Questions asked over increased land power proposal for ESB

The ICMSA has questioned a proposal to give the ESB even more powers over other people's land.

Commenting on the matter, the President of ICMSA, Denis Drennan, said that farmers will be "moving to high alert" following reports that ESB Networks are seeking even more powers in relation to land use and access, as part of their response to the mass outages caused by trees falling on power lines during Storm Eowyn.

In a statement to waterford-news.ie and Waterford News & Star, Mr Drennan said the organisation understood that a reappraisal was needed in the wake of the disruption caused by the storm.

He commented, that while completely understanding and supportive of the need for a reappraisal of the system following the much-publicised breakdown and very much delayed reconnections in the aftermath of Storm Eowyn, it seemed odd "and more than a little contradictory” that the response would be, that the body deemed most at fault for that failure would simply ask for - and be given - even more licence and authority over the very system widely accepted as demonstrably, not-fit-for-purpose.

Mr. Drennan said the idea that an obvious system breakdown, such as was evidenced in the aftermath of Storm Eowyn, could be repaired by reducing people’s property rights further was fanciful at best.

The ICMSA President also said it was most disappointing that the Government had not consulted with his organisation on the matter.

That disappointment was compounded by the fact the ICMSA has itself suggested greater collaboration between farmers and the ESB to resolve issues. 

Mr Drennan also noted that in a recent survey, almost 90 per cent of responding ICMSA members believed that they should be better utilised during storm events to ensure issues are dealt with in a timely fashion.

“While ‘Forestry corridors’ through plantations can be, and should be, addressed through existing legislation and schemes, there’s going to be a lot of interest and eyebrows-raised at the reports that the ESB is seeking wider powers to cut trees and hedgerows near power lines," said Mr Drennan.

"The ESB already has those powers," he added, before going on to comment: "The problem is not the lack of powers, it’s the lack of action that we see where farmers and other landowners contact their local ESB office and report trees growing too close to poles or lines."

"This is exactly the point that ICMSA made in the immediate aftermath of the most recent storm; it’s simply not possible or credible to expect the ESB to have crews ready to zip out to every overhanging tree from Donegal to Dunmanway, and from Clondalkin to Connemara," said Mr Drennan.

"It’s not a question of more powers; it’s a question of whether it’s even possible and we think that it is not," added the ICMSA President.

“That’s why we suggested that the ESB actually go the other way on this and work with farmers to do the basic hedgerow maintenance, with the ESB only being contacted for specific cases where their expertise is needed," he said.

Mr Drennan said such an approach would make a lot more sense, adding: "But instead they seem to be taking more powers back into that central system that we have to say – and we get no pleasure from this – just was seen to not work during Storm Eowyn."

"The ESB doesn’t need more centralised powers; it needs more ‘eyes and ears’, monitoring the growth around power lines and the condition of the poles in exactly those rural areas that were hit hardest in the recent storms," he said.

The ICMSA President urged the ministers responsible to look again at possible responses to what was undoubtedly an urgent issue and he also called on the ESB to work collaboratively with farmers rather than considering additional legislation that will be utilised against farmers.

“There’s no room for confusion on this," he said.

"ESB Networks need to have a proper system of engaging with landowners, especially against a background where many farmers have had very bad experiences with ESB Networks over the years," he added.

"We need a clear system of communication and we need to work collaboratively to resolve the issues, not legislation.\3

In conclusion, Mr. Drennan said the answer to maintaining local power lines is "much more likely" to be local monitoring than giving ESB Networks even more swinging powers than they already have, powers that he claimed were used to ride "roughshod" over many farmers.

“As always farmers are willing and happy to play our part in the necessary efforts to address the aftermath of Storm Eowyn and to prepare for the next extreme weather event," said Mr Drennan.

"But we won’t be walked on in terms of unnecessary and unfair legislation," he added.