Self-employed people in Cavan Monaghan who depend on broadband for their livelihoods are just some of the many people who continue to be severely affected by the chaos caused by Storm Eowyn.
That’s according to Aontú Senator Sarah O’Reilly who says that she is astounded that over five weeks on from the storm, broadband services remain in total disarray.
“I simply cannot believe that this nightmare is still ongoing for so many people across Cavan Monaghan and towards Leitrim. Many people across Cavan-Monaghan are still without a connection for broadband, landlines and network coverage, people are completely stranded, especially those working from home and those whose livelihoods depend on connectivity.
“These people are to the pin of their collars in many cases trying to keep their businesses afloat in a time of ever rising energy and other cost of living prices and now they are hit with this”.
“It is beyond unacceptable. The ESB crews worked tirelessly to restore power, they put themselves in real danger and yet people cannot connect to their broadband services.”
“There is no customer service, no accountability, and no urgency to restore services.
People are looking to the Government for help – they feel ignored and badly let-down”
“Take one family in my constituency who recently brought home their newborn baby.
What should be a time of celebration is consumed with anxiety and stress as they have
to drive 10km to an out farm because they can’t access their calving camera. It might
sound small to some, but to them, it’s extremely frustrating. And they’re not alone”.
“Many rural areas already suffer from poor mobile networks, making landlines and
broadband essential. Yet broadband providers are nowhere to be found”.
“Elderly people and those living alone are particularly vulnerable and this is extremely concerning”.
“I have spoken in the Seanad on this to invite the Minister to drive around Cavan and Monaghan and see for himself the appalling state of communication infrastructure there. Eir lines holding up falling trees, cables drooping dangerously low and dangling along ditches, thousands of poles leaning like the little leaning Tower of Pisa. The damage is so obvious and not ONESIGN of provider service crews to be seen”.
“How is this acceptable? Broadband providers seem to be answerable to nobody. If this
were Dublin, it would be sorted in days. Why is rural Ireland left behind again and
again?”
“I’m calling on the Minister for Communication Darragh O’Brien to hold
broadband providers to account—no more excuses, no more evading answering
questions – no more delays. People have already waited over 5 long weeks for service to be
restored. It needs to be fixed immediately”.
