Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 638: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he intends to revise class 31 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 to allow for public consultation through a formal planning process if additional telecommunications antennae are proposed to be placed on a mast. [5440/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources reported in June 2005 on non-ionising radiation from mobile phone handsets and masts. The report made 11 recommendations, including a recommendation that planning guidelines and planning exemptions should be examined with a view to ensuring no "electromagnetic emissions" or "radio frequency emissions" emitting equipment be permitted to be sited near health centres, schools or other sensitive sites such as playgrounds or pitches, etc.

Following the report of the joint committee, the Government, in September 2005, approved the establishment of an interdepartmental advisory committee and an expert group, working to the committee, on the health effects of electromagnetic fields. The committee will provide advice to the Government on the appropriate action to be taken on foot of the recommendations contained in the report.

My Department is represented on the committee. The work of the committee and expert group is in train and it is understood that the committee expects to report to the Government before the end of 2006. On receipt of the committee's advice the Government will make a decision regarding appropriate action. In the interim period it is not proposed to amend the planning regulations.