Mobile coverage in these areas brought to Kildare County Council's attention

The status of mobile coverage in certain County Kildare areas was brought to the attention of Kildare County Council (KCC) last week.

The matter was raised by a local councillor at the latest Clane-Maynooth Municipal District meeting, which took place on Friday, November 7 last.

While in attendance at this meeting, Social Democrats Cllr Peter Melrose motioned for KCC to writes to the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) and the main mobile network operators "regarding the persistent mismatch between published mobile coverage maps and the actual service experienced in urban and rural areas of this Municipal District".

He also told KCC that the letter "should seek clarity on how local coverage is defined and mapped, advocate for more accurate and independently verified data, and request that ComReg brief elected members on its oversight role and any planned improvements to consumer-facing coverage information".

Cllr Melrose's motion was seconded by Fine Gael Cllr Tim Durkan.

Expanding on his motion, Cllr Melrose told KCC that the "mismatch" of coverage had been "affecting people's work".

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In response to Cllr Melrose's request, KCC explained that it appointed one Maria Barry as Digital Programme Officer in August 2025.

According to KCC, as a result, Ms Barry's appointment introduced "a new digital function within the IT Department" (Ms Barry herself was also present at the meeting).

KCC elaborated: "As part of her responsibilities, she will liaise directly with ComReg regarding mobile coverage issues and address concerns raised by Cllr Melrose.

"If Cllr Melrose provides specific locations and mobile providers, this will help address his concerns when dealing with ComReg."

KCC also assured Cllr Melrose that Ms Barry could "consult with colleagues in other counties to check if similar issues appear on Comreg’s maps or if this is unique to Kildare".

Ms Barry subsequently told Cllr Melrose that she would contact ComReg on his behalf.

"There have been issues in different parts of the country too," she added. "We will learn from the other councils and from what they have done [to address the coverage issues]."

She also told Cllr Melrose that she would meet with him following the meeting in order to further discuss the matter.

Cllr Melrose in turn told Ms Barry that he appreciated her assurances.

Social Democrats Cllr Peter Melrose. Photograph credit: kildarecoco.ie

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Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.