Communities in worst affected areas feel let down and forgotten in the aftermath of Storm Éowyn – Matt Carthy TD

Speaking on Wednesday during Dáil statements on the Government’s response to Storm Éowyn, Cavan-Monaghan Sinn Féin TD, Matt Carthy, said that lessons must be learned from the aftermath of the storm that had left many communities in the worst affected areas including Monaghan and Cavan feeling let down and forgotten.  

He commended all those who worked to help individuals, families and communities following the storm devastation and called for investment in the electricity transmission network, in water services and in planning for future storms.  He called for consideration of automatic compensation from the ESB for those who had suffered prolonged power cuts.

Deputy Carthy said that in order to make the electricity network resilient, projects such as the North-South Interconnector should be developed using underground technology.  He raised issues surrounding forestry policy and the failure of government to introduce a scheme to remove trees affected by ash die-back disease.  He also said that counties such as Cavan and Monaghan could no longer be denied the investment in infrastructure necessary.

Teachta Carthy said:

“I want to commend those who helped individuals, families and communities following the devastation of Storm Éowyn.  Workers from ESB, Uisce Eireann, local authorities, phone companies.  Those local businesses who stood up to the mark to support their communities.  Those farmers who cleared roads.  Those communities that stood together, opened their halls, ensured that assistance was given where and when needed.

“In many respects we saw the best of Ireland and the Irish people.

“But, a lot of lessons will have to be learned following Storm Éowyn. 

“Communities, particularly across the border and west, in counties like Monaghan and Cavan, will not tolerate any repeat of the situation we have experienced over recent weeks.  The priority, once services have been restored, must be to ensure that we have no repeat of this situation.

“There is a real anger from people.  The extent to which phone signal, electricity and water was lost was unprecedented but the real issue is the length of time that people were left without these essential services.  People feel let down and forgotten because many of the regions worst affected have never been a priority for government.

“If the worst affected areas were in Dún Laoghaire or Howth rather than Augnamullen or Raferagh then the Dáil would have been sitting last week.

“As well as homes, the prolonged outages in the aftermath of the storm have had a huge impact on businesses, schools and other essential services.    

“What lessons need to be learned?

• Better planning and preparation for the aftermath of storms.
• Proper investment in our regions, particularly in the counties of the border and the west.
• Investment in our electricity transmission network, particularly in rural areas and a compensation scheme for households to incentivise proper upkeep of power lines and poles.
• Proper management of forestry, so that areas with a high level of forestry are not left weeks without power.

“There needs to be better contingency plans for supporting people when something like this occurs.  I want to commend all of those community and volunteer groups, GAA clubs and others who picked up the pieces – put in facilities including access to charging, hot drinks and showers.  

“As we face more frequent and stronger storms due to climate change, we have to be better prepared.  We have taxed people with carbon taxes to push them to get electric cars, to stop burning turf and get rid of solid fuel stoves – to be totally reliant on electricity that some people have now been without for 12 days.  

“There needs to be significant investment and upkeep of our electricity transmission network. Back up plans for essential services and communications are crucial – the loss of mobile phone connectivity caused real difficulties leaving vulnerable and older people particularly isolated.  

“Hard pressed families should not be out of pocket or further struggling as a result of a situation like this.  Those who can afford it have spent money on generators, hot food and in some cases even alternative accommodation. While access to the Immediate Needs Form, without a means test, is welcome but it’s not enough.

“The automatic compensation scheme that is in place in Scotland should be considered.  Under the Scottish system households get around €1,000 if their power is gone for a week – here households are expected to pay the standing charge for the period when they were without power and the ESB, a highly profitable energy company, is suggesting it may hike up prices as a result of the storm!

“Because households are compensated for power loss of more than 48 hours under the Scottish scheme there is a clear incentive for energy companies to ensure that energy transmission networks are maintained including poles and keeping lines clear of forestry.   

“Forestry, some of which is planted by vulture funds, often brings little value to communities, much of it is not native, logging trucks are taking a toll on local roads and the only thing communities get from it is prolonged blackouts and power cuts. The forestry sector must be held to account to ensure that it is not putting the electricity transmission network at risk.   The call by farmers for a scheme to remove trees affected by ash dieback disease was never heeded.  We paid a heavy price for that as many of the fallen lines resulted from these trees – that scheme should be in place within a month.

“The network must be resilient.  That means planning for the generation ahead and considering undergrounding lines when possible, this should start with new lines.  The north south interconnector, for example, must be undergrounded.

“We should never again have a situation where people are denied water because water treatment plants do not have stand-by generators.  Those generators should be sourced and provided to every public and group water scheme right now.  Generators should also be sourced for group homes, schools and other essential public buildings – especially in areas that are most at risk of future blackouts.   

“In my own constituency of Cavan Monaghan, hundreds of families are still today without power.  That is not acceptable.  The very least that they ask and the very least that they deserve is an assurance that this will never happen again.”