Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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253. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans to introduce guidelines for the construction and placement of telecommunication masts; and his further plans to encourage telecommunication providers to share services rather than placing additional antennae on masts. [31584/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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My Department published Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Telecommunications Antennae and Support Structures in 1996.  They are intended to facilitate planning authorities, An Bord Pleanála, the licensed providers of mobile telecommunications services and the public by providing guidance on dealing with these developments within the planning system.In 2012, my Department issued Circular Letter PL07/12 to planning authorities, updating certain sections of these Guidelines. 

The Guidelines provide advice on appropriate location and siting considerations for telecommunication installations and masts to be considered in the development planning and development management process.  They also advise planning authorities to encourage co-location of antennae on existing support structures and masts in order to reduce visual impact.

Under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, planning authorities  and An Board Pleanála are required to have regard to any Ministerial guidelines in the performance of their functions. 

The Guidelines, and subsequent Circular Letter, are available on my Department’s website at the following links:

www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/migrated-files/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/Planning/FileDownLoad%2C1630%2Cen.doc.

and

www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/migrated-files/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/Planning/FileDownLoad%2C31650%2Cen.pdf.