Hundreds of Laois houses in the dark in Portlaoise

There are fears for safety and security among hundreds of Laois residents who have been without street lighting since Easter Sunday in the heart of Portlaoise.

Residents say that the public lights have not worked since Easter Sunday in St Brigid's Place, Dr Murphy Place, St John's Square and the town end of the Borris Road since March 31. It's claimed that hundreds of houses in the areas affected.

Several residents are understood to have alerted Laois County Council to the problem to have the lights fixed. One woman told the Leinster Express / Laois Live that there are safety issues for people out walking on the streets at night in darkness.

There are also concerns about diminished visibility for drivers on the road. 

The absence of street lights is also seen as a security risk from criminals in the area due to a heightened risk of break-ins.

A concerned resident said the lights were changed in the not-too-distanced past. She said that since Easter Sunday, the lights might work for a short time but only in the middle of the night.

Apart from the council, residents have made contact with the ESB.

The ESB said it no longer maintains street lighting but would investigate if there are any issues locally in the Portlaoise area that may be impacting supply to the area that could have resulted in the lights outage.

Laois County Council retains a company to maintain street lighting across Laois.