The Mayor of the West Clare Municipal District, has formally written to eir expressing serious concern over a major fibre broadband outage affecting more than 4,400 customers across West Clare.
The disruption, which began on the afternoon of 5 June, has impacted multiple communities including Cooraclare, Doonaha, Doonbeg, Kilkee, Kilmihil, Kilrush, Knock, Labasheeda, and Rahey Cross.
In her letter, Cllr Rita McInerney highlighted the deeply negative effect the outage is having on local businesses, schools, public services, and residents who rely on stable broadband access for work, education, healthcare and daily communication.
“This is not just an inconvenience – it is a significant barrier to community life, local enterprise and economic resilience,” said Cllr McInerney. “This incident underscores a wider concern around the vulnerability of our rural digital infrastructure, and I am calling on eir to respond urgently.”
The Mayor has requested a formal public statement from eir addressing three key points:
Immediate Response – A clear update on the current fibre repair works and steps being taken to restore service without delay.
Assessment – Recognition of the damage and disruption caused to communities and local economies in the affected areas.
Future-Proofing Measures – A detailed outline of eir’s long-term plans to strengthen and future-proof broadband infrastructure in rural West Clare, particularly in communities that are already digitally disadvantaged.
Cllr McInerney said she has been contacted by many constituents across the district expressing serious concern about the frequency and scale of such service disruptions.
“Our communities cannot be left behind in the digital age. I will continue to advocate for better infrastructure and greater accountability from service providers on behalf of the people of West Clare,” she said.
The Mayor has requested a timely and transparent response from eir and has committed to sharing any updates publicly to ensure accountability and reassure the communities affected.