Fianna Fáil TD for Kildare North, Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil, has raised concerns in the Dáil over the growing number of power outages affecting rural areas across the county, calling for urgent investment in grid resilience.
During 'Questions on Policy and Proposed Legislation', Deputy Ó Cearúil highlighted that power cuts are occurring with increasing frequency, even outside of severe weather events, and are having a serious impact on local communities.
“We’re seeing more and more power outages, often without any connection to storms or extreme weather. With the darker and colder months approaching, this is becoming a real concern for people living in areas like Newtown, Dunfierth, Donedea, and Johnstown Bridge. It’s affecting families, farms, and small businesses,” he said.
Deputy Ó Cearúil has asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to outline what specific grid resilience upgrades are planned for rural parts of Kildare.
“I know there’s significant investment planned in strengthening the national grid, but rural areas in Kildare are particularly vulnerable. We need to ensure that these communities are not left behind and that there’s resilience built into the network locally.”
In response, Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, acknowledged the scale of the challenge and the costs involved in expanding and modernising the grid. He agreed to raise the specific concerns in relation to North Kildare with the Minister for the Environment.
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