FIANNA Fáil TD Willie O’Dea has hit out at what he described as a “disgraceful” lack of transparency about the erection of 5G masts in Limerick and across Ireland.
“Many Limerick people have been in touch with me expressing their concern about the erection of 5G masts in their area. People are asking me about planning permission and the right of the public to object or to make observations regarding the erection of these masts,” Deputy O’Dea told the Limerick Post.
“I spoke to Comreg and Limerick City and County Council and was shocked to discover that there is absolutely no transparency regarding the process of erecting 5G masts.
“No planning permission is required as the communications company simply apply for a license from Comreg and then Limerick City and County Council decide unilaterally on an application to erect a 5G mast for a particular area. The entire process is conducted in the dark with no consultation whatsoever with the communities affected.”
According to DeputyO’Dea, the first that most people know about a 5G mast being erected is when they see workmen installing it in their area.
“There is a complete lack of transparency and accountability and there is no appeal mechanism for the public. This is nothing short of disgraceful and the process would be better suited that of a tin-pot dictatorship.
“Apart from the fact that these masts are often unsightly, there is still significant scientific debate surrounding the safety of 5G technology. Public health is being potentially put at risk for private profit. The whole process surrounding 5G is devoid of any open transparency and the people of Limerick and Ireland are not guinea pigs whose health can be sold at a profit.”
“Switzerland, one of the world’s leaders in the rollout of 5G mobile technology, has recently placed an indefinite moratorium on the use of its new 5G network because of health concerns.
“I believe that we should adopt the precautionary principle and also place a moratorium on the roll-out of 5G in Ireland, until we are absolutely certain that 5G is safe and that the process of installing the masts isn’t done in the dark devoid of transparency and accountability,” he concluded.
