Transport Minister Eamon Ryan has said that solving the drone issue at Dublin Airport is "not as simple" as Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary suggests it is.
Minister Ryan confirmed that he will bring a memo to Cabinet next week to buy new anti-drone equipment for Dublin Airport but that it will take a "number of weeks".
Flights at Dublin Airport were suspended for 30 minutes on Thursday evening after a drone was sighted within the airspace. This resulted in three flights being diverted.
READ MORE - Michael O'Leary takes aim at Eamon Ryan over drone activity at Dublin Airport in fiery RTE rant
It is illegal for drones to be flown within 5km of an airport. Several people have been arrested in relation to previous drone sightings in recent months.
It is the sixth time that a drone has brought Dublin Airport to a standstill in the last six weeks.
In a tirade on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary called for Minister Ryan to resign if he was not able to get a handle on the situation.
The businessman said: "It is time for Minister Ryan to take action, or resign. Frankly, we think he is incompetent. He has sat on his hands for the last five or six weeks doing nothing. He has meetings and is producing memos which is not a solution to this problem."
Appearing on the News at One, Minister Ryan issued a response and vowed that the Government will take measures to tackle illegal drone use near airports and confirmed that he has been engaging with An Garda Siochana, the daa and the Defence Forces.
He said: "Government will act to deliver those sort of systems, working with our law enforcement agencies and getting the right ones.
"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 had let Dublin Airport buy that equipment, they'd be fine.’
"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 this 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 Green Party leader said that when anti-drone equipment is being bought, it cannot be the "cheapest off the shelf" and that he must assess which ones provide the best cover.
Minister Ryan said that he will not go to Cabinet with a "particular contract to be signed" for the technology and insisted that options will be explored.
The memo will contain proposals on what equipment can be bought and who will operate it.
He also said that legislation will be passed and equipment will be put in place "as quickly as it can be done safely".
Mr Ryan also confirmed that he is in discussions with Gatwick Airport and other airports which have deployed similar systems.
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