COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, April 13, 2026

QUESTION NO. 12

QUESTION: Councillor R. Mannion

To ask the Chief Executive whether SDCC will follow the lead of other neighbouring councils and liaise with ESB Networks to assess the feasibility of installing defibrillators at/on street lighting.

REPLY:

The public health benefit associated with the availability of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) within communities is fully recognised and the Council acknowledges and commends the proactive efforts of community groups and residents’ associations in seeking to improve community safety and emergency response capacity.

The Council has examined the feasibility of providing a power supply from public lighting (PL) columns to support the installation of defibrillators on a number of occasions previously. This matter has been reviewed again in the context of the motion. Unfortunately, the Council is not in a position to facilitate the provision of power from public lighting columns for this purpose, including on a trial basis, for the reasons set out below.

ESB Networks Code of Practice

All public lighting connections, whether metered or unmetered, are governed by the ESB Networks National Code of Practice for Customer Interface (Version 6.2 – 26 June 2025). The majority of public lighting columns in residential and commercial areas are supplied via an unmetered public lighting pillar, which in turn receives its feed from an ESB Networks pillar.

Paragraph 6.1 of the Code of Practice clearly specifies what equipment may and may not be connected to an unmetered supply. A key requirement is that any connected load must be a single-phase, verified constant load not exceeding 2kVA. Defibrillators do not meet the definition of a constant load and therefore do not comply with the requirements of the Code. Any breach of the Code of Practice is treated very seriously by ESB Networks.

Unmetered Register and Tariff Agreement

The Council’s public lighting network operates under ESB Networks’ Unmetered Register (UMR). This arrangement allows unmetered public lighting points to be charged at a discounted tariff, which is calculated on the basis of an agreed annual load profile for the local authority.

The tariff is based on the assumption that only the registered public lighting load is connected. No additional loads are permitted under the terms of this agreement. The connection of defibrillators or other non-public lighting equipment would therefore represent a breach of the Council’s tariff agreement and could place the Council’s public lighting charging arrangements at risk.

Precedent and Network Governance

The use of public lighting power supplies for alternative purposes beyond their intended function would establish a precedent that the Council is not prepared to support. Given the scale of the public lighting network across the county, any such precedent would present significant operational, safety and governance risks.

The Council places a high value on its working relationship with ESB Networks, and it is essential that all relevant codes of practice, contractual arrangements and technical standards are strictly adhered to.

Alternative Power Supply Options

While the Council cannot support the use of public lighting columns as a power source for defibrillators, it strongly supports the broader objective of improving access to AEDs at community level. In this regard, power supplies sourced from nearby residential or commercial premises, where appropriately metered and agreed with the property owner, represent a compliant and viable alternative that fully aligns with ESB Networks’ requirements.

Conclusion 

Notwithstanding the intent of this Motion and the clear public health benefits associated with increased access to AEDs, the Executive cannot facilitate or permit the connection of defibrillators to public lighting columns. The constraints outlined above are regulatory, contractual and governance-based and are not matters within the discretion of the Executive to waive or vary.

Each local authority is responsible for managing and governing its own public lighting infrastructure and contractual relationships, and we cannot speak on behalf of, nor rely on, arrangements that may exist elsewhere. Any such approaches remain matters for those authorities individually and do not alter the obligations applying to this Council.

Community groups and residents’ associations are therefore encouraged to continue progressing AED installations using compliant and independently metered power supplies, and the Council will support those efforts through advice and engagement where appropriate, while maintaining full compliance with statutory, technical and contractual requirements.