Issue with a neighbors tree & ESB

So even do there is a health and safety risk if the neighbour will not cut down the tree. According to their website they cut down trees when there is a danger that something will fall on the cable and this has already happened?

Also have you had experience of this?

https://www.esbnetworks.ie/help-centre/tree-cutting

Well the lad who came out said that the risk to the cable is mitigated with the one metre clearance however the risk of something falling on the cable still needs to be addressed as cutting a metre around it does not stop branches from falling. the lad said but this could be a year or 20 years down the road. My sister suggested the facts that a branch had already fell on the cable, the tree is dead and we are having a very uneventful summer with regards to high winds and storms would suggest that the threat is there and one bad storm could prove very harmful, add in the fact of her son having autism and no sense of danger it could be fatal. He said that decision was above his pay grade and to ring the ESB back up so she has relayed this back to the ESB so she is awaiting to hear what they say.

Not trying to be too nosy but can you tell me what your experience was?

Well potentially it could be, say they the ESB cut a metre around and do nothing more and another branch falls and the cable snaps and her son electrocutes himself, would the ESB not be on the hook for not securing their equipment properly?

As I have already said the boy is autistic, if he was on the m50 motorway he would run towards the cars, he has zero sense of danger, so does she have to keep her boy indoors all the time now?

I didn't come to the conclusion that the tree was dead my sister had an expert (tree surgeon) in looking at it to have it cut down and he was in and showed her the trunk which in his opinion was dead so he said that the tree was dead if you cut the top it will not grow again. My sister would not proclaim to be an expert but the ESB guy who came out also said it was dead, so don't shoot the messenger. As for the danger, the danger is if a branch falls (which there is evidence of as there are a load of branches already on the ground around the tree) and if a branch hits the cable and it snaps the cable will come into my sister's garden, the branches falling are on the ground is not the danger as the boy is unlikely to be out while its windy or if there is a storm but its the cable that is currently located in a very precarious position running through the branches of the tree that 2 different experts have said are dead (including one from the ESB) The branch that I seen on it with my own eyes was huge and was caught up with other branches and the ESB cable was bowing under the weight. So IMO there is a danger of say there being a bad winter and that cable snapping. The equipment is the ESBs so should it not be up to them to secure their property from a potential health and safety issue.

I would argue the positioning of where the ESBs wires are is what is causing the risk. If the branches of the tree where to simply fall to the ground there would be no danger if they fall on the wire there is.

Good question not sure to be honest, she bought the house 2 years ago I can see from planning perms it was constructed back in 2004. I will tell her to ask the neighbour she might know, would that have any bearing on this?

Yeap that exactly what was described by the ESB. It goes easily another 30+ foott above it.

Not sure which came first do but if the ESB cables came in after then they put it in the wrong place, ah and it isnt there fault at all its nature. It is their equipment and the tree is not my sisters and you cannot force a neighbor to cut a tree so the risk of the cable snapping is still left with my sister which I do not think is fair.

How can you catastrophises a potential health and safety issue (does the ESB have expertise in dealing with kids with autism if they have can you show me some literature on it please seeing as you are the expert). She was getting the tree cut and was advised by an expert and then an ESB expert came out and agreed the tree was dead, he could see the branches on the ground and the big branch that was on the wire which had fallen he gave his report and the area manager is coming out and is having a look to see what is the best way to approach it. I think she has approached it the right way.