*Photograph: John Mangan
ANXIETY of elderly residents is rising due to the new procedures followed by the ESB in fixing public lighting across housing estates, a Shannon representative has claimed.
To ensure compliance with the ESB’s public lighting requirements and Safe Electric’s standards, the repair times of public lighting faults is now greater.
Senior officials in Clare County Council have met with ESB locally to try accelerate repair times. The “significant delays to the return of supplies” was previously described by acting senior executive engineer, Anne O’Sullivan as “regrettable and taking longer than it should be”. She stated, “We will continue to work with ESB and escalate the issue, we’ve made them very much aware of our dissatisfaction with ESB attending our sites”.
Speaking at a sitting of the Shannon Municipal District, Cllr Gerry Flynn (FG) labelled it as “a whole mess”. He stated, “the installation of a transformer around housing estates in Shannon Municipal District will present huge problems”.
Flynn continued, “ESB have insisted on shutting off lights where works are to be done, it is crazy stuff, it shouldn’t be happening”.
Cathaoirleach of the Shannon MD, Cllr Donna McGettigan (SF) agreed with the sentiments. “The lights are turning into a huge issue”. She added, “some estates are in darkness and the elderly are left in because the footpaths are so dangerous”.
