PHONE PROVIDER EIRCOM has said that there have been 30 incidents so far this year of cable theft.
The company told TheJournal.ie that over 8,000 metres of cable have been stolen in 2014.
Last year, some 60,000 metres of the company’s cable valued at €240,000 was stolen. This year’s haul would be valued in the region of €30,000.
“These thefts do result in loss of service to customers but we always work hard to restore service as quickly as possible,” a spokesperson said. “There are a number of cases pending against the culprits.
We would strongly urge anyone who has any information relating to metal theft to contact their local garda station.”
Irish Rails has suffered some thefts this year – one along the DART line, which caused services to be cancelled, and another on the Limerick to Galway line.
There have also been eight instances of cable theft reported by the Luas. A spokesperson said around 350 metres of earthing cables have been taken so far this year.
They also pointed out that the cost of replacing the cables often far exceeds the cost to companies to replace them and repair any damage done by thieves.
In May, gardaí warned businesses of a rise in metal theft, with over 2,500 incidents reported each year. That same month, they found 1,000 stolen beer kegs in a search as part of a metal theft day of action.
According to gardaí, copper, aluminium and lead are the main targets for thieves.
While copper prices are stabilising because of increased supply, market prices for aluminium and lead are both on the increase due to falling production levels. Other metals that are increasingly in demand are platinum, palladium and rhodium present in catalytic converters of vehicles.
- With additional reporting by Clíodhna Russell.
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