ESB failing its public duty, claim councillors

ANGRY Cork county councillors have claimed the ESB is failing in its duty to repair public lighting in reasonable time and have demanded that the local authority seek contracts with an alternative energy-provider.

Fine Gael’s Cllr Gerry Kelly lit the fuse yesterday which sparked other councillors in the chamber at County Hall into telling their own tale of woe.

“When I joined the council in 1999 a public light was fixed in a matter of days. Now you have to dial up a 1850 number to report it. It is supposed to be fixed within 10 working days, but in some cases it’s taking up to three months,” Cllr Kelly said.