Rathmullan's cellphone coverage 'getting worse rather than better'

Cllr Declan Meehan has asked the council to find a solution to the lack of mobile phone coverage in the Rathmullan area.

After hearing complaints from Rathmullan residents, Cllr Meehan, independent, is calling for the cause of the issue to be identified, and measures to be put in place to restore coverage for residents and businesses in the area.

Cllr Meehan, independent, put forward the motion at the Letterkenny-Milford MD meeting after hearing concerns from local residents.

“It’s something that is getting worse rather than better,” Cllr Meehan said. “It’s incrementally deteriorating over the past year, year and a half.”

“Rathmullan is increasingly becoming a bit of a black spot in parts,” Cllr Meehan said. “It would be great if the council could look into that and work with the various providers to ensure that whatever needs to be done to improve that connectivity can be done.”

However, Cllr Pauric McGarvey said he has contacted the telecommunications provider Eir in regard to the issue.

Eir claimed that the lack of coverage is due to the Donegal County Council denying planning permission for the erection of a telecommunications mast in recent years.

“Even since that planning had been refused, there’s been a deterioration from then until now,” Cllr Meehan responded. “I think it’s a bit disingenuous of Eir to say that it’s solely Donegal County Council's fault for not granting planning permission.”

The motion passed, with the council agreeing to write to telecommunications providers in order to investigate the issue and find a solution.

Donegal County Council denied permission for an 18-metre mast that was proposed by Eir in 2021 following objections from residents. Additionally, a separate proposal by Vantage Towers to erect a 30-metre mast to improve Vodafone’s network requirements in Rathmullan was refused in 2021.