Up to 80 Armagh homes will be without electricity for a full day next week as part of planned works in the area NI Electricity.
The decision, which will impact almost 80 households in Drumann Heights area of the city, has been branded as “absolutely nonsensical” by Sinn Féin Councillor Garath Keating.
“When so many people are working from home at the moment and having to home school children, while many others are shielding and self-isolating in their homes, the decision to turn-off their electricity for a full day in the middle of the winter is absolutely ludicrous,” said Councillor Keating.
“At present, with many workplaces closed, schools closed and public amenities closed, together with ongoing restrictions against going to other households, there couldn’t be a more thoughtless or inconvenient time to turn off the heat, lighting and cooking amenities for those homes.”
Having raised the issue with NIE. Councillor Keating said he has received “no satisfactory explanation as to why the proposed work has to happen at this time”.
He added: “Given the extremely challenging circumstances being faced and the current limitations on families making safe alternative arrangements, it would strike me that only work of a critical nature to the current network should be undertaken at present.
Councillor Keating has called on NIE to reconsider this decision and in the interests of their customer’s health and wellbeing at this difficult time to delay the works until a more appropriate time.
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