Sir, - In his guidelines of February, 1997 to planning authorities, the then Minister, Brendan Howlin, stated clearly that only as a last resort should mobile phone masts be located adjacent to schools or in residential areas. Written enquiries to Mr Howlin and his successor, Mr Dempsey, as to why this proviso was included in the guidelines have gone unanswered. Maybe the Department of the Environment can indicate why these areas were designated as exclusion zones. - Yours, etc., Joe Murray,
Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim.