Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It relates to masts. We went into some detail in our discussions with An Bord Pleanála. For example, I raised a specific case relating to Glaslough. What occurred is part of a pattern regarding the types of planning applications in question. A local authority refused planning permission and the board's own inspector recommended upholding that decision, but subsequently the board, with very few members present, made a different decision. This kind of activity has led to a considerable amount of discussion and audits, reviews and inquiries that are ongoing. People in the relevant communities are naturally asking about the status of the planning applications and what remedial actions will be taken to ensure nothing untoward has occurred in respect of individual ones. It is appropriate for us to write to the new chair of the board and also the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to ask what they plan to do in respect of this. What occurred has the ability to completely undermine the planning process. Telecommunications infrastructure is important for communities but so too is the planning process that underpins it. A huge dichotomy arises if, when a local authority decides a mast in a particular location would have a detrimental impact on the visual amenity and this is upheld by a board inspector who visits, people who have never set foot in the place can say what has been determined is not the case and that permission is to be granted for it. In one or two cases, there may be peculiarities or particular issues, but what I describe appears to have happened on a wide-scale basis in respect of these types of applications. People deserve to know what will be done about that specific issue.