ESB says forestry was “particular challenge” to restoring power in Leitrim

On Saturday, the last Leitrim residents were reconnected to the power grid over a week after storm Darragh left them in the dark.

Extensive works were needed in Leitrim to get power returned to areas that were still affected late last week with the ESB working with additional crews from northern Ireland and France to resolve the faults.

Environmental groups, like Save Leitrim, have blamed the forestry industry for the amount of time that some residents in Leitrim had to go without power, as they say, that trees are too close to powerlines and a safe distance is not maintained, though Coillte has said that it followed regulations.

The ESB has said that the “restoration of supply in forested areas did pose a particular challenge in terms of trees and branches falling on lines and access to fault sites.” 

Around 20% of Leitrim was covered in forestry in 2023, according to a Forestry Statistics Ireland report, though that is higher with new forestry licences having been granted in the county this year.

Save Leitrim have called for tighter restrictions on the awarding of forestry licences and a review of the regulations around how far trees should be from powerlines following the storm.

1,200 customers in Leitrim were still without power on the same day that the Energy Networks Association announced that 99% of customers had had their power restored.

ESB stressed that they warned the public that some customers would have to wait a week before they would be reconnected following the storm.

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