Séamus McGrath
Cork South-Central · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“I thank the Taoiseach for the update about the Cork city futures group. As he mentioned, transport is a key theme within that reference. As the Taoiseach probably knows, I have been calling for a strategic integrated transportation office to be established in Cork.”
“To do that, we need local decision-making in a powerful transportation office established in Cork which can engage with the relevant stakeholders at a local level. The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, seems positive about this idea. I ask the Taoiseach to try to support it. I am sure he would, given that it is Cork.”
“Budget preparations will be intensifying over the summer period. With that in mind, I want to take this opportunity to raise the issue of stamp duty and first-time buyers. As the Taoiseach knows, first-time buyers have to pay 1% in stamp duty when they are purchasing a new or second-hand home.”
“When I raised this matter as a Topical Issue just over six months ago in December 2025, the reply at the time was very much focused on the fact that there was an issue with the site. I reiterate that there is absolutely no issue with the site.”
“I do not want to be disingenuous, and I hope work is progressing on the tender process, but the reply seems to be the exact same, which is very frustrating. To reiterate, the project is vital for these two school communities. The conditions they operate in at present are not acceptable. It has been promised for many years.”
“I thank the Minister of State for being here to take this Topical Issue debate. I want to raise the matter of the proposed amalgamation of two schools in the lower harbour area of Cork. These are Ringaskiddy national school and Shanbally National School.”
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“There is no early morning bus service bringing workers and passengers to the airport. The statistics for those who travel to the airport by public transport show a shockingly low number, because the service simply does not exist. It is an example of a failure of joined-up thinking by agencies of the State and their failure to work together. Cork deserves better. It deserves an office based in the city with the relevant expertise and decision-making powers so that we can progress with meaningful intent on the key projects. That is what I am calling for.”
“It needs to be a decision-making office and it currently is not envisaged as one. It needs to have representation from a cross-section of transportation agencies, TII, the NTA, Irish Rail, Bus Éireann, the local authorities, and so on. That is the only way we will be able to progress key projects in Cork and delivery. People want delivery. The Minister of State knows that as well as I do. We have seen success with commuter rail. That is an example of success. I give credit to Irish Rail for the progress it has made on that. There is more to come and it is welcome, but a key element of that is managed from Cork, which is the difference. The airport is critical. It is our key transportation hub in Cork, along with the seaport. There is much frustration about the inadequate transportation service to the airport.”
“I do not have to tell the Minister of State that Cork is the second city. It is the fastest growing city in Ireland and that is likely to continue for the coming decade. The population of Cork is expected to increase by between 50% and 60% by 2040, bringing the overall population of the county to 770,000 people, which is very significant. I repeat what I said earlier. The projects in Cork should not be managed by people in Dublin. They should be managed by people based in Cork so that they can have active engagement with all relevant bodies, individuals, communities and stakeholders in Cork. That is critically important. The NTA office which is being worked on at present is welcome, of course, but that office needs to be radically reconfigured. It needs to be empowered.”
“This can be best done by a local transportation office in Cork where all the relevant stakeholders work together so that we can progress the key transportation projects for Cork and get the earliest possible delivery to help provide a modern-day service for its people.”
“That is best done in Cork by people based there locally engaging with the local communities and agencies. Cork Airport is a prime example of where there has been a failure of joined-up thinking. The Cork Luas project does not include Cork Airport, for example. The commuter rail project does not go to the southern side of the city and the bus service currently serving the airport is appallingly inadequate. It is as simple as that. The current bus services as a whole are extremely frustrating. The Minister of State, I, and other public representatives are inundated with complaints about failures of the service on a daily basis. It simply is not good enough. People are sick and tired of excuses at this stage. They want to see improvements in the service.”
“As the Minister of State knows, that is an 18 km light rail project, including 25 stops along the way, with the potential to carry 2,300 passengers per hour, which is very welcome for Cork. Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, is the lead agency here but of course the National Transport Authority, NTA, is also involved. As I mentioned, we have seen good implementation of the commuter rail project, which is welcome. Active travel projects are ongoing in the local authorities. I strongly argue that these need to be mentioned in Cork under the one roof. I am not the only person making this call. I know our local authorities, the Cork Chamber of Commerce and Cork Business Association have made this call too. It makes perfect sense. We have the Cork metropolitan area transportation strategy. As I say, this needs to be updated and reviewed.”
“There is also the redesign of the existing service, which I hope should begin to take effect this year, but, as a public representative from Cork, I do not need to tell the Minister of State that I am deeply frustrated at the slow progress on BusConnects. It is incredibly slow despite the huge amount of money that has been spent. We have seen no benefits whatsoever in the service on the ground, which is frustrating for us as public representatives, but more so for the public and passengers who want to use the service. We expect the preferred route for the Cork Luas project, also known as the light rail project in Cork, to be published in the coming weeks. It will progress to consultation.”
“The Cork metropolitan area transportation strategy needs to be fully implemented. Before it is implemented, it needs to be updated and revised. It needs to be brought up to speed in terms of the projects that are out there. This is best served by having an office based in Cork so that can progress. As the Minister of State knows, the preliminary business case for the BusConnects project has been approved by Cabinet. It will now progress to the planning phase and that is very important for the structural change that is required in terms of the development of 11 sustainable transport corridors.”
“I thank the Minister of State for being here. Both the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach and the Minister of State will be aware that we have very significant transportation projects in the pipeline for Cork city and county, which are very welcome. Many of these projects are urgently needed in terms of progress. We have the Cork Luas project, which is significant, the BusConnects project, the commuter rail implementation and, of course, ongoing active travel projects. All of these are very important and very welcome. We need to manage these projects under the one roof of a transportation office based in Cork, with the expertise based locally and with representation from the National Transport Authority, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, Irish Rail and our local authorities, as well as other relevant agencies. This is critically important.”
“The sports capital grants and the LSSIF are important in that respect. Carrigaline is a prime example. It is a town that has grown significantly in recent years but that growth has not been matched with infrastructure and investment. This presents us with a golden opportunity and I ask the Minister of State to ensure we take that opportunity and build communities as well as housing.”
“As the Minister of State knows, many large projects are moving towards a multi-use and partnership model. In my hometown of Carrigaline, County Cork, there is one such project in the pipeline involving a number of different clubs. The local rugby, athletics and basketball clubs are involved, along with Owenabue Special Olympics Sports Club. There will also potentially be a swimming element. This type of partnership approach is critical. I will make one additional point. We are now about to zone a lot of additional land across the country for housing, as is necessary to meet housing need. However, we must also invest in communities. Over many years, we have seen examples where we built houses but did not provide the social infrastructure or the leisure or recreational facilities. We certainly cannot repeat those mistakes.”
“It is critical to the self-development of young people. I know all of us in the House agree with that. The LSSIF has, as the Minister of State said, a specific target. Very often, applications are made through local authorities, NGOs and so on. I will come back in shortly.”
“I thank the Minister of State for his response in respect of the LSSIF. He has outlined the statistics, including the number of applications, the number of projects and so on. Receiving up to €500,000 in public money is significant for projects. As the Minister of State said, it has allowed a large number of projects to progress. We are at the implementation phase of the previous rounds. That is all positive. I do not have to tell the Minister of State the importance of sport. It is critical. It provides a positive outlet for many people of all ages. It not only helps physical health but also mental health. That is being recognised increasingly. Sport helps to build bridges and improves diversity among our communities, which is critical. It helps to build lifelong friendships and bonds.”
“As a constituency TD, similar to the Minister, many of the requests we get are from people living alone in terms of the difficulties they face in meeting daily costs and running a household. I appreciate the Minister's response. Again, I would urge him to strongly consider this at an early stage.”
“As I outlined earlier, the difference between a couple, for example, on social welfare and an individual can be over €300 of a difference per week. That is very significant. When we look at the advocacy groups, such as Alone, which is advocating on behalf of older people, they indicate that over 100,000 people are potentially in poverty. The vast majority of those would be individuals living alone. Again, the living alone allowance is designed to help support those. I welcome it but, again, I am reiterating the point that it does need to be increased. On any objective analysis, €22 is not sufficient to make up that difference. As I said, many of the household costs are not related to the number of people in the property.”
“Indeed, many utility bills have flat rates, so they are not really dependent on usage to a great extent. The living alone allowance is designed to bridge that gap but I would strongly argue that it needs to increase. I welcome the increases over recent years to €22 but the gulf is far greater, and it really does need to be increased in the upcoming budget.”
“I accept we are very early in terms of the budgetary cycle. I did raise this issue with the Minister last year. I appreciate he is under significant pressure in terms of what he can prioritise with the resources available to him. Again, however, I would strongly argue that this receives strong consideration and that is why I am flagging it at this early stage. A couple who are both on the contributory pension have approximately €600 per week in basic payments or, indeed, a contributory pension plus qualified adult is up to €500. However, for someone on disability allowance living alone, his or her basic payment is €254. The household costs for that individual are very similar. Many household costs are unrelated to the number of people living there, for example, local property tax, house insurance and rent or mortgage payments.”
“I ask the Minister to increase the living alone allowance in recognition of the significantly lower income available to qualifying single income householders relative to couples. It is widely acknowledged that the household costs and cost-of-living challenges for people living alone are quite significant. When we compare a couple, for example, versus a single income household, there is quite a significant difference. The living alone allowance is designed to bridge that gap but, unfortunately, it does not go anywhere near enough. I ask the Minister to please consider this increase in the upcoming budget.”
“There should be no more short-term, ill-considered reactions. This area is too important to the lives of too many people and we need to plan for the future in a considered and collaborative way.”
“These figures are likely to increase in the years ahead and, again, we need to embrace that fact and welcome the fact that as a country, we are determined to ensure that each child is given the support he or she needs and has the potential to reach his or her full potential in life. We all know education is a game-changer. It can be life-changing for an individual. We all know that in this country and in many other countries in the past, children were not given the opportunity to reach their full potential because they did not receive the support they deserved. I want to live in a country which celebrates the fact that additional needs get the spending and resources they need. We will need to continue to increase the number of SNAs in our schools in the future. We have to plan and provide for this.”
“Whatever the plan for the future is in terms of defining the role of the SNA and developing the workforce plan, we need to fully engage and consult with all those involved in the process to ensure that whatever resources are available are used in the most effective way possible so that each child is given the best support possible. As a country, we need to be proud of the fact that we prioritise children with additional needs. We often hear figures. We refer to the increase in the budget to almost €3 billion this year, the fact that this represents 28% of the education budget and so on. These are facts we should be proud of.”
“I thank the Minister and Minister of State for facilitating this debate. I thank them both for their efforts in recent days and weeks in securing the additional funding to ensure that SNA numbers in our schools will not be reduced. This will allow the space to plan for the future properly. We all know the important work that SNAs do. It has been referred to many times this afternoon during this debate. They play a vital role in school life building important relationships with students and becoming a central part of a student's life in school. Unfortunately, the debacle in the past couple of weeks has resulted in unnecessary stress and anxiety for SNAs, teachers, parents and students. We cannot repeat these mistakes.”
“I ask the Minister to ask the Department of Transport to intervene to ensure the public bodies that have a responsibility to provide a dependable bus service fulfil their duties. While I am raising issues about the bus service, I want to acknowledge the staff and drivers who are doing their level best. They are on the front line and dealing with very frustrated customers on a daily basis. We hear about BusConnects but we need immediate solutions. I ask the Minister to intervene.”
“I raise the local bus service in Cork city and suburbs and the failure of bus Éireann and the National Transport Authority to provide a reliable and dependable service. I should not have to raise this issue on the floor of the Dáil but I am forced to because countless efforts by me and other public representatives over many years are simply not being addressed in terms of the National Transport Authority and Bus Éireann. We are tired of excuses at this stage regarding the poor quality of the bus services in Cork city and suburbs. We all know the issues - buses running late, timetables becoming meaningless, a travel app showing a bus will arrive and then it disappears and so on. Passengers are sick and tired of the excuses.”
“In reality, many first-time buyers are now prevented from benefiting from the help to buy scheme because of the price ceiling. When it was introduced in 2017, nine years ago, it was set at €500,000. There has been 24% price inflation since that period, so it makes no sense for us not to adjust the figure to reflect somewhat the inflationary pressures since then. I ask the Tánaiste to look at this. I appreciate that it probably has to be a budgetary issue but I am flagging it as early as possible.”
“I want to raise an issue under the Tánaiste's remit as Minister for Finance, namely the help to buy scheme and the property price ceiling of €500,000. Despite some reservations about this scheme, I am a strong supporter of it. It has benefited over 60,000 first-time buyers, to purchase homes since its introduction and given them their tax back up to the maximum of €30,000. However, the Tánaiste will have seen yesterday the CSO figures which put the median price of a house in Dublin at €500,000. That is both second-hand and new properties. Many new properties are much more expensive than €500,000. This is not just a Dublin issue; this is also an issue in places like Cork and other main urban areas. Therefore, we need to move the limit above the €500,000.”
“For example, the high incidence of the breaking of red lights at pedestrian crossings must be dealt with. There needs to be zero tolerance of this. We need to install cameras at busy pedestrian crossings to try to deal with this offence because it is very dangerous. It can have serious consequences and is prevalent, regrettably. We also need to look at our crossings. All pedestrian crossings should be raised platforms to make them safer. Again, there is a lack of consistency with that. Many new crossings have a raised platform but existing crossings do not. I ask that be taken on board. I share the concerns Deputy Michael Murphy raised earlier about the roads policing unit and replenishing the numbers in the traffic corps of An Garda Síochána.”
“The progress in improved regulations and enforcement is important, as it is in relation to e-scooters. However, I want to focus on pedestrian safety today, in particular because it is also an important aspect of road safety. Last year 41 pedestrians lost their lives in road traffic incidents. That is a significant number. On the infrastructure to improve road safety for pedestrians and pedestrian crossings, there is a total lack of consistency in how crossings are designed and constructed. There are uncontrolled crossings, controlled crossings and zebra crossings. There is a lack of consistency in the road markings, signage and so on. Any road safety strategy will have to address that issue so we have consistency in the infrastructure to serve pedestrians.”
“I thank the Ministers of State for being here to facilitate this important discussion on road safety. Looking at road safely overall in the past few decades, significant progress has been made and that has to be acknowledged. We went from 472 lives lost in 1997 to 137 lives lost in 2021. However, unfortunately, the progress has halted and we have seen an increase in fatalities on our roads in recent years. Last year, as the Ministers of State will be aware, 190 lives were lost on our roads. It is frustrating to see the trajectory going backwards, given the progress that had been made. The road safety strategy the programme for Government committed to is important in this respect to try to arrest the decline in progress. I share the concerns raised about scramblers. Many speakers spoke about that today.”
“It is not perfect, and there is time to bring about certain changes to it before it passes, but overall it is a good effort and I commend the Minister of State, the Minister and the Department on bringing it forward. I urge them to listen to the submissions that are being made on both sides of the argument, from those representing tenants and from property owners. Let us get this set of proposals as right as possible before we sign the Bill into law.”
“Whatever side of the argument one may be on, nothing is dramatically going to change after 1 March. It will take time for this to flush its way through the system because existing tenancies are not impacted and that is a fundamental point that has to be made. It is important that we communicate that message and that we try to take on board the proposals that are coming. The overall fundamental issue at present with the rental sector, as all public representatives in the House know, is the inability of tenants to find accommodation. That is the overall issue. Any set of proposals that aims to increase the supply and tries to rebalance the supply of properties against the present demand is ultimately what is needed, and that is what the legislation before us seeks to do.”
“While many institutional investors will invest in places like Dublin and some of our other cities, they will not do so across the country in all towns and villages and we need landlords in all our towns and villages because there are tenants there who have needs and demands for rental accommodation. That is something we need to look at. It is important to point out we are talking about new tenancies. Existing tenancies are not impacted by the proposals before us and that is a fundamental point. There has been a lot of confusion regarding the proposals in recent weeks and months, and I believe notices to quit have issued on the basis of misinformation. It is very important that at this point we continue to set the record straight in that we are talking about new tenancies after 1 March and new relationships between landlords and tenants.”
“We need to look at that because it has the potential to drive many of our Irish, domestic landlords out of the market and that would be regrettable. We need a mix in the rental sector. We need landlords that are domestic and Irish in our towns and villages across the country as well as those institutional investors that may come in with international finance. Defining a landlord who may own four or five houses in the same category as an institutional investor that has hundreds of apartments, for example, is not appropriate and should be something we are prepared to look at. It is important we have a mix of landlords across the sector.”
“Overall, there are ongoing issues. I sit on the housing committee and I have listened to those who are advocating for property owners, such as the Irish Property Owners Association, and those who are advocating for tenants, such as Threshold. We have to listen to the points they are making and that they have made at committee. I know they have been making submissions in recent days as well. It is important we get this right before the Bill passes through the Houses because it is one opportunity we have to get this right. Valid points are being made on both sides of the debate. We have to listen to them and try to get it right. One point I want to highlight tonight, which I have made previously, relates to the definition of a small landlord as having three properties or fewer.”
“They do not exist at present and it is all about adding to the supply, which is very important so that we can increase the supply overall because, ultimately, that is the only thing that will help moderate rent prices. The set of proposals before us offer a lot to landlords as well insofar as they give policy certainty. The resourcing of the Residential Tenancies Board is also very important to landlords and in certain circumstances the Bill gives the right to reset rents, which is something that landlords have called for. Again, it is about striking that balance. If we do not have both sides to this equation, if we do not have tenants and landlords as part of the rental sector that are reasonably satisfied with the sector, it will not function correctly and I believe that is what the Government is setting out to do.”
“They will, of course, have the protection of the rent pressure zone, which is critical, and that security of tenure is very important. Indeed, there will be additional resources for the Residential Tenancies Board so that disputes can be resolved in a much timelier manner, which is critically important. Equally, tenants under large landlords, according to the legislation, will also have the protections of the rent pressure zone and effectively ultimate security of tenure because no-fault evictions are effectively banned under the large landlord proposal. That is very significant for those tenants. There is the category of new apartments after 1 March. That is designed to stimulate investment and activity around the delivery of additional apartments. It must be remembered that these are new tenancies for new apartments.”
“We certainly need to listen to the proposals that are coming forward here this evening and tomorrow from the floor of the Dáil in relation to this legislation and take on board good measures. Before we pass this, we have to ensure it is done correctly because we have to strike the right balance and this is all about striking a balance. That phrase is overused, but it is critical we strike the balance between the rights of tenants and the needs of landlords because that is the only thing that will deliver a functional rental sector. There is a lot in the legislation to protect tenants. If we take the case of a tenant under a small landlord, for example, they will have far greater certainty now with a tenancy of six-year duration.”
“I thank the Minister of State for being here and facilitating the discussion this evening. I commend him and the Minister, Deputy Browne, on having the courage to undertake a fundamental reform of the rental sector, which was long overdue. It is critically important that reform has taken place in accordance with what is proposed here. As we know, there is a chronic shortage of properties in the rental sector. Demand far exceeds supply and in a situation like that, there will of course be rising rents. They will continue to rise unless an intervention is made and the Government is seeking to do that. The Minister and the Minister of State have had the conviction of their beliefs to try to set about that reform. I am not saying it is perfect or absolutely rock solid in terms of what is on the table, but it is a good effort.”
“The programme for Government commits that the Government will work to facilitate an easier return to Ireland for emigrants, including reciprocal driving licence arrangements with the USA, Australia and Canada and the creation of a one-stop shop to support and assist with obtaining PPS numbers and other administrative issues. As the Taoiseach knows, we need some of our Irish citizens to come back and contribute to the labour force in critical areas such as construction and housing, the healthcare sector, pharmaceuticals, IT and so on. We need to make it easier for Irish emigrants to come home and contribute to the labour force. We all have examples of people who have found it difficult to engage with services here when they come home, whether that is obtaining a driver's license or PPS number or dealing with social welfare.”
“It is highly regrettable and a missed opportunity that the Cork Luas project will not serve Cork Airport. This is something we need to look at even at this late stage because connectivity to the airport and the city centre is critically important. We also need to consider the route in the context of the large residential areas on the southern side of the city.”
“This is something that I and other Deputies have raised continually to see if we can make progress on this. The Cork Luas project will be transformational for Cork city and is something the city and its people deserve. An 18 km stretch of light rail serving 25 different stops along the way will be transformative and make huge difference but we need to speed up the delivery of this project. It has been estimated it could take up to ten years for this to be constructed and become operational, which is far too long. A final preferred route is due to be announced in the coming months. I ask the Minister and his Department to do everything possible to ensure this project progresses at pace because we simply need it to happen in Cork for everyday life and also from an economic point of view.”
“We have to come up with measures to reduce this congestion. We have to invest our way out of it in terms of infrastructure. Of course, we need to provide people with alternatives to our road network, such as better and improved public transport and of course continued investment in our active travel routes across the country. We also need to invest in our road network. We need to make our road junctions more efficient. We need to invest and we need to design and build new roads where necessary. We have to take a broad approach to this. There is no single answer to reducing the congestion we experience on our road network on a daily basis. I want to focus on the transportation aspect in Cork. Unfortunately, we have ongoing issues with the reliability of our bus service and the slow roll-out of BusConnects.”
“I thank the Minister for being here and for facilitating this discussion today. I commend him and his Department on the work done to date in trying to speed up the delivery of key infrastructure projects. Setting up the accelerating infrastructure task force and the action plan that emerged from that with 30 specific action points are very welcome. This progress is welcome. I want to focus today on transport infrastructure in particular. As the Minister knows, our road network is choked with traffic congestion in many of our urban areas, particularly in the morning and evening peak times. Even outside these hours we come across heavy congestion on our road network. It is debilitating for any economy to have a road network choked with traffic to the extent that we now are, not to mention the impact on people's everyday lives.”
“I put it to the Minister of State, as I said earlier, that if this happened to any of us in the House and we woke up to one of these 18 m high telecommunications masts being put in front of, behind or alongside our house, I am sure we would a lot have to say on the matter. I simply cannot understand how it is not provided for in the legislation that the installation of these masts should be a safe distance from a family home or a residential property. Again, I ask the Minister of State to please take that away so that this issue can be looked at with urgency.”
“Of course, they turn to public representatives, but we have no answers for them because, as I said, this is a secretive and non-transparent process. The fact that local authorities do not even have to publish these applications is fundamentally wrong. The fact that there is no site notice is fundamentally wrong. It is about restoring some trust in the system here. This is under the Planning and Development Act. It is a licence application, not a planning application. However, we do have to restore public trust in how these applications are administered, processed and so on. While we are all in favour of technological advances, it should not come at the total abandonment of our communities in terms of sustainable planning.”
“I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I respect the fact that he is here this evening but, unfortunately, that reply does not in any way address the issues I raised in relation to these telecommunications masts being installed and erected close to residential properties and the fact that there is no provision whatsoever in the rules and regulations to ensure there is a safe and respectable buffer distance required. The landscape of our communities and streetscapes are changing in urban areas because of the installation of these 18 m high steel poles and telecommunications masts. Residents and communities are absolutely shocked when one of these appears in their area and they realise they have had no input or say in the matter and their voice could not be heard.”
“It looks at things like the density of such telecommunications masts in the area. There is a fourth criterion as well in relation to public safely, such as the obstruction of footpaths and so on. However, these are very vague requirements for the local authorities to take into account. Nowhere does it state that they have to take into account the distance from a residential property. In fact, I understand they are prohibited from taking that into account because it is not part of the application process. This needs to change urgently. I ask the Minister of State to please take that message away tonight so that communities will not wake up with these masts being imposed on them without their knowledge or input.”
“If any of us in the Chamber woke up tomorrow morning and saw one of these 18 m high telecommunications masts being installed within a matter of metres of our front door, back door or bedroom window, I know full well we would not be happy and we would be asking ourselves how this is possible. It is possible under the current rules, however, and that has to change because it is deeply unfair and inequitable. People’s homes are so important to them. They are their sanctuary. They are where they want to spend their time. The fact that their house and what is precious to them can be impacted in such a way by one of these masts being installed is totally unacceptable. The local authority does have to take certain criteria into account to ensure it is proper and sustainable planning and that it is consistent with development plans and so on.”
“They can appeal if they are aware that an application has been made and permitted. They are entitled to appeal that to An Coimisiún Pleanála. Again, however, in many cases, residents are simply not aware that an application has been lodged with the local authority or, indeed, granted. It is deeply unfair that residents will not have their voice heard in this respect. Because there is no requirement in terms of distance from a family home or a residential property, many of these masts, which are 18 m high in many cases, are installed within a distance of only metres from people's properties. That is totally unacceptable.”
“There is no statutory requirement on the local authority to publish the fact that an application has been made under section 254 for a telecommunications mast to be installed in their community. Because those requirements are not laid down in legislation, it is up to local authorities to interpret how they should approach this. Many do not publish them and, as I said, there is no requirement for a site notice. In my experience, most residents only become aware of such masts being installed in their communities when they see the construction work taking place. That is deeply unfair. Residents do not have a say in the process. Because they are not aware of it, they are not able to have an input. In fact, even if they were aware of it, at a local authority level, there is no mechanism for them to have a say.”