The disruption to power supplies in Thurles last week was unacceptable according to a local public representative.
Councillor Jim Ryan raised the issue at the monthly meeting of the Municipal District claiming that many people were left without heating or vital medical equipment as a result.
The Independent representative said the disruption at just a few days notice was as a result of a upgrade to broadband in Thurles last week.
“It’s just not good enough. The amount of people who contacted me – particularly old age pensioners and people living on their own – who only got two days notice that their ESB was to be cut off when the temperatures was minus 7 degrees, the coldest day of the year.
“They had no power, they had no heating and a number of people who use nebulisers or oxygen tanks contacted me to say they had no way of powering them.”
Councillor Ryan says here needs to be joined up thinking when it comes to carrying out works in future.
“That work should have been deferred until the weather got milder. Cutting peoples power off at temperatures of minus 7 degrees is just not good enough and should never happen again.
“I’ve asked the County Council to engage with the providers – ESB Networks and Eir – to ensure that this will never happen again.”
