Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 153: To ask the Minister for Finance if it is policy that the Office of Public Works should engage in commercial activities with mobile phone companies; if a mobile phone mast has been approved by the Office of Public Works at the water tower in the Botanic Gardens complex; if there are homes within seven metres of the tower and a child care centre within 25 metres; and if this decision will be reviewed in view of recent expert reports recommending that such masts should not be located close to schools and child care centres. [5252/05]

Tom Parlon (Laois-Offaly, Progressive Democrats)
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In August 2003 the Commissioners of Public Works appointed telecommunications consultants, to assess the suitability of the State property portfolio for use in the mobile telecommunications sector. Since then, a standard agreement setting out the terms and conditions under which operators will be allowed to install equipment on State owned properties has been finalised. Any mobile telephone operator that is granted such a licence will be required to strictly comply with all relevant Health and Safety Acts and will operate within EU standards and regulations and adhere to the guidelines on exposure limits to emissions, issued by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection. Telecommunications consultants will be carrying out checks on an ongoing basis to ensure that this compliance is continuous. Licensees will also be required to fully comply with normal planning regulations. This compliance with health and safety legislation, etc., is required under the licence agreement and applies to any future relevant legislation regulations and International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection guidelines.

In the case of the Botanic Gardens, antennae are being erected not masts, which are exempted developments. It was within this strict framework that a licence was granted to a mobile telephone operator for the installation of antennae on the water tower beside the Office of Public Works depot in Glasnevin.