ESB committed to removing overhead lines in Laois town

The ESB has committed to removing overhead power lines on Main Street in Portarlington by the first week in October. 

Cllr Aidan Mullins asked: “That Laois Council confirm when overhead electricity lines will be removed, and new lamp standards installed on Main Street in Portarlington.”

In his response, Senior Executive Engineer Philip McVeigh said “the ESB advise that they will be on site for two weeks commencing 19 of September and should be ready to complete the electrical switchover and removal of overhead lines by the first week in October. The council will then arrange for new streetlights to be installed.” 

On listening to the response, Cllr Mullins said “we have been down this road before with the ESB, not only in Portarlington but county wide.”

“The lights I am talking about are part of the streets upgrade. The ESB came back a couple of months ago, spent a few weeks on site where they were putting in cables, putting in a few mini pillars and connecting premises with new connections but they disappeared a few months ago and haven’t been seen since,” he said. 

According to Cllr Mullins, the ESB had left the area last November as they didn’t want to interfere with Christmas and were gone “for five or six months, spent a few weeks and then disappeared again.”

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Cllr Mullins said he was now “very sceptical of anything” the ESB tell him. “There should be a guarantee that those lights will be installed and working well in advance of Christmas, the shopping period,” he said. 

PJ Kelly agreed that the traders would be disappointed if the lights weren’t ready for Christmas.