop and build their technologies. By one estimate, the US is losing more than $27 million per day. As a technological hub, can Ireland become a favoured destination for these dollars?
Australia and UK, with a long head start, began tackling the question of drones more than 10 years ago, publishing the world’s first rules for civil drone operations. As a result, they experienced expansive growth in the area. The UK is already home to some of the major names in the international drone industry. It will be a choice destination for companies leaving the US. Facebook, for example, purchased UK firm Ascenta earlier this year, to use its expertise in unmanned aerial vehicle technology.
Aerial work permits
Unlike the US or Spain, Ireland has for now adopted a more progressive approach to drone technology. The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) is responsible for granting aerial work permits to operators to use drones commercially in the Republic and has set out a number of operational limits and requirements.
For example, drone operators must first complete a course and have significant public liability insurance in place. Applications must also be made to operate in controlled airspace.
And as the number of professional operators increase, the Irish economy looks set to benefit.
The IAA estimates that the number of aerial work permits could exceed 100 by 2015 – an increase from 22 in early 2014.
However, existing Irish legislation is not drone-specific and there is a big gap between the state of this technology and legal clarity. Foreign investors look for certainty in the law and it would benefit Ireland greatly to have legislation in place.
The Government should take an active approach to the role of drones in the economy and begin consultations with various stakeholders with a view to producing a Green Paper on the civilian use of unmanned aerial vehicles.
This process would facilitate a much-needed public debate that should focus on how to balance legitimate concerns over safety and privacy with the potential economic benefits that this technological revolution offers.
John Wright is a Dublin-based lawyer and unmanned aerial vehicle enthusiast