National Protest for safer masts

clare | environment | event notice Thursday June 29, 2006 17:32 by Noel - Ennis mast protest group noelmulhaire at hotmail dot com 087 8560640

National protest July 8th

A National protest march or the safer locating of mobile phone masts will take place in Ennis, Co, Clare on July 8th 2006.

BEST the thetter enviromental and safer telecommunications body are holding a national protest march through the streets of Ennis Co. Clare on July 8th 2006 at 11am. The protest is to call on the Goverment to site masts away from schools, playing pitches, hospitals and residential areas, as recommended by the joint oireachtas committee on telecommunicstions.

With the advent of 3g phones it is stimated that the current 5000 masts throughout the country will be increased to about 20,000. Every community in Ireland will have these forced upon them in the most unsuitable of places. new masts are most frequently being located in ESB substations as they are bringing in huge rental incomes for the semi state body. frequently such development is in areas that development would not ordinarily be allowed due to the height and scale and enviromental impact that they cause.

Six international studies have shown clearly that the emmissions from 3G masts are linked to serious health affects. These affects range from headaches and sleep difficulties to cancer and death.

local authorities around the country have introduced guidlines to prevent these masts being located close to residential areas, but in nearly all cases these guide lines are over turned by An Bord Pleanala. the only way to end this cycle is to have the Joint Oireachtas Committee recomendations addopted by the Goverment. A move the Goverment have resisted for the last three years.

A large turnout is hoped for in Ennis in order to send a clear signal that people do not want wealth to be placed on a higher ranking than peoples wealth