Proximity to School: This petition is important because the mast would be located 12.5m from Pelletstown Educate Together school grounds, and 40m from the closest school building.
Visual Impact: The mast's closeness to the school raises serious concerns, particularly regarding the visual impact. The mast would significantly alter the visual landscape, towering over the school, it's sensory garden, ground level and rooftop yards, as evidenced by aerial footage we have procured. This
footage shows a drone raising to 18m above the proposed site, and travelling above the school at that elevation.
Health Concerns: There is ongoing uncertainty about the long-term health effects of exposure to radiation from mobile phone masts and prolonged exposure to electromagnetic fields, especially for young children. Children spend 5.5 hours a day, 5 days a week for 8 years on the school premises. In addition, many children attend the on-site afterschool until as late as 6:30pm, or can be involved in after-school activities as well as attending camps for part or all of the summer and other school holidays. There are
valid concerns ICNIRP (International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection) guidelines that govern safe emissions are not sufficiently comprehensive, and would not capture chronic exposure such as this scenario.
High-Speed Fibre Broadband: Our area already benefits from current and planned high-speed fibre-to- the-home, diminishing the necessity for an additional mast.
Alternative Location: The nearby Pelletstown ESB substation is a more suitable site, situated away from residential areas and adjacent to existing tall infrastructure.
GoFundMe:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/Pelletstownmast
