I wish to advise you that this issue is outside the remit of my Department. The siting, safety and maintenance, and removal, of telecommunications poles, or other infrastructure including wires, is primarily a matter for the telecoms operators, operating in a fully liberalised and competitive market. My Department is not considering grant mechanism as outlined in the question. Nor would this be appropriate as the infrastructure is in the ownership of the relevant operators.
The relevant planning permissions or requirements for the siting of telecommunications infrastructure are a matter for the local authority, under the aegis of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. I have no role or statutory authority to intervene in the matter.
My Department works closely with the planning authorities to ensure there is sufficient capacity made available to operators to process permits on a timely basis, where permitting is necessary for the development of telecommunications infrastructure. The Department hosts meetings with representatives from all local authorities, on a twice yearly basis, to ensure the processes for permitting are working well and identify whether issues affecting the sector have arisen. This forum was put in place in 2021 and has since proven to be a very effective forum for tracking the performance of each local authority in the issuing of permits, sharing best practice and general information sharing.
In addition, Broadband Officers have been appointed to every local authority to ensure that there is sufficient emphasis provided to the advancement of digital connectivity and digital services, while in tandem considering the different circumstances that exist locally. The role of the Broadband Officer is to provide a local point of contact for telecoms operators and the public regarding telecoms issues. The Broadband Officer function has been successful in championing the specific needs of the local community and the relevant officer may be able to provide local advice to the Deputy in relation to specific issues regarding the deployment of Broadband.
