Carol Nolan (Offaly, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to get the opportunity to speak on this matter. I will start by commending the workers in local authorities and the ESB workers. I pay particular tribute to those workers who were out in dire conditions and who certainly are still doing their level best to get power restored to all areas of the State.

It was concerning, however, to see a lack of planning, particularly concerning people with medical conditions. I was contacted by the families of many people with special needs and pensioners who were on oxygen. There was concern over having no power and that the oxygen units were going to run out. We need to plan for this and we need to make sure we have support systems backed up should such a situation ever arise again. We saw communities pulling together and community centres using their resources and facilities. This was certainly very welcome and a very pragmatic and generous gesture. We saw the farming community again stepping up to the mark and helping throughout the country. This was very welcome. There were lots of supports and positives.

I want to raise serious concerns, however. We have a semi-State company called Eir and I am just baffled and dumbfounded by its lack of efficiency, the lack of professionalism, and indeed the lack of response to urgent situations. I have contacted it about a pensioner living in a very remote area who depends on the phone line and on an alarm system, and still there has been no follow-up. A couple of weeks now after the storm and there has been no follow-up whatsoever. I have first-hand experience of Eir as my constituency office still has no phone line despite the company being contacted a number of times. I call on the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, to intervene with Eir and to ensure we get a more efficient response so that people who are vulnerable, like pensioners living in remote areas, get a response.

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