People are more aware of the laws around the use of drones, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) said, but a majority of the public is still unaware even as drone use increases across the State.

The IAA recorded a 10 percentage point increase in the number of people who say they understand “the requirements for drone operators in Ireland”, with 40 per cent of respondents to an IAA survey affirming they do, up from 30 per cent last year.

“There is also a high level of awareness of the dangers of flying near airports and restricted zones,” the semi-State agency said, “with over 90 per cent saying they have at least some awareness of these restrictions.”

Despite the improvements in awareness, 60 per cent of the 1,000 adults surveyed by Amárach Research between the end of July and start of August still admitted to not understanding relevant requirements.

These findings “highlighted the ongoing need for the IAA to continue educating the public on drone safety, ensuring that, as the drone industry grows and recreational flying numbers increase, public confidence is maintained”, the regulatory body said.

The survey found that over one in five people – 22 per cent – “claim to have felt uneasy when seeing a drone nearby”.

“Piloting a drone is fun, but it comes with a responsibility to fly it safely while respecting people’s privacy,” the IAA said. “A drone is not a toy and can have very serious consequences if it collides with a person, an animal or another aircraft.”

In December, the authority reported that the number of drones and operators registered in Ireland had risen “exponentially”, with more than 9,200 drone operators registered and 26,000 drone pilots trained in the State since 2021.

Enda Walsh, the IAA’s manager for unmanned aerial vehicles (the industry term for a drone), said the survey findings allowed the authority “to benchmark the fundamental understanding of drone use in Ireland”.

“It is very encouraging to see that most people know the airports are absolutely off-limits, no matter the drone [and] no matter the reason, and we continue to stress safety and security concerns at airports right across the country,” he said.

“The vast majority of drone users are compliant with the regulations,” Walsh added. “However, we are concerned with the rapid growth of drone usage [and] that not all new pilots may be aware of their responsibilities with respect to public safety and privacy.”

The IAA said any member of the public who “observe the inappropriate use of a drone” should contact the regulator.