Hundreds of householders in vast swathes of suburban Cork are still in the dark despite the clearing of a bureaucratic logjam linked to street light repairs.

A total of 700 jobs have been announced by the energy giant SSE, it was confirmed today.

Dublin: Energy company Airtricity, through its parent company Scottish and Southern Energy plc (SSE), has entered into an agreement to acquire the assets of ESB Contracts Limited (ESBC), the street lighting business of ESB, for €6.4m.