Storm damage and rural phone lines
Deputy Kenny described prolonged power and phone outages after storms, including an elderly constituent whose panic button was unusable without a landline. The Minister said the delays were due to extensive damage, but that most connections had been restored and the issue would be pursued with the relevant Minister.
I want to raise the issue of the storms six weeks ago. Most people in my part of the country were without power for some time, some for a long time, and dozens of people still have no phone line, in particular elderly people living in rural areas. Dorothy, who is in her 80s and living in north Leitrim, has no phone line and had no electricity for three weeks. She has a panic button in case she falls or anything happens in her home because she is elderly, but it does not work without a landline. Open Eir is supposed to be bringing in these landlines, putting up poles and so on, but it is not doing it and that is not happening for many people. Kathleen was 38 days without power and still has no phone service. Rosemary, a woman in Aughavas who has a child with disabilities, only got her phone service back the day before yesterday. Tess and Dan in Carrigallen still have no phone line and they were four weeks without power. I want to particularly mention Terence in north Leitrim, who is an elderly man living up in the hills. He has been without a phone line. He is very vulnerable and has a lot of home help coming in to him, but he cannot get Open Eir to put the phone line back.
I know that ComReg has a role and the Minister has a role. It is totally inappropriate that critical infrastructure like this has not been replaced six weeks after a storm.
Comment on this
It is important to emphasise that the fact those lines have not yet been connected is not because the Government does not care. It is because a huge amount of damage was done.
Comment on this
We have been successful in working through the regulator and the Department to see the majority of the connections repaired. I agree with the Deputy that for anybody to be in a situation where they do not have contact with loved ones, their local community or the health service is a significant problem. I will ensure that the Minister, Deputy O’Brien, is aware of this issue. I know that huge efforts were made to bring back connections as soon as possible and to put back in place vital infrastructure, but we have to keep going until everybody is connected.