Get the public lighting ''sorted once and for all'' demands Cllr Harvey

Councillor Declan Harvey is calling for the public lighting system in the Tullamore Municipal District to be ''sorted our for once and for all.''

Cllr Harvey says there are lights out all over the town and in Clara as well. ''Charleville Road is completely in the dark,'' he said.

The Tullamore based councillor said if the company responsible for repairing the lights are not up to it, then a new contractor needs to be appointed.

He said the company responsible and the ESB are blaming one another and neither of them is taking care of the lights.

At a recent Tullamore Municipal District meeting, Director of Services Tom Shanahan said the council is under contract to a company who has responsibility for looking after the lights.

''They had a very good track record. When they started to lose resources, they quickly started to recruit new resources. This is not a reflection of the company, it's a reflection of the market. Everybody is struggling with resources.''

Anybody that works in public lights obviously have to be qualified electricians, they have to be certified by the ESB. They also have to be trained in road and sign management, he explained.

Mr Shanahan said the company, ''are putting in additional resources. We hope to see an improvement very quickly and that it can be sustained,'' he said.