Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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72. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will request a full report from the ESB as to the reason for repeated electricity outages in Lusk, north County Dublin; the way in which the issue will be rectified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16234/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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This is an operational matter for the Board and Management of ESB as regulated by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities and not one in which I, as Minister, have a statutory function.

My Department did, however, contact ESB and I understand the position to be as follows.

There have been a number of power outages on the medium voltage overhead line in the area recently, which I'm told appear to have been caused by a combination of timber/tree contact, lightning strikes and intermittent electrical faults.

ESB Networks have undertaken mitigating actions, including foot and aerial line inspections, timber/tree cutting along the line, analysis of network protection data to pinpoint fault locations and thermal/infra-red line surveys. This work is ongoing and their local team is endeavouring to improve network performance in the area.