An urgent solution to repeated power outages on the Donabate peninsula is being sought by the Community Council in the area.A letter has been sent by Donabate Portrane Community Council to ESB boss Pat O’Doherty seeking a meeting to find out why there are so many power outages on the peninsula.There have been a number of outages in the last two years.These are particularly problematic at the moment with so many people required to work from home during the pandemic.

The timing and duration of these outages is random, and can last up to around two hours.In the letter, the ESB chief executive is told the population of the area has grown steadily in the last 20 years and is expected to double in the next decade.The letter states: “General infrastructural shortcomings have very much been a hot topic here, but the deteriorating reliability of our electrical supply has now become a major concern to all, particularly if this is exacerbated by further growth in the area.” Donabate Portrane Community Council said in its letter it has a high regard for the ESB, especially for the way it responds to nationwide power outages in times of extreme weather.

However, the letter says the increasing frequency of the recurring outages, the sheer disruption and inconvenience these cause has become intolerable. “We have received many complaints from members of our community and indeed our entire committee knows first-hand what these difficulties are through experience,” the letter says.The community council called on the network operator to immediately investigate why there are so many power outages.The meeting also calls for the ESB to agree to meet the community council. The meeting could be conducted online to ensure social distancing.Donabate Portrane Community Council said the constant electricity outages were one of the reasons it has repeatedly called for a temporary halt to new planning permissions until the infrastructure in the area is upgraded so it can cope with new developments.

It called on Fingal County Council and An Bord Pleanála to give strong consideration to the chronic infrastructure deficits in the area when considering planning applications.