Bill proposes ban on drones photographing or videoing homes

A Bill that prohibits the use of a drone to photograph, video or conduct surveillance of another person’s home has been introduced in the Seanad.

In his last piece of legislation before his retirement from the Upper House, Independent Senator Feargal Quinn introduced his regulation of drones Bill to oversee the use of these unmanned aerial vehicles and to ensure they are licensed.

The legislation also makes it an offence to fly a drone over another person’s home and bans the flight of drones within 200m (650ft) of sport events, concerts and scenes of emergency.

And it provides for severe penalties, including up to seven years’ imprisonment for “drone use in a manner which poses a threat to the safety of aircraft”.

Introducing the Bill in the Seanad, Mr Quinn stressed the need for such regulation for public safety and individuals’ privacy rights including such rights attaching to property.

Drones above a certain size would have to be licensed before the owner could be licensed to use a larger drone, and the owners would have to pass a knowledge test and produce proof of public liability insurance.

The Bill also provides for the establishment of a working group to develop new policy relating to the commercial use of drones. Mr Quinn said he was not seeking to clamp down on drone activity. “I’m really trying to provide a strong legislative framework which recognises that an increasing level of drone activity will be a reality for all of us, whether as a user or just as we go about our daily lives.”

He said his primary motivation was “to ensure that the law in this area provides adequate protection for public safety as well as for the privacy rights of individuals”.