A coalition of parents and teachers from four Dublin schools are seeking amendments and clarifications to be made to planning guidelines related to the erection of mobile phone masts near schools.

The schools - Guardian Angels and Newpark School both in Blackrock, St Theresa's Primary, Mount Merrion, and Howth Road Presbyterian National School - all have masts and equipment erected nearby, despite objections.

According to Melanie Taylor, whose children attend Guardian Angels School, Newtownpark, Blackrock, the group is concerned that the planning system does not allow for concerns about their children's health. The Department of Education and Science confirmed recently that it had no plans to adopt a "precautionary approach" with regard to mobile-phone usage and outlawing masts where the beam of greatest intensity falls across school premises. Such an approach was adopted recently in the UK and is policy in Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden and the US, she said.

The Office of the Director of Telecommunication Regulation said an audit procedure is currently in place to ensure that safe levels of non-ionising radiation are not exceeded. To date no safety breaches have occurred, the spokesperson said.