Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 18 Dec 1997

Vol. 485 No. 4

Adjournment Debate. - Communications Masts.

Mr. Naughten

With the permission of the House I wish to share time with Deputy Gerry Reynolds. Thank you, a Cheann Comhairle, for allowing me to raise this issue. My bone of contention with planning regulations for mobile telephone masts concerns ESB and Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform masts, which are exempt from planning permission, in common with other existing masts. This is causing extreme frustration to local residents who have no means of objecting to such developments.

The planning regulations recommend that mobile phone masts are not erected in built-up areas or near schools, yet the majority of exempted masts are in these areas. For example, two exempt masts in Carrick-on-Shannon are either beside schools, as in Summerhill on the County Leitrim side of the town, or in a housing estate, as in Mullaghmore, on the Roscommon side. This is causing major annoyance to the local community, which has no say in the erection of these antennae. To compound the problem, mobile phone companies will not meet residents anywhere in the country. These companies should meet concerned people to allay their fears instead of avoiding the issue.

I have a number of questions for the Minister; if he is unable to answer them today I would be grateful if he could reply early in the new year. What is the legal status of the ministerial order exempting masts already erected? There is a clear change from in-house use to commercial use by Eircell and ESAT Digiphone. Has independent research been initiated by his Department to investigate the health concerns of people residing near these masts? Has the Minister been assured that monitoring emissions from masts is taking place and that the results will be published? Can the ESB, the Department of Justice and other mast owners lease them to commercial concerns while blatantly disregarding the guidelines of the Department of the Environment and Local Government to local authorities? Immediate independent monitoring and discussions between phone companies and local residents can allay many of the fears at present associated with these masts.

A loophole in the planning guidelines for the erection of these masts is the recommendation that they should not be erected near schools or built up areas. That provision, however, does not include the antennae and it is these which are causing major concern to local residents. The erection of an antenna on a water tower beside a school meets the guidelines yet the erection of a mast in the same location does not. I ask the Minister to review the guidelines laid down by the previous Minister and examine these loopholes. There are major concerns about these subjects and people are worried because the companies will not meet them.

Mr. G. Reynolds

I support the remarks of my colleague, Deputy Naughten. I will be parochial on this issue and discuss a mast located at Summerhill, Carrick-on-Shannon, beside the local primary school. There has been so much public concern about the mast and antenna that the local ESB offices are picketed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. five days a week. I ask the Minister to answer the questions raised by Deputy Naughten, if not this evening then early in the new year. It is difficult for the Department to give conclusive evidence that there is no health risk associated with these antennae but public concern is so great that an explanation must be offered. The Minister should reconsider the previous Government's decision to allow a number of masts and antennae to be erected without having to apply for planning permission.

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government (Mr. D. Wallace)

I am grateful to the Deputy for raising this matter and giving me the opportunity to explain the position. It has been the policy of successive Governments to place Ireland in the top quartile of OECD economies as regards the availability, price and quality of telecommunications services to promote industrial and commercial development, to improve personal and household security and to enhance social exchange and mobility. Against that background and in anticipation of a growth in the number of mobile telephone masts, my Department published guidelines in July 1996. This was done to assist planning authorities, An Bord Pleanála, operators of mobile telecommunications services and the general public by providing guidance on dealing with telecommunications antennae and support structures within the planning system.

The guidelines deal with issues such as the location of masts, co-location with other operators, and health and safety aspects. They set out a hierarchy of suitable locations for the siting of telecommunications masts. The main concern of my Department is the impact of these masts on the landscape. To avoid an unnecessary proliferation of masts, the guidelines provide that owners of masts are expected to facilitate co-location of antennae with other operators. Where this is not possible, operators are encouraged to site adjacently so that masts and antennae may be clustered.

Some time after the publication of the guidelines it emerged that the planning regulations would need to be amended to clarify the position in relation to the addition of antennae to existing masts. Section 4(1)(g) of the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1963, provides that the alteration of an existing structure, where the external appearance is not materially affected, is exempted development. This gave rise to a lack of clarity in relation to the addition of antennae to existing masts.

This was remedied by the Local Government (Planning and Development) Regulations, 1997, which came into operation on 13 February. These regulations provide that, subject to certain criteria like restrictions on the size, number and type of mobile phone antennae and compliance with certain emission standards, the addition of antennae for mobile telephony to an existing radio mast and the replacement of an existing mast are exempted development. I have no plans to change these regulations.

The main area of concern appears to be the possible ill-health which the antennae might cause. All significant research in this area is monitored by the Department of Public Enterprise in liaison with the Department of Health and Children regarding the human health aspects. Telecommunications companies operating here are licensed by the Director of Telecommunications Regulation and are required to operate within emission limits set by the International Radiation Protection Association. The Office of Director of Telecommunications Regulation was established earlier this year by the Minister for Public Enterprise. Its function is to ensure that licensed operators of telecommunications systems comply with all the conditions of their licence including emission standards. Emissions are to be monitored on a regular and nationwide basis.