Mayo councillors condemn companies who hide behind GDPR

Utility companies in Mayo have no right to hide behind GDPR regulations when they refuse to deal with public representatives acting on behalf of a constituent, according to a local councillor.

The continued lack of service to telecommunications customers following Storm Éowyn was criticised by councillors at the monthly meeting of the Castlebar Municipal District who stated that customers have not been given any information for when the service returns.

Fine Gael councillor Cyril Burke told the meeting that he has been left without broadband since Storm Éowyn at the end of January and described the current scenario as a 'right mess'.

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“It is outrageous at this stage that so many people do not have connectivity to broadband and phone lines. There are a lot of elderly people with panic alarms and they don't know where to go and who owns the line and the provider. The whole thing is in crisis as far as I am concerned.

“I am out for weeks and Vodafone are sending me messages not to worry and I am on their list but now I am after finding out I wasn't even logged. I'm sure there are a whole load of people in the same situation. It is a right mess. There are poles and lines strewn along the roadways and nobody knows who is doing what to get the service right,” Cllr Burke said adding that there is very little the local authority can do apart from writing to the providers.

Independent councillor Michael Kilcoyne added that when he contacts providers on behalf of customers he is told that they will not give him any information due to GDPR [General Data Protection Regulation] regulations.

“The services these companies give to the public is deplorable and they don't deserve any customers because they don't look after them,” he said.

However, Cathaoirleach of the Municipal District, Cllr Donna Sheridan said that legislation allows for public representatives to act on behalf of constituents and GDPR should not be used as an excuse.

“Under the act they cannot say they cannot give the information under GDPR because it is in the guidelines. If you quote them the act they will give the information.

“The act states public reps can be given information,” she commented.

Cllr Sheridan explained that she left Eir because they were unable to provide her with an adequate service and within two weeks, Castlebar-based company Westnet solved her problem and connected her to high speed broadband.

“Westnet is amazing. They are a local company and if you ring them you are talking to a person in Castlebar who answers the phone. They are quite brilliant. They had my problems sorted within two weeks. I couldn't recommend them highly enough. They are a fantastic service,” she said.