COMMUNITY groups opposing the proliferation of masts throughout the Republic have formed an organisation, the Safe Communications Council, to co ordinate their campaign.
With nearly 600 masts likely to be erected this year by Telecom Eireann and ESAT Telecom to augment mobile phone networks, the council says it will be making "strong representations" to the Minister for the Environment, Mr Howlin, for a "more rational policy".
Although its chairman, Mr Michael Murphy, has not yet read the draft guidelines issued by Mr Howlin to assist planners in considering applications for new masts, he said it seemed that "we could end up with one on top of every hill and mountain in the country".
Mr Murphy became involved in the campaign when the rival phone companies proposed erecting masts within 800 yards of each other at his home village of Stradbally, Co Waterford.
"There's no doubt that unease and anger about these masts have mushroomed," he told The Irish Times.
"So far, we've got 22 groups from 16 counties and they have gathered more than 70,000 letters and signatures opposing masts or current communications policies."
In a statement, the Safe Communications Council said more than 10,000 people had been concerned enough to attend meetings in towns and villages. Pickets had been mounted to block masts in Donegal, Kilkenny and Waterford.
Mr Murphy said worry about health risks motivates many of the protesters. "We all benefit from better communications, but in the last five years hundreds upon hundreds of ugly, potentially dangerous structures have gone up around the country, and hundreds more are proposed."
Mr John Royds, a long time campaigner on the issue of non ionising radiation, said "With so many broadcast facilities beaming on overlapping frequencies, combined radiation dosage may exceed safe levels in some spots.
"Yet there is no requirement to measure existing sources of electromagnetic radiation before introducing further radiation."
Mr Royds is listed as technical consultant to the Safe Communications Council. He complains that no regular safety inspections are carried out to ensure that masts are functioning within permitted radiation levels.
However, in a highly technical report commissioned by ESAT Telecom, Fobairt concluded that the proposed transmitter system "does not pose a hazard" to personnel servicing it, and would comply with international guide lines on electromagnetic radiation.
The Safe Communications Council remains sceptical and has called on the Minister for Communications, Mr Lowry, to establish a non ionising radiological protection board with strong enforcement powers to ensure that all masts are regularly checked in the interests of public safety.
To avoid unnecessary duplication, it wants existing masts particularly those owned by Telecom Eireann to be made available for rent to ESAT, which recently won the franchise to supply a second mobile phone network, as well as a crackdown on new masts erected without planning permission.
