'How will Santy get in?': Cork councillor relays child's query regarding new homes with no chimneys 

While one councillor relayed the concern of a young constituent who wanted to know how Santy would get into the newer homes with no chimneys, concern was expressed by many elected members at yesterday’s meeting of Cork County Council about the vulnerability of people living in homes entirely reliant on electricity for heat and light when storms as severe as Storm Éowyn hit.

In a discussion prompted by a motion submitted by Independent councillor William O’Leary, the point was made by several councillors that the lack of a stove or a fireplace in the newer homes exposed people to the risk when power might be cut off during storms.

Mr O’Leary said that A-rated homes with heating entirely reliant on electricity were vulnerable but he was also concerned about older homes which did have stoves and oil fired central heating. 

“In a couple of years time we’ll have the situation with inspectors calling out to these houses seeing if they’re burning coal or briquettes or whatnot,” he said.

County Mayor Joe Carroll noted the “most interesting sight of all was to see young people loading up their cars with their children and stuff, heading off to their parents house”.

“If that’s the sight we’re going to be seeing something must be done about it,” he said.

Fianna Fáil councillor Frank O’Flynn said his house was well served by a new modern stove which burned kiln-dried wood and said that new houses should have the option for the installation of a stove. He also pointed out that young people had their own concerns about the modern houses with no chimneys. “I was asked recently by a young lad, how is Santy going to get in?”

His party colleague, councillor Gearóid Murphy, said that fossil fuels were a dwindling resource while Fine Gael councillor Jack White expressed a note of caution about the council expressing a ‘stated opinion’ that was at odds with national and international obligations regarding carbon emissions.