New laws on estimated 5,000 drones being used in Ireland

New legislation governing the registration of drones will come into effect next Monday.

The unmanned aerial vehicles with hi-tech cameras are set to become a popular Christmas gift this year.

Under the new rules, all drones weighing 1kg or more will have to be registered with the Irish Aviation Authority.

There are estimated to be between 4,000 and 5,000 drones already in use in Ireland.

A nominal registration fee will apply from February 2016, but initially this has been waived by the IAA to encourage early registration.

RTE reports that to register a drone, a user must be 16 or older.

Drones operated by those under 16 must be registered by a parent or legal guardian.