Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge and thank all the staff involved in dealing with the storm and its aftermath, including in county councils, the ESB, the Civil Defence, Irish Water, the Garda, fire brigades, ambulance services, mountain rescue, local committees meeting in community halls and sports centres, local shops and the many individuals who helped out. The State was clearly unprepared for the storm and particularly for its aftermath. We still have some 18,000 ESB customers without electricity. To deal with events like this in the future, we need a task force that includes all stakeholders. It must be set up immediately and must report urgently.

There are actions that need to be taken immediately in advance of any report. These include giving local authorities additional specified, ring-fenced and multi-annual grants to enable them to spring into action immediately in situations like this. They cannot be looking over their shoulders to see from where money can be found to deal with such situations. There needs to be automatic payment of compensation to families who are without services, particularly where they are without those services for quite some time. Generators must be provided to community halls, community hubs, sports centres and, in particular, water treatment plants. The Government must instruct the ESB to cover the cost of repair of the electricity infrastructure out of its profits. It is a hugely profitable company, with a €868 million profit in 2023. Consumers must not be made to foot the bill for that work.

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