AS AN increasing number of community deflector groups switched off their equipment in Mayo last night, a spokesman for groups in the county said they had "little option" but to put forward candidates in the general election.
Deflector groups in south Galway and Donegal remained on air, however, pending a national meeting in Athlone on Sunday which will debate calls to put up candidates in key constituencies, including Mayo, Galway East and Galway West.
A spokesman for the Cable Communications Association of Ireland, Mr Ray Doyle, said MMDS operators intended to go ahead with legal action against groups in Galway, Mayo, Roscommon and Donegal. "We are proceeding against both operators and landowners in three areas in "Donegal," he said.
A number of operators had indicated they would not go back on air, and the MMDS operators were checking this was the case Mr Doyle added.
He said he would be "appalled and shocked" if it transpired that RTE was relying on illegal deflector groups in Donegal for complete coverage there, as had been claimed by some Donegal groups.
A Fianna Fail councillor in Loughrea, Mr Michael Regan, said the deflector group serving Loughrea, Athenry and Craughwell in south Galway was determined to remain on air as long as possible.
The group had collected a "substantial sum" to fight legal action by Cablelink in Galway and would stay on air until its case came to the High Court. "We have booked the case and we're willing to take on Cablelink and the Minister," Mr Regan said.
The spokesman for the Mayo groups, Mr Joe Gibbons, said most of the 14 transmitters serving Mayo and north Connemara had been switched off, following the High Court decision to grant an injunction against a deflector group in the south east.
The remainder were expected to close down last night, leaving up to 20,000 households in the country without British television channels.
Mr Gibbons said the likelihood of further legal action involving the Mayo groups had been lessened by the High Court decision. The groups would concentrate their efforts on the political arena.
"We had no option we could see no point in wasting money on a foregone conclusion," he said.
They still hoped they would be granted licences in advance of the general election, Mr Gibbons added. They would watch for developments at forthcoming party conferences. "Both the main political parties are playing hardball. They are not showing their hand, but I cannot imagine they would let it go to a general election without sorting it out."
Members of deflector groups in Balla, Achill, Ballinrobe, Bangor, Castlebar, Claremorris, Westport, Louisburg and Connemara met in Balla, Co Mayo, last night to consider their position in advance of the national meeting on Sunday.
A candidate has already been selected in Donegal South East.
Although at least three Donegal groups have switched off, up to 50 others intend to remain on air until Sunday's meeting.