Residents hold phone mast protest

Residents held a protest against the erection of a 20m (66ft) mobile phone mast close to their homes in Ballyvolane, Cork city, yesterday.

A small band of protesters turned out in the miserable weather to object to the start of work on the erection of the mast at the Ballyvolane Commercial Centre. However, work continued on the site and may be completed today. Noreen Kelleher of the Ballyvolane Anti-mast Group pointed out that there was already a 15m mobile phone mast on the site, which is close to the Spring Lane Travellers' halting site, a creche and local housing.

"Everybody else in the world seems to be recognising the problem with mobile phone mast emissions except Ireland.

"There are new technologies available to make phones safe and masts can be fibre-optically linked. We're not saying we want to get rid of mobile phones, we just want to keep our children safe," she said. Ms Kelleher said the most recent National Cancer Registry statistics revealed that parts of Ballyvolane had a cancer rate 32 per cent higher than the national average.

Cork City Council turned down an application for planning permission for the second mast at Ballyvolane made by Vodafone Ireland Ltd, but the decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanála, who granted the application at the end of 2006.

Local Labour city councillor Catherine Clancy highlighted the proximity of the new mast to the halting site, new residential developments and an office of the HSE in the business park.

"They have planning permission and are legally entitled to put up the mast but I feel that the owner of the property has an onus to take on the concerns of the residents given the fact that it is a residential area.

"I had hoped the concerns of the community would be put above monetary gain, but the mast is being erected as we speak," she said.