Mayo councillors says solid fuel fires cannot be banned after Storm Éowyn chaos

Storm Éowyn is a reminder of how important solid fuel fires are to homes in Mayo according to local councillors after thousands of people were left without heat.

West Mayo councillors have called for a rethink on the policy of not including a provision for solid fuel fires in new build homes after thousands of people who rely on electricity for heat were left in the cold following Friday's storm.

Thousands of customers around Mayo who are still without electricity following Friday's storm are reliant on a stove or open fire to heat their home.

Speaking at the Westport/Belmullet Municipal District meeting, Independent councillor John O'Malley said that a house without a chimney 'is the most ridiculous thing' and Storm Éowyn was a reminder of how important a solid fuel fire is to a home.

“They are asking people to build houses without chimneys and fireplaces. I will tell you one thing; there were a lot of people who were caught badly because they could not put down a fire. I was lucky to have a fireplace.

“I said at a meeting when it was suggested having houses without a fireplace that a house without a chimney is the most ridiculous thing you can build and it is daft. There was plenty of turf and wood which people could have used to keep themselves warm if they had a fireplace. A lot of people were depending on electricity but we see now what depending on electricity can do,” he said.

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The Carrowholly-based councillor was supported by Independent Ireland councillor Chris Maxwell who said that young couples in newly built homes were worse off following the storm than elderly people with an open fire.

“We checked with old people and any house I called into, all those old people were happy- out with their fires and they were warm. We were worried for them people but the ones we should have been worried about were young couples with families. They were all solely reliant on electricity and they had no heat as they were totally reliant on power. They could not do a thing about it and could not boil bottles for their babies or do anything. A chimney is an essential piece of infrastructure in every house and not having a chimney in modern houses should be seriously looked at in the planning laws. I think it is very wrong,” he said.

Meanwhile Fine Gael councillor Gerry Coyle said that the aftermath of the storm was also a reminder of how people's lives were based around electric gadgets.

“We have made life difficult for ourselves because Alexa is the new radio. When Alexa doesn't have a boost of electricity or the internet she won't come on. I fell into that trap of not keeping the transistor and that way was gone and this was the way forward.

“The way forward is the way backwards is the way I can see. If there is no internet these things won't work. We have only ourselves to blame that we have come so dependent in life on all these gadgets,” he said.