John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is difficult for people to believe that in the ten weeks since Storm Éowyn, people are still suffering landline and broadband outages. As my colleagues have said, that is across many parts of the country. We must ask what obligation the companies with whom we entrusted the responsibility for communications infrastructure to the citizens of the State have to the Government and to the people. It seems that some of that responsibility has been lost. There are still locations experiencing residual impact from the level of damage done to the electricity network. In fairness to the ESB, it has engaged with elected representatives around that issue and there has been an acknowledgment that some of the restoration and the remedial work that has been done has been of a stopgap nature.

We must now try to make sure that the proper infrastructure is in place to ensure the network does not suffer further outages. The public deserves to be reassured by all of these agencies in a public forum that they will all continue to be conscious of the impact another such weather event might have. I advocate for these agencies, including the NECG, to be invited to presented to a Dáil committee, when committees are established, to reassure the public about the future and about their preparations for such events.

On the necessity for the nation to be prepared for such events, the west is suffering disproportionately from climate change. We know that. The weather data highlights that. Of the 14 storms of last winter, the west had the highest sustained wind speeds and gust speeds in seven. The impact is greater there. With regard to climate adaptation measures and the funds and investment necessary to make the country more resilient, the west should be prioritised.

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