Call for Eir to remove non-active phone lines and replace poles leaning onto roads

By Philip Rooney, The Sligo Champion

A year on from the chaos caused in the region by Storm Eowyn, the issue of non-active phone lines and telegraph poles was raised by Cllr Barry Gallagher at the January meeting of Sligo County Council.

Cllr Gallagher’s motion called on Sligo County Council to Contact Eir in relation to a number of matters “As a matter of urgency.”

In his motion Cllr Gallagher called for “All unused/non-active phone line cables throughout Sligo to be taken off poles. This will reduce the weight burden on poles, especially during storms.”

The motion also asked, “What is the active amount of telephone lines throughout the county especially in rural areas. With new technology Voice over IP in fibre cables should be achievable eliminating the old copper phone line system and need for all the old cabling on poles.”

Cllr Gallagher’s motion also addressed the issue of poles causing an obstruction asking Eir to “Replace all old poles in the county which are leaning out onto local and national roads causing obstructions.”

The issue of damage caused 12 months ago by Storm Eowyn was also addressed with the motion stating, “Since Storm Eowyn cables have come off the poles and are just slinging along ditches and roadways. This is not acceptable. Many more cables are tied down to farm fences or just tied around each other and some just gathered up and cable tied to close by poles. From this I take it that a lot of these lines are already redundant.”

The final element of Cllr Gallagher’s motion called for poles to be moved after safety works are carried out by the local authority stating, “Where safety works are carried out by Sligo County Council’s Roads Department through the Road Safety Improvement Schemes at junctions onto main road it must be compulsory that Eir poles are moved back to the new ditch or fence position at the expense to Eir/Open Eir. It is pointless taking away ditches and widening entrance roadways and then an Eir pole is still in the motorists line of site and the pole itself is in no man’s land.”

The motion was supported by Cllr Thomas Walsh who said, “There are still wires on the road verge between Ballintogher and Collooney. This is throughout the county. It needs to be done sooner or later.”

Cllr Liam Brennan also took issue with Eir noting, “It is a common sight to see wires and poles down. They are very slow to get faults repaired.”

Cllr Brennan suggested a representative of Eir should be called to answer questions raised by Councillors, adding, “There is no urgency on them to fix poles or remove wires.”

Cllr Edel McSharry was also in favour of the motion and critical of Eir when she asked, “Is there any accountability for Eir? IS there any action we can take?”

Cllr Donal Gilroy was also in agreement when he remarked, “I see it every day. There was one that I passed several times a day that was held up by ivy. They are totally independent, they can do what they like. I think we have to start looking at a way of putting a cost on them.”

Director of Services, Jim Molloy addressed the meeting in relation to the matter with a word of caution saying, “Eir is a utility provider, we need to be careful. Should it still be a utility given how little people use it? For us to take on work around their equipment would be risky.”

Cllr Gallagher added, “We’re nearly a year on from Storm Eowyn and nothing has changed. The N17 from Achonry is absolutely disgraceful. Eir seem to be a law upon themselves.”

The debate was concluded with Cllr Gilroy remarking, “It’s not the guys out doing the work who are to blame.”

Article Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.