Derry council officers don't have the equipment to test Glengalliagh 4G mast, committee told

At the September Health and Community committee meeting, members recommended that Council undertake to broadcast on social media the research documenting the safety of 4G masts and to undertake testing of 4G masts in the Glengalliagh area to allay the fears of residents.

SDLP Colr. Rory Farrell informed members he had received feedback from officers and was told they were unable to test the masts.

“If we can’t test them ourselves because we don’t have the equipment or expertise, can we get the company that owns these masts to test them and reassure us and the wider public that they are safe”, he said Colr. Farrell.

Seamus Donaghey, Head of Health and Community Wellbeing, responded: “We did push out the messaging in terms of public health advice on 5G and members may recall in February we agreed we would write to the Department of the Economy asking that the government conducts a review and establishing facts on the threat to public health and environment.

“The Minister replied in March outlining that the advice is provided by Public Health in England and that they would provide all the technical advice. The monitoring wouldn’t be carried out regionally here. What we will do is link in with Public Health England to confirm what way they carry out the monitoring there.”

Colr. Farrell added: “The people who are posting videos online are on about a specific mast. I don’t know if it’s 5G or 4G but they are saying there is something wrong with it. Can we contact the people who own that mast and ask them to test it?”

Mr Donaghey said: “When a planning application is made for masts they have to submit confirmation that they comply with all the guidelines, so that would be dealt with through the planning process.

“If there is a particular mast we can go back to the planning department and see what sort of information has been submitted. If we are provided with details of those masts that are causing concerns, we can follow that up and establish what information has been provided.”