This article is from page 14 of the 2006-10-17 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 14 JPG
ANOTHER independent candidate is poised and ready to join the hustings in the next general election, if the Government does not implement recommendations relating to mobile phone masts.
Noel Mulhaire, who is a member of a Mobile Phone Mast Action Group in Ennis, said a candidate had been identified and was willing to run on the phone mast mandate.
He told The Clare People that the Government had time to adopt the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources by June 2005, or alternatively another party might include the recommendations in its manifesto.
If this does not happen, eight to 10 candidates will run throughout the country, including Clare, under the BEST (Better Environmental and Safer Telecommunications) umbrella.
The candidates will oppose the proliferation of phone masts in their communities, which they say cause ill health effects.
Mr Mulhaire said the Clare candidate could not be revealed until the other mast groups in the county have ratified him.
Mr Mulhaire refuted claims that the man, from Ennis, would be a one-issue candidate.
He said he would support a number of quality of life issues. The BEST group attended meetings all over Ireland and organised protest marches in Ennis, Toomevara and Fermoy.
Mr Mulhaire said that a number of politicians from different parties walked in the marches and pledged their support but, to date, no action had been taken by the elected representatives.