Councillor says Storm Éowyn needs to be 'a wake up call' for Louth County Council

Louth County Councillor Ciaran Fisher has described it as "worrying" how many houses were left without electricity and water as a result of Storm Éowyn.

He said: "I think there is a case to be made to invest better in our critical infrastructure so we are never again telling people it could be days, or as has been the case in some parts of the country, weeks until power is restored.

"This is wholly unacceptable in a wealthy country that has had the money to be pro-active with investment."

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Cllr Fisher pointed out how the "simple to use" FixMyStreet.ie portal has been discontinued for over two years now and says there has not been an adequate, user-friendly replacement for the public to report issues.

He said: "I hope we can reintroduce something similar, a more citizen-centric reporting tool, such as a clickable map or app, to log all manner of issues, blocked drains, lights out, potholes etc.

"It's dismaying, given the range of innovative tools and technology at our disposal, we have gone backwards on this front. I can’t help but wonder if some of the issues, particularly when it comes to
dangerous trees, might have been avoided had there been a more pro-active tree-trimming programme."

Cllr Fisher said he commends the efforts of the outdoor staff and the ESB as they were quick to respond and did "Trojan" work over the weekend. He acknowledged that workers have been doing the best they can with the resources available.

Speaking more on FixMyStreet.ie he explained: "What a reporting tool like this would hopefully do, would best direct efforts to the most serious issues and avoid duplication of reports. Leading to better governance.

"As Councillors, we have all experienced this; where the same issue is reported multiple times. The same issue can be reported by multiple councillors as well."

The portal would also give a democratic sense to what are priorities for people and Fisher believes there is a need to take a root and branch approach in reforming how to gauge what are the challenges facing citizens. He gave the example of trees which he says reports of late have "fallen on deaf ears".

He said: "There is a reluctance to trim trees. I don’t know if it’s laissez faire attitude disguised as environmentalism, or if there is a genuine belief that trees’ jobs are to grow!

"We have to put people and their properties first, at the top of the hierarchy of concern. Better trimming and monitoring of trees, drains, roads and the likes, makes us more prepared when something out of the ordinary occurs."

Cllr Fisher concluded: "I accept that this was an extra-ordinary storm, but all things considered, we could be working smarter in our efforts. Louth got off lightly relative to other parts of the country, we might not be so lucky next time.

"A warning shot has been fired, we need to make sure we are better ready to cope with the next one, and where feasible, we have pre-empted and addresses as many potential issues as possible."