ESB outstaying its welcome in Wexford village as goodwill of residents runs dry — ‘they’re being taken for granted’

By Simon Bourke, Wexford People

The ESB is in danger of outstaying its welcome in one Wexford village as works continue to develop a solar farm in the south of the county. As part of those works the national utility company has been installing underground cables in the area around the farm’s fou hubs in Growtown, Youngstown, Dennistown and Mayglass.

And while the utility company has generally been praised for the swiftness of its work and for restoring roads to their previous condition thereafter, there is a sense that the goodwill may soon run dry.

At the July meeting of the Rosslare Municipal District (RMD), Councillor Lisa McDonald said the scheduled works in her homeplace had now gone beyond their expected completion date.

“The ESB said the Hodge’s Mill road would be closed for four weeks, we are now coming up on six weeks,” she said. “There’s been nobody working there for the last fortnight and yet the road is still closed.

“We need better from the ESB, it’s not fair on the people of the area, they have been absolutely fantastic, they haven’t complained, and now they’re being taken for granted.”

In response, director of services Lynda Lacey said she had contacted the ESB and requested that she be notified when it plans to move to the next section of road in Murrintown.

“They said it’ll be one to two weeks and they will let us know in advance,” she said.