Cork County Council are to write to the various mobile phone providers, the Minister for Communications and ComReg (the statutory body responsible for the regulation of the electronic communications sector) to address the ‘poor and non-existent’ mobile phone coverage in Doneraile, Shanballymore and part of Castletownroche.

The Northern Committee meeting of Cork County Council heard that mobile phone customers in these areas within The Avondhu region have been ‘very badly hit’ by poor coverage, according to Cllr Frank O’Flynn.

Numerous people in Shanballymore, Doneraile and Castletownroche have been on to me, saying they’ve literally no mobile phone coverage at the moment.”

Cllr O’Flynn welcomed a move by ComReg to oversee the level of coverage provided by mobile phone companies across the country as, right now, the quality of coverage is insufficient.

“You could be inside of a shop or on the street in Doneraile and you’ll have no coverage whatsoever. Now if a person had a health problem and they needed an ambulance or had to contact the gardaí, some problem in the area, how are these people going to do that?” he asked.

A reply to this motion is expected to be heard at the next meeting of the council.