Brendan Daly (Fianna Fail)

There is growing anxiety in many communities over the escalation in the number of applications for telecommunications masts. People are worried about them on environmental and health grounds. Will the Leader invite the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to the House to indicate whether, in an effort to deal with these fears and anxieties, he proposes to introduce new legislation in this area or to modernise the guidelines, which were set down ten or 12 years ago? This subject is related to Senator Jim Walsh's comments on masts in general. It is felt that it is necessary to modernise the guidelines and perhaps introduce new legislation.