Waterford public lighting issues could cost up to forty million euro to resolve, according to Waterford City and County Council, as councillors continue to raise concerns about outages and safety in local estates.

Independent councillor Joe Kelly is among those who have highlighted the problem in recent months. He says some areas have been left in darkness for extended periods, creating fear among residents, particularly older people.

Legacy infrastructure at the centre of the problem

The council says thousands of public lights are connected to underground cables that date back more than fifty years.

Gabriel Hynes, Director of Services for the Environment, says these systems do not meet modern safety standards. He explains that many of the cables do not have an earth connection, which increases risk if they become damaged.

He also says the cables are often buried at shallow depths without proper ducting, leaving them vulnerable to faults caused by water ingress and general wear over time.

Cost and scale of repairs

The local authority estimates that between 3,500 and 4,000 public lights are affected.

Officials say replacing each unit could cost between five thousand and ten thousand euro. This brings the total cost of addressing Waterford public lighting issues to between twenty and forty million euro.

The council has allocated around €1.9 million under its current capital plan to deal with urgent repairs. However, it says this will not be enough to resolve the problem in full.

Phased approach to repairs

The council says it is addressing faults as they arise rather than carrying out a full replacement programme at once.

Officials say the scale of the work makes a single large project impractical. Replacing cables would involve digging up roads and footpaths across the city and county, which would take place over several years.

The council also says capacity within the industry limits how quickly the work can be carried out.

Calls for government funding

Waterford City and County Council says it will seek Exchequer funding to deal with the issue.

A detailed report is expected to be submitted to the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government in the coming weeks.

Officials say the issue is not unique to Waterford and may affect other local authorities across the country.

Safety concerns and public impact

Councillors have raised concerns about the impact on residents, particularly in estates where lights have been out of service.

Joe Kelly says some people feel unsafe leaving their homes after dark. He has also raised concerns about fairness, saying residents continue to pay taxes while experiencing reduced services.

Council response and ongoing upgrades

The council says the majority of its lighting network is operating effectively. It says fewer than two percent of public lights are currently out of service.

Officials also point to progress made in upgrading lighting across the region. Around 14,000 lights have already been converted to LED, reducing energy use and lowering running costs.

The council says these newer systems require less maintenance and will improve reliability over time.

A wider infrastructure challenge

While the immediate focus remains on Waterford public lighting issues, the council has indicated that similar legacy systems may exist elsewhere in Ireland.

This raises the possibility of a broader national challenge, with funding and responsibility likely to become key issues in the months ahead.

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