Elderly residents without power feel 'forgotten'

Sheltered community without power now for almost six days.

When newly installed Minister for Housing and Local Government, James Browne TD, was addressing frontline emergency workers on a visit to Cavan last Tuesday afternoon, Niall Sheridan was worrying with falling temperatures if his elderly neighbours might make it through the night.

St John's Close Retirement Village on the outskirts of Virginia Town is a sheltered community of 26 houses with 30 residents in total, the oldest of whom is 92. They've been without power, like many, since the early hours of last Friday, and water was only restored this morning (Wednesday).

St John's Close and the nursing home next to it were all but cut off in the early stages of the storm aftermath, with five large trees felled blocking both access and exit.

The immediate response was there, Niall admits. The fallen trees were cut through and Cavan Civil Defence delivered hot meals to residents over the weekend. Virginia Fire Brigade even managed to connect a standpipe to the mains to provide water which Niall and his fellow residents then carted door-to-door to those without.

Emergency lighting was also provided by the local fire service, enough so that Niall and some of the more able bodied residents are able to check on their neighbours once darkness falls.

However, Niall, who is a founder of Virginia First Responders, and a former Chief Fire Officer from his time living in Canada’s Yukon territory many years ago, says he and his fellow residents in this Masonic Havens development feel “forgotten about”.

From an electricity standpoint, the ESB Network's Powercheck.ie doesn't list a fault anywhere near to St John's Close or the neighbouring St. Joseph's Nursing Home, the latter of which is currently reliant on a generator for sustaining power.

When Niall managed to get through to the ESB Network's helpline to see for himself, he was given three separate estimated restore times.

“I was told the second [of February], fourth, the fifth, and the eighth. So I take from that that nobody knows.”

He called Minister Browne's arrival to Cavan, having already visited Longford, and before travelling on to Monaghan as “little more than lip service. A PR stunt.”

“It's six days now we're without power. We've very elderly residents here, cold, and I'm in no doubt afraid,” he says.

Most of the houses are retrofitted, and completely reliant on electricity for the most basic of services. Aside from the obvious there are also issues should a possible medical emergency arise with panic alarms no longer working.

“I'm a double qualified nurse and a trained Emergency Medical Technician, so I'm all that stands between them and divil knows what,” states the straight-talking Niall.

For now, Niall and other residents are operating from a single two-hob gas powered stove. They make teas and coffees; ladle out hot soup with sandwiches twice a day; while Niall has been ferrying hot meals at lunchtime from Park Dun an Rí in Kells and then from Lisgrey House once they got up and running.

“I'ts an absolute disgrace,” he says. “We're of no priority to ESB Networks or anyone else it seems. We don't even appear on their PowerCheck maps. Do they even know we're here? So we feel forgotten about, yes. There are 26 houses here with 30 residents, the oldest being 93 next month. So I'm worried. No light, no heat, and up until this morning, no water. It's not good enough, to put it simply.”

ESB Networks have been contacted for comment.