Brendan Smith: Urgent call to clear ESB corridors after outages
Brendan Smith warned that large numbers of constituents in Kavman remain without electricity, telephone and broadband after trees fell on ESB transmission lines and urged immediate action. He said the outages pose serious risks for people with health ailments who depend on medical devices and called for a vigorous inspection regime.
He told the Taoiseach that many residents in Kavman are still without electricity and that most of those people also have difficulties with telephone and broadband connectivity. He highlighted how life is "extremely, extremely difficult" for those reliant on medical devices.
Smith said the major cause of the power outage in the area has been trees falling on ESB transmission lines and argued that transmission corridors are not being maintained to the proper standard. He cited examples including West Ross Common, Leitrim where a whole line of Sitka spruce fell "like dominoes" onto a line.
He recalled repeatedly asking in parliamentary questions for a vigorous inspection programme to ensure plantations owned by Coillte and private landowners are properly maintained, and said "very regrettably this has not happened." He asked why large-scale forestry plantation owners should not face the same inspections and penalties that would apply to small-scale livestock farmers who err.
Smith urged ministers responsible to ensure cross-collaboration between departments to establish and maintain clear corridors for transmission lines. He said the work must go further to address road safety and the wider health and safety dangers when poor lines come down, and thanked David Smith for his commentary.
Power outages and local impact
He told the Taoiseach that many residents in Kavman are still without electricity and that most of those people also have difficulties with telephone and broadband connectivity. He highlighted how life is "extremely, extremely difficult" for those reliant on medical devices.
Cause identified as trees on ESB lines
Smith said the major cause of the power outage in the area has been trees falling on ESB transmission lines and argued that transmission corridors are not being maintained to the proper standard. He cited examples including West Ross Common, Leitrim where a whole line of Sitka spruce fell "like dominoes" onto a line.
Calls for inspections and enforcement
He recalled repeatedly asking in parliamentary questions for a vigorous inspection programme to ensure plantations owned by Coillte and private landowners are properly maintained, and said "very regrettably this has not happened." He asked why large-scale forestry plantation owners should not face the same inspections and penalties that would apply to small-scale livestock farmers who err.
Cross-departmental action and safety concerns
Smith urged ministers responsible to ensure cross-collaboration between departments to establish and maintain clear corridors for transmission lines. He said the work must go further to address road safety and the wider health and safety dangers when poor lines come down, and thanked David Smith for his commentary.
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Transcript
The Taoiseach, large numbers of my constituents in Kavman are still without their electricity supply. Most of those people have difficulties with their telephone and broadband connectivity. Life is extremely, extremely difficult for people with health ailments and dependent on medical devices. The major cause of the power outage in our area has been trees falling on ESB transmission lines. It is clear that the corridors for ESB lines are not being maintained to the proper standard, or we would not have such problems with trees falling and with other overgrown vegetation. Over the years, in parliamentary questions, I repeatedly asked that a vigorous inspection programme be put in place to ensure the plantations owned by culture and by private landowners be properly maintained. Very regrettably this has not happened. These issues need to be addressed now. If a small-scale livestock farmer slightly erred in their farming practices, they would have inspections and penalties imposed. Why not the same for large-scale forestry plantation owners and accompanimented ESB workers and all other frontline workers on their efforts? Thank David Smith for his commentary. I think one of the most immediate tasks is to make sure we have proper corridors, wherever the transmission lines are. If you take West Ross Common, Leitrim, there have been huge issues with forests falling or a whole line of Sitka spruce like dominoes falling onto the line. That can no longer be tolerated, and we have asked ministers responsible, because there has to be a cross-collaboration between departments, to actually make sure that we nail that once and for all in terms of having clear space to avoid that type of thing from occurring again. Then we need to go further in terms of road safety, but also in terms of further danger of poor lines, because when poor lines come down, it's a health and safety issue.