Demand for action on overhanging poles in Mayo
WITH poles overhanging roads and lines down, it's time notice was served on eircom to get their house in order.
That's the feeling among west and north Mayo councillors who have received contact from people as far away as Australia worried about elderly parents back home, left without working pendants to summons help if needed due to landlines still being down after winter storms.
Mayo County Council say trees lying out over the road are the responsibility of farmers. Yet, Councillor Paul McNamara noted, they couldn't serve notice on network providers.
They should be given written notice that if someone isn't done with the state of lines and the network within 28 days, action will be taken, he told a Westport-Belmullet Municipal District meeting.
What was doing on in the rural areas with regards the network was 'ridiculous', he stated.
There was no service on some phone landlines, resulting in elderly people depending on pendants find that they now don't work.
On one section of the N59 between Newport and Mulranny, wires were lying along the road for eight months now.
Councillor Gerry Coyle said he knew of a man who got an enforcement letter, sent by registered post, about a sheep pen a mile and a half from the road. But there were poles on the road, with no enforcement at all.
Councillor Chris Maxwell said the ESB had gotten help from outside to sort their problems and be couldn't understand why the telecommunications providers couldn't do the same.
There is a health and safety hazard, too, with poles hanging sideways out over roads, said Councillor Sean Carey, cathaoirleach. People are afraid they might come down on top of them when passing.
Councillor McNamara read an email to the meeting, received from a woman in the UK, concerned about her 85-year-old mother left with no phone line since December.
It gave her a great sense of security but now she was extremely anxious and worried.
Commented Councillor Brendan Mulroy: “If this is the best service they can provide for the west of Ireland, it's not good enough.”