Move to delay 5G rollout in Mayo is successful

A proposal by an elected member of the local authority to call for a delay in the rollout of the controversial 5G mobile network until health and safety concerns are addressed has been passed.

Councillor Michael Kilcoyne stated that that members of the Mayo County Council have to exercise their responsibility to protect the public and environment from harm and to oppose the rollout.

He said the authority should not facilitate in any way the deployment of 5G in the county until the health implications are known.

Councillor Kilcoyne called on ComReg, general communications regulator for Ireland, to delay licensing for its rollout and also called on the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and the Environment to establish the facts about the radiation impact on 5G on the environments and, in particular, on human health.

He asked for a report on this matter to be compiled and presented to the Oireachtas.

Councillor Kilcoyne added that a number of countries have stopped the 5G rollout until the health implications are known.

The motion was supported by Independent Councillor Mark Duffy who stated it was important to get the current 4G mobile network setup available across the county before a rollout of 5G is even considered.

The chief executive of Mayo County Council, Peter Hynes, said that connectivity was one of the 'bugbears' that they have trying to deal with for a very long time.

He stated that their broadband officer highlighted a scheme for mapping blackspots very quickly.

But service providers had shown no sign of improving the service and the local authority will use this motion to go after these blackspots with renewed vigor.