The ESB should have a system to offer hotel or other suitable accommodation to householders who are forced to go without electricity for several days after a major storm event, according to a councillor in Leitrim.
Leitrim was among the last areas to see widespread power outages following the devastating impact of Storm Darragh, with areas such as Drumshanbo, Aughnsheelin, Ballinamore and Drumkeeran particularly affected. The problems appear to have abated in recent days.
Cllr Enda McGloin, who lives in Drumshanbo, says that his phone had “gone quiet” after a week where householders were understandably reaching out to all public representatives looking for help. He called for more support for those affected in future.
“I feel if you are beyond a certain number of days without those facilities, really something has to happen in terms of assistance. I thought that after a critical number of days people would be offered hotel or B&B accommodation so that they could keep warm or wash,” Mr McGloin said.
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The Fine Gael councillor has spoken to people who went six days without electricity at their home.
“They felt like nervous wrecks. Most people like to have a shower every day and freshen up. I couldn’t live in my house for more than three days if I didn’t have electricity,” Mr McGloin said.
“Your house is built around electricity. I think the ESB Networks need to come up with a protocol in relation to providing hotels and accommodation for people who go without electricity for a certain number of days.”
He said that a school in Drumreilly remained shut for the week because of a lack of power.
Patrick J Rigney, managing director of The Shed Distillery in Drumshanbo, said that they were more fortunate than other businesses in relation to the impact of the storm. However, Mr Rigney said that it was still a difficult week.
“Because we have a generator we got back up and running with electricity relatively quickly. We were without water for three days. Our internet came back on Thursday,” Mr Rigney said.
“It has been a tough week but the key thing is that we are open. And we want visitors to know that we are back to normal.”
Mr McGloin also warned that some local forestry is not being property maintained and has become hugely overgrown close to power lines.
“Twenty per cent of our land mass in Co Leitrim is occupied by forestry and I have nothing against forestry, but there are people who own forestry plantations who do not keep them correctly. There needs to be a 30-metre set back from these lines.
Cllr Brendan Barry, of Sinn Féin, posted images of damage to forestry and consequent damage to power lines online.
In a statement the ESB described Storm Darragh as having been the most severe storm to impact on the electricity network in recent memory, with a peak of 395,000 customers left without supply on the morning of December 7th.
“ESB forecast at that time that, such was the level of damage, some customers could be seven days without power. All but isolated pockets of rural Leitrim had their supply restored by last night (Friday), and crews continue working on the ground to restore all impacted customers through today.”
The ESB provided facilities in some local hotels and pubs in Leitrim, Roscommon and Wicklow on Thursday and Friday where people could eat hot meals, charge their phones and stay warm, he said.
As of last night about 100 households in Leitrim were still without electricity, a spokesman said, with power expected back this evening.
He added that there was an awareness of local concerns about some forest areas in Leitrim and its impact on power lines during storms.
“We work with all stakeholders in terms of finding a path forward on this,” he said. “That is a particular issue up in that part of the world. The area where the most prolonged outages have been have been as a result of forestry. I think that is fair to say. We are acutely conscious of that as well.”
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