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'Clamour' for storm compensation unfortunate - energy official

Brendan Hughes
BBC News NI political reporter
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A fallen tree on the Donegal Road, Belfast following Storm Éowyn

The "clamour for compensation" for those affected by Storm Éowyn was "unfortunate", a Stormont energy official has said.

Richard Rodgers, head of energy in the Department for the Economy (DfE), said in future, public messaging should be "sharper and quicker".

He was speaking at a Northern Ireland Assembly committee after the department announced no compensation would be provided.

Defending the decision, he said that offering payouts "would not be in the long-term interests of customers".

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Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald stated said compensation would have significant impact on customer bills.

Storm Éowyn brought winds of more than 90mph to Northern Ireland on 24 January, damaging electricity and telecoms infrastructure.

It led to calls from the first and deputy first ministers for Northern Ireland's electricity distribution company NIE Networks to provide a "goodwill payment" to those affected.

On Tuesday, Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald said options were "explored" but none were viable under the current regulatory framework.

The Sinn Féin minister said compensation would have had a significant impact on customer bills.

Speaking at the economy committee on Wednesday, Mr Rodgers said energy regulation was a "complex" issue.

"If we make a wrong turn, then it will cost customers for a long time," he added.

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Damage caused to a fence at a cemetery on the Blaris Road, County Antrim, following Storm Éowyn

Phillip Brett, chair of the committee, said the DfE had "built up expectations" on the potential for compensation with "misleading information".

"This whole episode has been deeply damaging for the department," the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) assembly member added.

He said it was "obvious from the start" that compensation would not be possible without an impact on customer bills.

Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) assembly member Diana Armstrong questioned why public messaging on the potential for compensation "was allowed to go unchallenged for so long".

Mr Rodgers said: "I think it was unfortunate that right in the middle, in the eye of the storm so to speak, that the clamour was for compensation."

He said there were "no easy answers", adding that "in future, messaging should be sharper and quicker".