Dáil must be recalled in aftermath of storm – Mayo TD
THE spectre of people in Mayo having to endure several more days without power, water and roads that are virtually impassable following Storm Éowyn, while the Dáil is on another break, is a bitter pill to swallow.
That’s according to Aontú Deputy Paul Lawless who said: Thankfully, Storm Éowyn is gone but the damage it has left in its wake is just monumental for the people of Co. Mayo and I am calling for the immediate recall of the Dáil.
“The idea that the Dáil is not sitting when we have thousands of people without power and water is incredible.
“Contrast the difference between the scenes we saw last week in Leinster House which was a display of orchestrated histrionics with the biggest opposition parties wasting energy shouting and playing to the gallery.
“They were arguing about speaking time when we have no speaking time as it stands as the Dáil is not sitting to address the biggest infrastructure wipe out ever.”
Deputy Lawless continued: “It is mind boggling to think that the Dáil has only sat three times in the past 77 days. This would be bad enough in ‘normal’ circumstances, but we have just experienced one of the worst storms to ever hit our country and the toll on communities is invaluable.
“Look at the realities; Women who are pregnant, new parents with tiny babies, elderly people, people who have illnesses, vulnerable people, many living in very isolated rural areas are really suffering. This is winter and they are freezing, they can’t even make a cup of tea to warm themselves. They are trying to get kids out to school, get themselves to work, it is a nightmare for so many people.
“So many have had to find alternative accommodation, no mean feat at a time when both accommodation, which is in short supply to say the least across Mayo, is so hard to find, and a cost that many just cannot afford given we are in January and money is not that readily available in households either.
“When you think of the drive to get rid of solid fuel fires, it is unconscionable. We need to allow people to be as self-sufficient as they can be in these kinds of eventualities.”
Mayo County Council, the ESB and Uisce Éireann crews have worked tirelessly, and they are to be commended for their trojan efforts in very challenging conditions, he said. The community has once again come into its own and people are showing the warmth, kindness and openness for which the people of the west are renowned but it is not fair that the burden of care should rest with them.
“We need to strengthen and reinforce our electricity network. It is totally and utterly unacceptable that so many people are affected by power being knocked out and given we are told that storms are going to be more frequent it is incumbent on our government to plan. If this was the east coast government would not be in recess. There would be an emergency response.
“We have a very eastern /urban centric government who are blissfully unaware of the very real but very different challenges that people in rural counties like Mayo face in times of dangerous and inclement weather events.
“Separately the Road Safety Authority ( RSA) and Department of Transport need to agree to allow a temporary lifting of the driving and resting times rules. Oil delivery drivers and those delivering food must be able to deliver supplies to the people of Mayo.
“A real signal of intent would be to recall the Dáil immediately, get to work and get stuck into proving real solutions for the people of Co. Mayo and all the other counties whose people are so discommoded by the aftermath of the storm.”