National legislation is being sought to prevent telegraph poles from being erected carelessly on roadsides across the country.
A meeting of Granard Municipal District heard recently that county councils have to pay utilities to get poles moved into safer positions due to the monopoly that is in place when it comes to the infrastructure.
Utilty companies don't need to consult with local authorities on whether a risk assessment is needed for the replacement of a telegraph pole.
And as it stands, county councils have to pay utilities to move telegraph poles even if they have been put up too close to the edge of the road, or if they are obstructing sightlines for road users.
The topic was up for discussion at a recent meeting of Granard Municipal District where members heard that the new poles being put up are more substantial than the old ones and pose a greater risk to road users in the event of an accident.
There are a lot of telegraph poles being replaced currently due to broadband and ESB upgrades.
Now it's emerged that the matter is to be raised at national level, with the Association of Irish Local Government understood to be seeking legislation to be put in place to clarify the issue.
