Mr Denis O'Brien's Esat Digifone company has a habit of ruffling feathers. Last year, Esat created a stir; when it beat off competition from some of the leading telecommunications companies to secure Ireland's second mobile phone licence. The news that Esat is now poised to agree a deal with the Garda authorities' - allowing it to fit antennae on Garda radio masts - has also come as a surprise. The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) has called for the suspension of any agreement until the full health and safety implications for their members are assessed and, evaluated. A plethora of other objections can be expected to follow.
The prospect of Telecom's main rival hitching its wagon to a highly sensitive arm of the State service like the Garda will, no doubt, stick in the craw of those who are protective of the State sector. And it will also be important for Esat to reassure those who believe that the mobile phone antennae could interfere with Garda communications. But, on the basis of what we know about the deal, the Garda authorities and the much maligned Department of Justice deserve commendation, not condemnation, for their imaginative approach.
Once the proposal was mooted by Esat, the primary task was to evaluate it objectively and then to secure the best, most cost efficient deal for the Garda. It was no part of their duty to worry about the potential impact on Telecom or to act as some kind of bulwark for the State sector against private competition. (It is also reassuring to read that the customary round of consultations with the Departments of Finance, Transport, Energy and Communications and the Office of Public Works raised no objections in principle to the Esat deal.)
On any objective business criteria, the offer tabled by Mr O'Brien represents a good deal. By leasing its radio masts to Esat, the Garda is likely to receive up to £3 million worth of telecommunications services annually. The force will also gain access to a secure encrypted telecommunications network which it can link into its new £26 million computer system. In all, this represents a very good return for allowing Esat use what is essentially spare capacity.
Mr O'Brien, of course, is no philanthropist. His plan to lease space on radio masts at 704 Garda stations represents a speedy, relatively inexpensive way of building up Esat's network. And with many of Esat's proposed mast sites still entangled in the planning process, the company will be hoping that the proposed new arrangement, involving the use of existing Garda masts, will expedite matters.
To their credit, the Garda authorities have stipulated that Esat's use of any Garda site will be subject to full compliance with planning legislation. While the health risks associated with mobile phone technology are still uncertain, there is sufficient scientific and medical evidence about the effect of microwave electromagnetic radiation to raise public concern. The Garda authorities would be wise to heed the advice given by the AGSI and to defer any final agreement until they are confident that there is no additional risk to their members or to the wider public.