Kerry valley is blackspot for Eircom

19-02-2007

by Emmet Ryan

A Labour TD plans to raise problems with the telecommunications service in the Black Valley area of County Kerry with the European Parliament.

Breda Moynihan Cronin has petitioned the European Parliament in Strasbourg to examine the issue of whether Eircom is fulfilling its universal service obligation to provide all homes with an adequate telephone system. There are 40 houses and one school affected in the area which has no standard landline service and instead relies on a battery operated system.

"I'm looking for Eircom to provide a landline service to the Black Valley," Moynihan Cronin told ENN.

"This week I am submitting a petition on behalf of the residents to the Petitions Committee of the European Parliament asking that they consider whether the Government and Eircom are meeting their obligations to provide all citizens with a telecommunications service. It is a lengthy process, but the frustration and neglect of the residents demands intervention at a European level", she said.

The Labour TD for South Kerry said the current system was prone to failure during bad weather, leaving users with no access to landline telecommunications.

"The appalling telephone service in the Black Valley was highlighted again recently when there were communications problems at the scene of an accident there. The residents of the Valley have put up with years of poor quality telephone service and in some cases no service at all, which is why I have now decided to pursue the matter at a European level," said Moynihan Cronin.

"I know that the Oireachtas Committee on Communications intend to hold hearings on this matter again in March but I believe that the matter merits attention at an EU level to put pressure on Eircom and the Government to install a proper phone system in the Black Valley," she said.

A spokesman for Eircom said the telecoms operator had no specific comment to make on the Labour TD's complaint. He said Eircom has issues with the proposed budget to resolve the problem at present. "We think the costings are underestimated," said the spokesman.

He said Eircom has written to most of the TDs in the constituency and that the company was hopeful the problem could be resolved "in a while".