Sinn Féin spokesperson on Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Services, Reform and Digitalisation, Mairéad Farrell TD, said Minister Jack Chambers must outline a detailed plan to deal with the crumbling infrastructure in the West.

She said the damage from Storm Éowyn had brought into sharp focus the unacceptably poor quality of infrastructure in the west of Ireland.

Many of the wooden electricity polls were rotten and quickly gave way during the storm.

Teachta Farrell said:

“For too long, the west of Ireland has been neglected when it comes to infrastructure delivery and upgrading.

“Just pick an area: roads, transport, piers, water treatment, broadband, you name it, we’ve long been left behind.

“It is not good enough, and Minister Chambers needs to present a viable and deliverable plan immediately.

“The new Cabinet is very Dublin-centric with only one person from the West/North regions. I hope that’s not another indication that our infrastructure will continue to deteriorate further.

“I can’t explain the devastation that I have witnessed over the last few days following Storm Éowyn.

“Homes where the roofs have been blown straight off – walls collapsed, homes under construction which have been badly damaged, electricity poles blown over.

“In addition to the physical damage, people across the west are on the seventh day with no electricity or water. Several areas are waiting on generators just to get their water back.

“It just isn’t good enough and government would be moving heaven and earth if the same thing happened in Dublin.

“Minister Chambers needs to come out from behind the curtain and recognise that beyond the Pale, people in the West are long overdue the significant investment in infrastructure that we badly deserve.”