A decision by Esat Digifone to remove a mobile phone mast from the main street in Mountrath, Co Laois, after the county council initiated legal proceedings, has vindicated the concerns of the local community, local TDs have said.
An Bord Pleanála earlier this year ruled that the structure was not exempt from planning regulations. After this ruling, the county council initiated legal proceedings against Esat Digifone.
The case was listed for Portlaoise District Court, but was struck out following agreement between the company and council about the removal of the mast. The company paid the council's costs.
Mr Sean Fleming TD said this should be a lesson to mobile-phone companies. The removal of the mast was a victory for the people of Mountrath over the company, he said.
Mr Charlie Flanagan TD said it was a victory for "people power".
A spokeswoman for Esat Digifone, soon to become O2, said the company decided to remove the mast, but the decision did not solve the problem of service to customers.
The company, she said, was required under the terms of its licence to provide a regional service, and the area currently was a black spot for coverage for its customers.
Local businesses, for example, were not being served, she said. Where there was opposition to a mast, the company said it always tried to work with the local community. "Our customers in Laois are as important as those in Dublin and Cork," she said.
The senior executive officer in the council's planning department, Mr Ian McCormack, said he was pleased with the outcome. He added that each planning case was judged on its own merits.
A key point throughout the controversy was that the county council kept the community informed and apprised of development, he said. This encouraged active citizenship, giving people the opportunity to become involved in issues that affected them.
Ms Margaret Keegan, chairwoman of the Mountrath Safety Awareness Group, hoped the decision would have lessons for a company's consultation with the local communities.
She felt in this case the community's concerns were not being addressed.
The company spokeswoman said Esat Digifone did speak to local people, and local consultation was a feature of the company's policy.
Ms Keegan said she was not against advances in technology, but felt a cautious approach was better, especially as the building on which the mast was constructed now houses six families. This was insensitive, she said.
She said there was "a lot of strong feeling" about the mast. Some 800 signatures were collected in opposition to the mobile structure, including those of doctors in the local health centre and teachers in the local school.
Mr Flanagan said there were more suitable locations for a mast away from large areas of population.