Mobile phone and wireless broadband companies, An Bord Pleanála, local councils and government agencies in Ireland do not consider any health risks from mobile phone mast radiation.
There used to be recommendations and guidelines about keeping masts 1km or certain distances from schools and homes with some County Councils incorporating this into their Development Plans. Government guidelines then discouraged this and masts and antennas are allowed be placed near schools, on roofs of hospitals, and at sports grounds where children frequent.
In 2010, when Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources, Eamon Ryan, launched a €24m initiative between Shared Access telecommunications company and the FAI to install mobile phone masts and antennae on local football grounds in exchange for free floodlights. https://www.fai.ie/domestic/news/shared-access-to-boost-telecoms-infrastructure-with-fai-partnership (this information is no longer on FAI website).
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/fai-agrees-24m-floodlights-deal-with-telecoms-mast-firm-1.616939
Similar deals are made between GAA clubs and telecoms companies to erect masts on sports grounds in exchange for large sums of money. https://www.independent.ie/regionals/sligochampion/masts-prove-to-be-a-bonanza-for-gaa-and-soccer-38829820.html
The Church of Ireland also have a deal to install antennae and equipment in many of their church bell towers with no consideration for locals, church goers and childcare and Montessori facilities which are on some church grounds. https://www.ireland.anglican.org/parish-resources/429/telecommunications-installation-application-form-p10
Planning Changes over the Years
In 2012 the Minister of the Environment, Community and Local Government issued an update to certain sections of the Telecommunications Antennae and Support Structures Guidelines (1996) as used by the planning department. This stated that separation distances from vulnerable places such as schools in development plans, should not now be included in applications and, conditions limiting the life of telecommunication masts and antennas should cease.
The Minister included two reminders i.e. that health grounds should not be considered as part of the planning application and that ‘all future Development Contribution Schemes must include waivers for broadband infrastructure provision … The implications of these changes for local communities who might wish to object to such infrastructure was they could no longer initiate their campaign on policies quoting separation distances as a viable reason to object and, the potential that the previous temporary nature of permission had allowed in challenging application for renewal had ended.
“2.3 The Development Plan and Separation Distances The 1996 Guidelines advised that planning authorities should indicate in their development plans any locations where, for various reasons, telecommunications installations would not be favoured or where special conditions would apply, and suggested that such locations might include lands whose high amenity value is already recognised in a development plan, protected structures, or sites beside schools. While the policies above are reasonable, there has, however, been a growing trend for the insertion of development plan policies and objectives specifying minimum distances between telecommunications structures from houses and schools, e.g. up to 1km. Such distance requirements, without allowing for flexibility on a case-by-case basis, can make the identification of a site for new infrastructure very difficult. Planning authorities should therefore not include such separation distances as they can inadvertently have a major impact on the roll out of a viable and effective telecommunications network.” Circular Letter PL 12/07 Telecommunications Antennae and Support Structures (page 3)
A further update in 2018 on the planning guidelines allow for higher structures and more antennae and dishes on masts, as well as “new exemption specifically relating to the deployment of small cell antennae to smaller structures including electricity poles, telegraph poles, lamp posts, lighting structures, flag poles, CCTV poles, phone kiosks and bus shelters” giving even more leeway to telecommunications companies.
Circular Letter PL 01/2018 https://www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/80531/a1e72b73-61ae-4924-9dba-f2497758d473.pdf#page=null (pages 5 & 6)
1998 Oireachtas Report on Non-Ionising Microwave Radiation Emissions from Communication Masts (Including evidence from concerned groups) http://archive.oireachtas.ie/1998/REPORT_26111998_0.html
2019 – SECTION 254 TELECOMMUNICATIONS STRUCTURES LICENCES AND CHANGES TO PLANNING REGULATIONS
Section 254 licences are granted by Local Authorities for street furniture like signposts, hoardings, vending machines, tables and chairs outside cafés.
Around 2019, telecommunications mast/monopoles carrying antennae for 3G/4G/5G and accompanying cabinets were added to this list, and people were finding 15m and 18 m masts being erected outside their homes and schools, and in their estates, with no prior knowledge or consultation – or justification for these masts. Hundreds of these are being installed around Dublin, and other cities and counties, with continuing plans to install more.
These licence applications do not go through the normal planning process and are usually dealt with by the Roads and Municipal depts in the local authorities. Neither the telecommunications company nor councils are obliged to notify, consult or allow submissions from locals about proposed structures being erected in their localities. It is in contravention of the Aarhus Convention to allow public participation in decision making in this regards. Read more about Section 254s here
DRAFT PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT BILL 2022 – PROPOSED CHANGES
Section 10 of the draft Planning and Development bill will replace Section 254 and proposes to remove further public rights in relation to licensing of telecommunications appliances and cables on public road.
Reducing local authorities’ decision making period from 4 months to 8 weeks, after which if the local authority has not made a decision, the application is deemed granted. No doubt the extra workload of having to process more telecom appliance applications in a shorter will result in the possibility of licences being deemed granted without proper process.
- IBEC Telecommunications Industry Ireland also recommends that ‘the Bill should clarify that infrastructure of any size or scale, including those which would ordinarily fall within a standard planning application process, can be presented to the planning authorities for licence consideration via the S.10 process’
Originally the Draft Bill included a recommendation to remove the right for members of the public to appeal a decision, so fully removing any public consideration, consultation or opportunity to object. IBEC Telecommunications Industry Ireland recommended the exclusion of appeals made on spurious grounds is recommended; for example, claims regarding 5G that are contrary to accepted public health guidance from agencies such as the World Health Organisation. (See footnote 15 on page 60 of the draft Bill below which was subsequently removed) (Update November 2023 – this proposal was not included in the updated Draft bill)
To date, only a few TDs and one Senator have raised the issue of Section 254s in the Dáil , with recent debate about the new Bill. A few more Councillors though have been voicing their concerns about this in the last few years.
Every one of our elected representatives should be questioning this whole process which already goes against the Aarhus Convention, and the proposed changes. Contact your representatives today about this.
OBJECT TO MOBILE PHONE MASTS AND ANTENNAE
As outlined above, many new installations of antennae, equipment and monopoles are exempt from Planning Permission due to height, placement, existing structure, etc but can be appealed to An Bord Pleanala.
Please keep a close eye on your County Council’s Planning section on their websites, or site notices in your area, and object to any installation and/or extension of mobile phone masts and antennae. Get your neighbours to object also. Each submission costs €20.
In addition, Section 254 Licence applications do not go through normal planning procedure. They can currently be appealed to An Bord Pleanála.
See Mast Watch Ireland for up to date information on planning applications in Ireland
To find out location of mobile phone antennae near you visit Comreg Site Finder.
*Comreg References:
GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) = 2G (2nd Generation) ;
UMTS (Universial Mobile Telecommunications System) = 3G (3rd Generation) ;
LTE (Long Term Evolution) = 4G (4th Generation mobile telephony).
NR (New Radio) = 5G (5th Generation)
The ComReg site does not show the locations of Tetra masts used for Gardai and emergency services communications, or Fixed Wireless Broadband, eg WiMax, or Wifi Hotspots.
Electromagnetic Sense Ireland 