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Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Times
‘Like living near a helicopter': Residents fed up at takeaway delivery drones buzzing over their homes
Imagine you are sitting outside on a clear day with the sun shining and a motorbike goes straight through your back garden. That is how one resident in Blanchardstown described the noise of the delivery drone service that operates in the Dublin 15 area. The sound of the drones has been likened to a tractor or lawnmower and described as being louder than nearby cars. 'It disrupts the peace of my home,' one local woman said. Another resident said he was unable to work from home due to the noise. READ MORE Noel Powell, an IT engineer, described it as 'like living close to a helicopter'. He said he also had privacy concerns about the drones being fitted with cameras. The service has been in operation for more than a year and has divided opinion locally. Fingal County Council says it has received 25 complaints from locals regarding the drones since January 2024 to last January, with 18 primarily about the noise. The drone service, operated by Manna , delivers takeaways, coffee and a whole host of other items weighing 4kg or less from a base at the Junction 6 complex close to Blanchardstown Shopping Centre. The drones – which are white with red and green flashing lights – deliver food 'usually in less than three minutes' and can fly up to 16km, the firm's website says. They fly at an altitude of up to 70 metres and reach speeds of up to 80km/h. The company said drone carried cameras for safety reasons, to confirm that the delivery zone is clear of obstacles. The camera activates when the drone hovers 14m above the ground upon arrival at the delivery location. 'The camera does not record, store, or transmit any data. We are fully compliant with GDPR [data protection] regulations,' a Manna spokesman said. Manna has received just under 80 complaints and has made 170,000 deliveries in the Dublin 15 area so far, he said, saying the company has taken each complaint 'seriously and responded to directly'. Another resident, Séamus Doyle, said his biggest concern with the drones in his area was noise levels. 'Even living close to a busy road, the drones are worse,' he said. The drones no longer fly over his home after he asked the company for an overflight exclusion, but they do go over the back wall of his garden. Resident Séamus Doyle: 'I've a feeling Dublin 15 could survive without drones.' Photograph: Dan Dennison 'Last summer, there was one every 10 minutes and they fly over and back, so about 12 an hour at its busiest,' Mr Doyle said. He said the drones were louder than his neighbour's petrol lawnmower. 'I've a feeling Dublin 15 could survive without drones,' he said. Ann-Marie, who did not wish to give her full name, first found out the service was in her area when a drone went over her home for the first time. 'It was a shock. I didn't know what it was when it first went past,' she said. Like Mr Doyle, she told the company she did not want the drones flying over her house. Noise is one of the biggest concerns for her. It's interesting technology that could be used for social good, but it's for delivering takeaways 'I'm surprised at how loud they are: they're louder than cars near our house. It has a real impact on people,' she said. 'Maybe if it was delivering blood transfusions or medicine, but it's takeaways. It's interesting technology that could be used for social good, but it's for delivering takeaways.' On that issue, a Manna spokesman said the company was running trials 'to help deliver defibrillators as part of an emergency response'. Peter, a local resident who did not wish to give his full name, said he was not against drones, which had 'great potential and great uses'. Instead, he felt strongly about the Manna drone landing site at Junction Six, which is located '90 metres directly from a housing development'. 'My issue is seeing everyone's drone delivery. There could be 30 an hour. I can hear them from my back garden and in the kitchen,' he said. 'It's like a motorbike overhead, it's intrusive and really annoying.' Not all feedback on the drones is negative, though. For kids' parties, it's quite exciting to see the drone coming and the delivery bag dropping down Manna customer Kieran O'Sullivan started using the company's services a couple of months ago to deliver his takeaway once a week. He described the process as 'very easy' and said the drone delivery service was better than other delivery services such as bicycle or car as 'it's way quicker, the food is hotter and fresher'. Ian Downes, the chief executive officer of Kahuna Pops, said the delivery drone system had been 'absolutely incredible' for the ice lollies brand since it started using Manna last year. Customer feedback cited how 'unique and exciting' it was, he said. Ian Downes, chief executive of Kahuna Pops, which uses the drone service to deliver ice treats. Photograph: Dan Dennison 'For kids' parties, it's quite exciting to see the drone coming and the bag dropping down. It's quite fun and that matches our brand; popsicles are meant to be fun,' he said. Ted Leddy, Fine Gael councillor for the Castleknock area, said there were mixed views within the community. 'There was the shock element at first, but now there are legitimate concerns around safety and privacy.' Complaints 'come and go in waves', but remain 'consistent', he said. He felt that local authorities and the company needed to come together to inform locals on the rules of drones. John Burtchaell, a People Before Profit Solidarity Party councillor in the Blanchardstown-Mulhuddart area, said he had received lots of complaints about the drones alongside 'one or two' positive messages about them 'being good and taking traffic off the road'. He describes it as a '50:1' ratio of those against the drones to those in favour. Manna says it is regulated to the highest standards by the Irish Aviation Authority 'Maybe if applications of drones were used for medication and emergency situations it would be important, but not McDonald's, coffee and doughnuts – it's not necessary.' John Walsh, Labour councillor for Castleknock, said he was 'concerned about the unrestricted use of delivery drones'. 'There are huge volumes of concerns. The only things I've heard more issues about are the housing crisis and the lack of school places,' he said. Councillor Walsh said a recent attempt by a criminal gang to drop a pipe bomb from a drone on its rivals in a housing estate in Finglas has deepened concerns. Labour Councillor John Walsh says regulations need improving. Photograph: Dan Dennison 'There is a gaping hole where regulation should be. Regulation has dragged massively behind innovation and technology,' he said. He said the current set-up was like 'cars on the road with no rules of the road, it's like the wild west'. 'The onus is on the Government to step up and local government to have authority to ensure democratic checks and balances are in system,' he said. Manna said it was 'regulated to the highest standards' by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) under the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. 'We undergo regular rigorous independent safety tests,' the spokesman said. An IAA spokesman said oversight and regulation of drone operations was risk-based. 'This means that the more complex the operation, the more restrictions and safety mitigations are required to ensure the safety of the public,' he said. The Department of Transport is working on a new policy framework for drones, which will set out strategy and priorities for the development of the sector in Ireland. A spokesman for the department said the framework was well advanced and was expected to be published in the coming months. Manna, which has plans to set up more sites in Dublin and Cork by the end of the year, said it welcomed all regulations and said it adhered 'to all those that we are required to'.
Irish Times
2 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
Garda struck in hit-and-run e-bike incident in Dublin
A garda responding to reports of a disturbance in Blanchardstown, Dublin, on Friday was struck by an e-bike that failed to remain at the scene. Gardaí are now appealing for witnesses to the incident, which occurred after officers responded to a report of the e-bike causing a disturbance in Porterstown Park at about 2.30pm. A Garda spokesperson said a member approached two males on the e-bike and directed them to dismount. The bike accelerated, striking the garda, before leaving the scene. The garda was taken to hospital for treatment for injuries that are not life-threatening. He has since been discharged. READ MORE Anyone who witnessed the event is asked to come forward. Gardaí are also asking for people with footage from the area at the time to share this with the investigating team.
BreakingNews.ie
2 days ago
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
Garda injured after being stuck by e-bike in hit-and-run incident in Co Dublin
A Garda was injured after he was struck by an e-bike in Porterstown Park, Dublin 15 on Friday. At approximately 2.30pm, a male Garda approached two males on the e-bike directing them to dismount. Advertisement The e-bike then accelerated striking the Garda who was taken to hospital and subsequently discharged following treatment for non life-threatening injuries. The driver and passenger of the e-bike failed to remain at the scene. Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses to this incident to come forward. Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) from the area at the time is asked to make this footage available to investigating gardaí. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Blanchardstown Garda Station on (01) 6667000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station. Gardaí say investigations are ongoing.
BreakingNews.ie
3 days ago
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
Jason Hennessy Jnr jailed after confronting armed gardaí and string of aggressive interactions
The son of fatal shooting victim Jason "Jay" Hennessy Snr has been jailed for a string of violent crimes, including an aggressive confrontation with armed gardaí during a tense search of his Dublin home. Jason Hennessy Jnr, 28, pleaded guilty before Judge Catherine Hayden, who imposed sentences totalling six months and a two-year road ban. Advertisement His father was murdered in a gun attack at a steakhouse on Christmas Eve, 2023, in Blanchardstown. Hennessy, of Sheephill Avenue, Blanchardstown, faced 15 charges: violent disorder, dangerous driving, obstructing drug search, and having a passenger with no seatbelt from 2019 to 2022 in the Blanchardstown area. At Blanchardstown District Court, Garda Sergeant Ian Abbey outlined the facts on behalf of nine prosecuting gardaí who had had various interactions with the father of four, resulting in criminal charges. The court heard that on May 18th, 2019, gardaí conducted a search operation at his home and brought the armed support unit (ASU). Advertisement Jason Jnr had to be restrained by members of the ASU, resisted the search of the property, and when one officer entered, he stood up in an extremely aggressive stance. He shouted abuse and told an officer to "Fuck off". The accused told the officer, "You won't be searching this house," but he stood and "squared up" to the garda, entering his personal space and placing his head close to him. Detective Garda Megan Furey had dealings with him twice on June 23rd, 2019. The first occurred at Blanchardstown Courthouse, where Hennessy called her a "fucking tramp" and was arrested under the Public Order Act. At 8.19pm that night, as she and colleagues engaged in a "covert operation", she observed him driving after another car on the Blakestown road, where he sped "straight through a red light". Advertisement There were male occupants in his car, and armed colleagues were alerted due to the nature of the operation, targeting criminal activity in the area. The vehicle turned back in her direction, travelled towards her at speed, and went back through the junction of Blakestown Road and Blakestown Way "at high speed on the wrong side of the road". On April 3rd, 2020, he drove a car with a young child in the back with no seatbelt. The court heard that on June 22nd, 2020, at 1am in the cell area of Blanchardstown Garda station, the gaoler did a routine check in cell number 3 to check on the prisoner. Advertisement Hennessy told the garda, "You are a blond muppet, turn off the light." He threw water from the toilet, saying, "Do you want water? You will have to drag me out". He then began throwing litter from his meal that day. He had to be removed, as he became very aggressive, acting violently to gardaí, and the cell had to be cleaned. Gardaí spotted him on May 8th, 2020, with a group where one of them was "acting suspiciously" outside the Laurel Lodge shopping centre. The garda retrieved a mobile phone from Hennessy and held it when it received a notification. Hennessy then "became aggressive and threw the mobile phone on the ground, causing it to break. He became violent and had to be restrained and was arrested for obstruction." Advertisement The court heard on February 15th, 2020, he was caught parking on a footpath and, on January 23rd, 2020, driving at 93 km/h in a 60 km/h zone. He became aggressive and verbally abused a garda on routine patrol on February 5th, 2022, at Corduff Shops, taunting, "You will do well in prison, you little faggot', and making hand gestures where there were young children present at the time. The court heard he was arrested on July 19th, 2019, at Aldi Mulhuddart Village, Dublin 15, where the defendant engaged in threatening and abusive language toward gardaí. Pleading for leniency, defence solicitor Tertius Van Eeden told the court his client had young children and was in a long-term relationship, was doing well, "working out and keeping his head down." The solicitor added that his client was "in a good place mentally now given the fact his father was brutally murdered in a shooting in a Christmas Eve shooting in 2023". He had 15 prior convictions for public order offences, hit and run, and also an assault causing harm and violent disorder incident, which resulted in a suspended three- year sentence. Ireland Senior Kinahan gang member Sean McGovern charged w... Read More He spoke briefly only to confirm a procedural aspect the case and was not required to give evidence. Judge Hayden noted the offences went back several years and took into account his guilty pleas, which saved the court from having to run several hearings. Earlier this week at Dublin District Court, Judge Anthony Halpin ordered the destruction of four XL Bully pit bulls owned by Hennessy's mother, Veronica Maher, 54, after one escaped the family home and terrorised gardaí who feared for their lives. There has been a two-week stay on the order to destroy Oddie, Reggie, their mother, Medusa, and the fourth dog, Joe, pending a possible appeal.
BreakingNews.ie
5 days ago
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
Judge orders ‘destruction' of XL Bully dogs owned by widow of steakhouse murder victim
A judge has ordered the destruction of four XL Bully pitbulls owned by murder victim Jason Hennessy Sr's widow after one escaped their garden and terrorised gardaí in Dublin. Veronica Maher (54) pleaded that her four beloved restricted breed pets were all she had to remember her late husband, who was shot dead in a Blanchardstown steakhouse on Christmas Eve, 2023. Advertisement Ms Maher, of Sheephill Avenue, Blanchardstown, came before Dublin District Court to challenge a Garda application under the Control of Dogs Act for an order to destroy Oddie, Reggie, their mother Medusa, and the fourth dog, Joe. Judge Anthony Halpin noted evidence of six gardaí at the scene on March 28th when four officers fled from Oddie. He accepted they had to take 'evasive action to save themselves from being savaged by an XL Bully dog.' He believed they were terrified, adding, 'I can only imagine the utmost horror which they experienced.' 'That dog which left the premises and pursued the gardaí was dangerous and could easily have fatally wounded one or all those gardaí,' he remarked. Advertisement Visibily upset, Ms Maher's denied opening a gate to unleash the unmuzzled dog on gardaí who were on beat in her cul-de-sac. She said the dogs were part of her family, like their children, and Oddie slept in her king-sized bed. The judge also noted evidence that she had these dogs to protect the property. The grandmother testified that three-year-old Oddie jumped the front garden wall when the officer put his hand in and she refuted the accusation that she set the dog on the garda. She also claimed Medusa had also been in the yard at the time. The court heard the other two were in cages in the back garden, and Oddie had already damaged a rear garden exit. Advertisement Garda Sean McLoughlin alleged that when he got near her house, she told him, 'Get the fuck away from my house yous murderers'. He was in absolute fear for his life that he would be viciously attacked by the dog, which chased and tried to bite him. He alleged she let the dog out through the front garden gate. He and three other gardaí fled to different gardens, with one standing on a wall until backup arrived a few minutes later. He believed that Oddie was a credible threat and he would be set on them again. Advertisement Ms Maher brought the dog back into the house, and she denied telling gardaí, 'If yous don't f**k off now, I'll get him back out here.' Witness Kayleigh McEntee (26), of Waterville Row, Blanchardstown, was at the house and contradicted the evidence that Ms Maher opened the gate. She also said the dogs were safe and often around children. Three more gardaí said they also had had to flee to gardens in the cul de sac, with one telling Judge Halpin that he feared he would be killed. Photographs were handed in showing some of the dogs with family and children. Advertisement Ireland Widow of Jason Hennessy accused of setting XL Bull... Read More In his ruling, Judge Halpin described one image of an infant surrounded by two enormous XL Bully dogs as upsetting 'given the potential ferocity of these animals'. He noted the Oddie had already 'rammed the back door' in the rear garden to such an extent as to remove it from its hinges. He found that the dogs were dangerous and not under proper control. Furthermore, he acceded to an application by Garda Sergeant Michael Harkin to grant a destruction order for all four. Oisin Clarke BL, instructed by solicitor Simon Fleming, was granted a two-week stay on the order to lodge an appeal. The court has adjourned ruling on the costs of keeping the animals in a dog pound since they were taken from Ms Maher on April 4th.
