A Tipperary farmer has admitted that he can see why farmers may think of shooting down drones that are hovering over their property.
Robert O'Shea said that there are strong fears among farmers that drones are being used by criminals to potentially target farms.
However, at present it is illegal to shoot down a drown in Ireland.
Mr O'Shea spoke to Beat News, stating that further clarification is necessary regarding the use of drones in Ireland.
"I think this whole area needs to be clarified. There's a large number of drones in this country at this stage now", he said.
"The unfortunate thing about is that if you see a drone in the sky, its only a dot; you don't know if it is licensed or unlicensed or what the situation is."
He urged drone operators to seek permission with the property owner before flying.
"What I would encourage is that anyone with a drone who is intending to fly over someone else's property, just simply look for permission and notify the person or the farmer", he explained.
He said that most people will be obliging in giving permission to those filming open land.
"Farmers don't mind in the majority of cases when people fly over open fields, but its when they go in around the back of houses or farmyards that it becomes an issue."
