A family with four children who have been allocated a new house will not be in by Christmas because it will take three months for electricity reconnection, the Seanad has heard.

Fine Gael Senator Colm Burke said it was outrageous and unacceptable that the two State authorities – the local authority and the ESB could not co-operate on reconnection. But Cathaoirleach Paddy Burke ruled out his call for the Minister for Local Government to put a fast-track procedure in place so properties that have been vacant could be reconnected in a shorter timeframe.

He said the Minister had no direct responsibility for the matter.

Reconnection
Mr Burke highlighted the case of a young family with four children, whose local authority had allocated it a house. "The house was vacant for some time and the electricity was disconnected," he said.

But he had been advised “the procedure for reconnecting the electricity will take three months”.

It was unacceptable that the ESB and the local authority could not sort the matter, he said. “There are approximately 10 different steps that must be taken before a house is reconnected.” He said the family wanted to be in before Christmas but were told reconnection would take three months.