People of Mayo 'deserve an apology' from ESB after being left in the dark

The people of Mayo deserve an apology for the lack of information given following Storm Éowyn with one local councillor saying the ESB Powercheck app is as 'useful as an electric kettle' in a powercut.

ESB Networks along with Mayo County Council and Eir came under severe criticism from members of the Claremorris/Swinford Electoral Area where thousands of people are still without power two weeks after Storm Éowyn.

The south and the east of the county is one of the worst affected areas for continued black-outs with local councillors saying they are getting the brunt of the criticism from the public. The councillors praised the work of ESB crews and council workers for their efforts following the storm but criticised the lack of communication and information available to them from ESB and other service providers.

“People are in the dark because of the lack of power but they are also in the dark because of the lack of information,” Ballyhaunis-based councillor Alma Gallagher told the meeting.

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“We have been kept in the dark regarding lack of information. Those on the ground are doing a fantastic job when it comes to ESB networks it is a cat and mouse situation. As a public rep I am having to travel by-roads to see where all of these resources are being mobilised to try to get the information on the ground so we can send around [to constituents],” she added.

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Kiltimagh-based Fianna Fáil councillor Aiden Forkin agreed, saying that they had to ask people they knew who worked for ESB for information as they were not getting any official correspondence.

“ There is no way of contacting anyone in the ESB. There is an app and it is as useful as an electric kettle when the electricity is gone. It is absolutely useless.

“If you ring the ESB there is nothing except to go onto the app. It is the most ridiculous situation especially for people who find themselves 13 or 14 days out without power. It is frustrating and no wonder people are angry. The anger is coming back on top of us as public reps because we represent them,” he said.

Independent councillor Patsy O'Brien directed his criticism at the door of the chief executive of Mayo County Council who he said has not contacted the councillors since the storm occurred.

“We need to start at the top of this organisation with our county manager and Director of Services and those people who have responsibility. Nobody contacted us, not a one. We were left on our own to answer to every single person.

“We are thrown in the deep end all the time. The first person the public will ring is a councillor and we have no information. We need to look at this [Mayo County Council] organisation and I am calling on the county manager to put something in place where we will never be left as councillors the way we were left again,” he said.

Aontú councillor Deirdre Lawless said that ESB owed the people of Mayo an explanation and an apology for the lack of communication but also criticised the local authority.

“There was no communication. I was wondering if they did not have my number in Mayo County Council. I felt we should have had a meeting because we had no information to tell the people and we were getting the brunt of it.”

Sinn Féin councillor Gerry Murray added that the councillors have become 'the whipping boys' for things they have no responsibility for but praised the ESB workers who he said are working in appalling conditions.

Director of Services, Tom Gilligan acknowledged the work of the council's outdoor staff in the clean-up after the storm and would relay the councillor's concerns to the council executive.