Sinn Féin councillor has said that Waterford City and County Council’s public lighting contract should be reviewed in in the wake of serious service interruptions and delays in addressing faults.
McGuinness said:
“The recent blackout that affected Caseyville, St. Patrick’s Crescent and Byrneville is a case in point, and sums up the shortcomings that we are experiencing when it comes to public lighting across Co. Waterford.
“These estates were left without public lighting for the best part of ten days, having already spent a number of days in the dark earlier in December due to a previous fault. These are established estates with a proportion of older people living in them. The lack of public lighting during the darkest part of Winter led to anxiety and increased security concerns for many.
“It also meant that many residents didn’t venture out for an evening walk as the lack of light, coupled with the damaged and uneven footpaths made it too dangerous to do so.
“I logged these faults moments after they occurred, as did many residents and several councillors. The response from the maintenance contractor left a lot to be desired, but sadly it did not come as a surprise.
“If the public are not getting the efficient and responsive service they pay for then its important that the contract is reviewed on the basis of performance and capacity to deliver. I am calling for an urgent review of the public lighting contract, measured against the contractor’s ability to do the job required.”
Cllr. Conor D. McGuinness 