Councillors in Kerry have voted to allow a protruding 27-metre mast in a highly scenic and unspoilt area, despite being told the mast would not fully resolve telecommunications problems in the area.
The mast at Looscaunagh carrying cellular antennas and radio links will allow partial mobile telephone coverage to the Black Valley area which suffers from problems with telephone coverage.
However, it will be located on a hill overlooking one of the most scenic parts of the southern Ring of Kerry route and will encroach on to the hitherto unspoilt landscape of the area south of Ladies' View over the lakes of Killarney. It also comes before a strategy to resolve the valley's problems has been fully worked out.
Kerry county manager Martin Riordan pleaded with members at a special planning meeting not to allow telecommunications companies to dictate the planning process.
The mast was proposed and seconded by Danny and Michael Healy-Rae and agreed to by a majority of councillors.
