Elderly residents injured amid ongoing lighting outage in Tipperary
The lack of public lighting in parts of Tipperary town has become a hazard for residents, with several elderly people reportedly falling as a result.
The Father Matthew Street area of Tipperary town has been without street lights for weeks due to a major project on the N74.
Street lights have been out on Father Matthew Street, Avondale Court, and around the Canon Hayes Recreational Centre due to the ongoing N74 upgrade project.
Two elderly women are understood to have sustained injuries after falling in the area in recent weeks.
Local independent councillor Annemarie Ryan said that she has been working with Tipperary County Council to try and resolve the issue as a matter of urgency.
"It was planned that the public lighting on the N74 Fr Mathew Street would be commissioned on Monday, October 20. However, due to issues with the MPRN delays were encountered,” Cllr Ryan said.
"ESB are working on the issues surrounding the MPRN for this connection. Once this is rectified and the certificate resubmitted Safe Electric will then instruct the ESB to install the fuse and energise the new public lighting network.
"I am trying my best to get the light crew to fix those lights,” Cllr Ryan added.
Liam Brett from Tipperary County Council said the council are working with all the parties involved to get the lights working again as soon as possible.
"Engineers from Tipperary County Council, the Contractors involved, both Egis and Al Read, and ESB Networks are working together proactively to resolve the issues and expect to have these resolved in the near future”.
The project to upgrade the N74 in Tipperary town aimed to resurface the road, as well as carry out repairs to the footpath.
Earlier this year, councillor John O’Heney raised concerns about access to St Michael’s Graveyard in the town as a result of the N74 project.
"People have concerns about parking on the days of a funeral there at the graveyard,” Cllr John O’Heney told the Irish Independent.
"With the new design of the road, it’s very enclosed now and the strip of road is gone narrowrer. Now I am aware they can park inside the flowerbed and up against the graveyard wall, there is room to park cars there but over the years they were able to park along the side of the road, that won’t be the case now,” he said.