Vol. 527 No. 3
280 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he has any power to insist that the different mobile telephone operators (details supplied) share mast locations rather than using a litany of masts; if he does not have this power, if he will introduce legislation to ensure that the number of masts is minimised by such a process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28320/00]
I have no powers to require mobile telephone operators to utilise one location for a telecommunications mast rather than a multiplicity of locations for individual masts. However, in July 1996 my Department did issue guidelines for planning authorities on telecommunications antennae and support structures. The purpose of those guidelines was to assist planning authorities, An Bord Pleanála, operators of mobile telecommunications services and the general public by providing guidance on dealing with telecommunications masts and base stations within the planning system. The guidelines include guidance on the sharing of facilities and specifically provide that all applicants for planning permission will be encouraged to share and will have to satisfy the authority that they have made a reasonable effort to share.
I understand that under regulations made by the Minister for Public Enterprise, namely, the European Communities (Interconnection in Telecommunications) Regulations, 1998 (S.I. No. 15 of 1998), the sharing of telecommunications facilities is a matter in the first instance for commercial negotiations among telecommunications operators but those regulations empower the Director of Telecommunications Regulation to intervene to resolve disputes and impose conditions in relation to facility sharing.
