19th November 2001

PRESS RELEASE

GREEN PARTY CALLS FOR ENFORCEMENT AS ‘SKY’ DISH PLAGUE HITS DUN LAOGHAIRE

Councillor Ciarán Cuffe of the Green Party has called on the planners in Dún Laoghaire to take action against the plague of Sky satellite dishes that have appeared in recent weeks on houses within the County.

“This plague of satellite dishes is spiralling out of control” stated Ciarán Cuffe of the Green Party today, “It is time that the Council states loud and clear that these dishes are illegal if placed on the front of houses without planning permission. They are disfiguring streets and houses all over Dublin. People should know that they are breaking the law, and enforcement action is badly needed.

The Green Party has written to the County Manager calling on him to publicise the fact that planning permission is needed for the satellite dishes. However in most cases the dishes can be placed on the rear walls or roof, without requiring permission.

“The solution is simple: People simply need to be told to have the dishes placed on the rear roof or wall of the houses. However I believe that perhaps a highly publicised case against the firm installing the dishes is needed before the problem is solved, and I have requested the Manager to do this.

Class Four of the Second Schedule of the 1994 Planning Regulations governs where these dishes can be placed, and they specifically prohibit the placing of ‘satellite television signal receiving antenna’ on the front wall of dwelling houses.

ENDS

Information contact:

Ciarán Cuffe      087 265 2075 or 618 3082