'The lab rats are biting back' anti-drone meeting on Cork's southside is told

A public meeting of more than 200 people on Tuesday night heard strong opposition to commercial drone deliveries in Cork city, with speakers voicing serious concerns about noise pollution, while criticising a lack of legislation around drones.

The meeting, which was held in Cork Constitution FC, heard a claim that the people of Blackrock and the surrounding areas are being used as lab rats in the nationwide introduction of drone deliveries, “but the lab rats are biting back”.

Manna Drone Deliveries began a pilot scheme in Cork in February of this year, covering the southside of the city from a base at the Marina Market on Centre Park Rd.

Last month, Cork City Council’s planning directorate opened an enforcement file on Manna’s operations, giving the company one month to respond to a warning letter issued under Section 152 of the Planning and Development Act 2000.

The local authority expressed concern at Manna’s development of a drone delivery hub, and its erection of a cabin and boundary fencing at the site.

However, while local authorities are responsible for zoning, land use, and planning matters on the ground, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) is the regulatory body for airspace.

Last week, the IAA reversed controversial rules introduced in February to facilitate Manna. Under those measures, other drone operators flying within visual line of sight were required to provide two days’ notice before flying over much of the city.

Earlier this week, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, whose home is in the area, said there was a need for greater regulation around the use of drone technology, noting “a gap between the aviation authority’s role and that of local authority planning functions”.

Tuesday night’s meeting heard several local residents of Ballintemple, Ballinlough, Beaumont, and Blackrock talk about multiple drones passing over the homes each day, in some cases hovering over their gardens.

One woman spoke of resting in her garden “on a beautiful, sunny afternoon”.

“Then I heard this loud, insistent noise and right above me was a drone, sitting and hovering right above me for a full minute,” she said.

“What was it doing? Was the operator looking at me with its camera? Will I ever know?” Eventually the drone moved to a nearby house to make its delivery, she said, but she found herself unable to relax due to constant anxiety at when the next delivery might come.

“Star Trek was never my utopia, community, nature, and animals are,” she added.

One person attending the meeting received a sustained round of applause when they called for a boycott of participating businesses.

Another suggested that there was no shortage of options for people unwilling to collect their own takeaways in Cork city, and worried that drones would lead to a loss of jobs for delivery cyclists.

Five members of Cork City Council attended the meeting, while the constituency’s five TDs – including Mr Martin – were in Dublin on Dáil business and sent their apologies.

Councillors spoke of their own concerns at a lack of national regulatory framework around commercial drone deliveries, and said they would urge their Oireachtas colleagues to address that gap.

In a memorable contribution, Mr Shannon lamented a world in which drones delivered non-essentials, urging those in attendance: “if you want a cup of coffee, turn on your kettle”.

Yesterday, Mr Buckley told The Echo that, following the meeting, 111 fresh submissions were made to Cork City Council objecting to Manna’s developing a delivery hub at the Marina Market.

Asked for a comment on the planning status of its Marina Market depot, a spokesperson for Manna said: “We have responded to Cork City Council and will continue engaging with officials”.