Minister condemns telephone mast plan

The new Minister for Defence, Mr O'Dea, has condemned as "grotesque" plans to site a mobile telephone mast on Coillte lands in a scenic part of Co Limerick.

Local opposition to the plans to erect an 80-foot mast on a hill in the Clare Glens is being led by Brother Anthony Keane, a Benedictine monk at nearby Glenstal Abbey.

Last night Mr O'Dea, TD for Limerick East, added his voice to the campaign, saying it was "unacceptable" that Coillte was proposing to lease land to a private telecommunications operator in a scenic area. He is to raise the matter with Limerick County Council today.

Brother Anthony, spokesman for the Murroe Anti-Mast Action Group, said the proposal by mobile service provider Meteor would "degrade" an untouched forest and raised questions about how Coillte managed its lands.

The group has invited Mr O'Dea and other local politicians to address a public meeting on the issue in Murroe on Friday.

"This is a very beautiful and pristine area, famous for its views and prospects. The mast would be an unfortunate intrusion on this landscape," said Brother Anthony, whose abbey is located two miles from the proposed site on Boarman's Hill.

He questioned whether the mast was needed, and why masts could not be shared between service providers in the mobile phone business.

Rival electricity companies share use of a single transmission network, he pointed out, and local people did not understand why the telecommunications regulator, ComReg, could not ensure that similar arrangements applied for mobile telephony.

Objectors are also worried about the possible health effects of a mobile telecommunications mast in their area, although Brother Anthony conceded there was no conclusive proof that the installations emitted "killer rays".

"But there's no firm evidence that they are not harmful, either. They certainly won't represent an improvement for people living nearby."

Meteor said the campaign was "quite premature". The company had made contact with Coillte but the proposals were at aearly stage of investigation and no decision had been made to use the proposed site, a spokesman said.

"We talk to Coillte on an ongoing basis, as part of our efforts to build out coverage. We can't do that unless we put up new masts," he said. He rejected concerns about the safety of mobile phone masts, saying that worries over health hazards were "completely unfounded".

The spokesman also said Meteor was in favour of site-sharing between different service providers but this was not always feasible. Masts could be disguised among trees to reduce their visibility, he pointed out.

A Coillte spokesman said a decision on Meteor's request would be made shortly. He said that the company had engaged in consultation locally, but that no "groundswell" of opposition had surfaced at the time.