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Left without phone for
eight days
13.11.07
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A PREGNANT woman in
rural Inishowen fears she could be left without a
phone service due to ongoing disruptions on an
ageing eircom line, a meeting heard yesterday. |
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A deputation of
residents from the Three Glens area of east
Inishowen, told the Council meeting in Carn that the
woman, who is due to give birth in two weeks' time,
was distressed at being left without a phone service
for 24 hours.
It followed an episode a fortnight ago when a number
of families were left without a phone service |
for eight days in a
row.
Three Glens Residents' Group chairman, Martin Carey
said the main problem lay with a very old eircom
line that serviced many homes from Greencastle to
the Three Glens which includes areas such as Kinnego
Bay, Lecamey and Glengiveney.
Committee member Toni Devine said it was a "very
upsetting" situation that could potentially put the
lives of children, the sick and the elderly in
peril. Ms. Devine told the members of the Inishowen
Electoral Area committee: "In one of the houses that
was affected recently by the phone cuts, a baby is
due in two weeks. This is just hazardous and we
don't even have mobile cover as back up," she said.
"New babies are being born in the Three Glens area
again and they are our most precious asset. We need
to safeguard them."
The deputation was arranged chiefly to discuss a
five-year plan the residents submitted two years ago
to the Council.
They said while some work, namely the widening of
one of a number of bad bends, had been carried out,
their plan seemed to have stalled in terms of
Council action.
Officials told the deputation they were doing the
best they could within their budget. However, they
pledged to tackle another bad bend as soon as funds
were available.
The Three Glens residents received praise from Cllrs.
Marian McDonald, Padráig MacLochlainn and Rena
Donaghey for their progressiveness. Cllr. Donaghey
said she had raised their communications problems
with a recent sub-committee dealing with a new
wireless broadband scheme for the county. She said
she anticipated the Three Glens, which is on the
Inishowen 100, would have broadband coverage in due
course with a new antennae.
Meanwhile, the residents asked to be kept informed
of Council plans for their area such as signage at
Kinnego Bay. |
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