Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I request a debate on the effects of Storm Éowyn. It particularly affected the midlands and the west, including my county of Cavan, very badly. Some customers were only reconnected with power this week, meaning they were 19 days without power. I was nine days without power, and that was difficult enough. I also particularly mention people who are vulnerable. There were older people, people dependent on oxygen and people dependent on hospital beds and hoists, which are electronically managed, who ended up with bed sores because they could not use their hospital bed. Something needs to be done to address that in this situation. It did not matter that they were on the ESB’s vulnerable customers list; it made no difference in the middle of the storm. They possibly need to be provided with generators to ensure that if a storm like this hits again - as is quite possible - they are not left without power to operate their medical device.

I also raise the issue that many people, while reconnected with their power, have not been reconnected with their broadband. People are left without phone coverage. They are working from home and they cannot receive emails. They basically cannot do their work. There seems to be a very poor response from broadband providers. That needs to be highlighted, called out and addressed immediately.

I commend the community spirit that was shown in every community across the country, where we had community hubs established, be it through the county council, the GAA or other community groups, providing support for people. However, the humanitarian assistance scheme needs to be looked at and adjusted because it is being interpreted differently depending on which social protection office one goes into in which county. It needs to be standardised so that everybody gets the same treatment and gets sufficient treatment to ensure they are recompensed for losses.

I also have huge concerns about the lack of support for businesses affected by the storm; it seems be absent. We need to ensure that insurance companies pay out for damages caused during this storm and not find a loophole to avoid doing so.