Electricity outages 'every second day' in Erris area

A councillor has said it is simply not good enough that there are regular unannounced electricity outages in Erris at a time when local windfarms continue to send electricity out of the area.

Cllr Gerry Coyle told the June meeting of Westport-Belmullet Municipal District that June 28th was "about the tenth time" the Aughleam area was left without power.

"This time we were told it was due to lightning. The Thursday before it was due to the transformer and in April it was because of birds nesting on top of the transformer. How they cannot put some cover on this problem transformer to stop all of this baffles me.

"This time of the year is when all the kids are in the [Coláiste Uisce Gaeltacht school] and I can tell you anyone there learning Irish might have heard a third language on Friday, because the language over this latest outage was that bad."

Cllr Coyle also queried why transformers cannot be left in Belmullet instead of having to be brought in from Ballina and Claremorris each time there is an outage. He said it was important to "call out" the issue, particularly as more windfarms are planned for the area. He referenced a windfarm project proposed for near his own home at Doolough, noting that the turbines will be 185 metres high, twice as high as the Statue of Liberty at 93 metres. 

"These windmills are still spinning when the electricity is off in Belmullet with the electricity they produce being exported. 

"The plan for the country is to have 9,000-megawatt capacity by 2030 and Mayo will be providing 1,000 megawatts. The last time I counted there were 31 other counties in Ireland, and it is time for them to stand up and be counted because we have given enough.” 

Cllr Sean Carey supported his Erris colleague, saying: “Not to use a pun but we are being left in the dark way too often. The electricity goes off without any notice and is gone for at least a couple of hours at a time and so many depending on it, not least the elderly and disabled whose electrical devices are used for managing long-term illnesses. It is just not good enough. It is going off every second day. We even have Eircom poles still not repaired since Storm Éowyn. 

"It is all so frustrating. So much electricity is being generated in North Mayo. Oweninny is actually the biggest wind farm in Europe, yet our service is being diminished all the time and is not what it should be. The people of Belmullet are being left paying their bills without getting a service."

• Published as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.