Mayo councillor demands felling of trees near ESB lines

A MAYO councillor has called for all trees within 20 metres of electricity and telecom lines to be cut down to prevent prolonged power shortages after storms.

Up to 40,000 customers in Mayo remain without electricity following Storm Eowyn on Friday morning with some customers expected to be without power for another week.

A number of power lines were damaged by trees felled by the 137km per hour winds during Storm Eowyn which has prompted Westport councillor John O'Malley to call for all trees close to power lines and long roads to be felled.

“The trees have to come down,” Cllr O'Malley told the monthly meeting of the Westport/Belmullet Municipal District.

“I want to see trees removed as fast as possible and this is the time to do it. Take the trees out to the root along the whole line of the ESB and service lines. Anyone planting trees should not be allowed to plant trees within 20 metres of any service lines and all the hedges and bushes along the roads should be taken out because they cause mayhem during storms. There is no need for them along the road and there are plenty of places if people want to plant trees. They have to go now because this has caused mayhem and aggravation to people.

“People have suffered because of trees that came down and we have to make sure that everything is cleared of trees...along the road and along lines and get rid of those trees totally. There are plenty of places to plant trees and nobody should be allowed to plant trees along power lines or service lines. Our answer is no trees along the road and power lines and then we will start to solve this problem,” Cllr O'Malley told the meeting.

He was backed up by a number of his council colleagues who agreed that action needs to be taken and plans put in place before the next storm.

Louisburgh-based councillor Chris Maxwell said that on Friday he joined neighbours in clearing local roads blocked by fallen trees and agreed they should be cut before the next storm.

“Trees have brought this country to a standstill over the last couple of days. There is a very efficient way of dealing with them and it is with a tree shears on a mechanical digger. You can cut them along the main roads and under power lines and get the power done. It needs to be tackled now and head on because this will happen again and we don't want to be caught again,” he said.

Achill-based councillor Paul McNamara and Erris-based councillor Gerry Coyle were both heavily critical of Eir for the state of the telecom poles and wires. Cllr Coyle told the meeting that there is a wire in Dooyork in Erris hanging so low that you could ' hang your underwear' on it and Eir were doing nothing about it.

“There were poles overhanging since Storm Darragh...if you went to the infants class in Geesala National School you would get more of an answer than you would get from these guys in Eircom. They are the biggest disaster I have seen in my life,” Cllr Coyle said.

Cllr McNamara added: “The trees and the telephone lines have to be addressed. Write to those departments and lay on line what has to be done because it is a disaster waiting to happen,” he told the council officials.