Elderly still without vital services two months after Éowyn
Man telegraph poles were badly damaged during the storm. Picture: John O'Grady
More than two months after Storm Éowyn councillors in Mayo are still being contacted by householders and businesses that are without broadband and telephone services.
Achill-based Cllr Paul McNamara told last week's meeting of Westport-Belmullet Municipal District that the loss of service was particularly upsetting for elderly people.
“The majority of elderly people living alone are fully dependent on the alarm pendant, which was connected to a 24/7 call centre that would contact a family member if it went off.
"People are now nine weeks without supply from Eir, it just beggars belief. We still have poles and lines lying on the side of roads. If this was the case with any private business, the Health and Safety authorities would be out straight away.
"These people are even having to pay their bills and standing charges now for line rental for a service they have not got. This is just appalling treatment of the elderly.”
The manager of the Westport-Belmullet District had written to Eir following the meeting in February but did not receive a reply.
Municipal district Cathaoirleach and Erris Cllr Sean Carey said he had been inundated with calls from as far back as December when Storm Darragh took out telecommunications and an elderly lady in a very remote location had been out of power since then. Cllr Carey also recounted the sad story of an elderly man whose pendent is currently not working.
"He had a fall there the other night and was on the floor for a number of hours until a neighbour found him the following morning."
Cllr Gerry Coyle said the internet in his house is still off and the fibre cable from Eir is now “somewhere up a bog never to be seen again”. Showing a photo on his phone of a damaged pole, he said "a billion euros was being spent on national broadband yet the poles were in a dire state".
“A woman is paying €60 euro a month for the pendant and the line and still she has no phone. A business in Belmullet was six weeks out. The connection is back on one day and off again the next.
"I am not surprised the manager did not get a reply on the matter after making contact with the company. I am sick of it with them. These are supposed to be a communications company but they didn’t even reply to you. If I see another ad from Eir on the TV I will erupt.”
Louisburgh Cllr Chris Maxwell said just two days previously an elderly man had asked him to help his brother living "on top of the Sheefry Hills". He has not had a communications service for months.
"This is happening across the county. We need to get something done, the providers should seek help abroad as the ESB did. Maybe the Municipal District here could try and put in a call on behalf of the people in West Mayo to see could the job be done. It is action we want.”
