Recovery Efforts Intensify as 180,000 Households Remain Without Power Post-Storm Éowyn

In the wake of Storm Éowyn, approximately 180,000 households and businesses are still without electricity. Assistance is on the way, with crews from Austria and Finland set to arrive on Tuesday morning to collaborate with ESB in restoring power.

International and Domestic Support Mobilized

Technicians from ESB’s counterparts in the UK have already been deployed to the worst-affected areas, with additional crews from France and the Netherlands due to provide further support this week.

Progress and Challenges

To date, power has been restored to 588,000 premises affected by Friday’s storm. However, up to 100,000 homes and businesses are expected to remain without power for the rest of the week.

Water supply issues persist, with 74,000 people without water as of Monday night. Uisce Éireann warns that supplies for an additional 100,000 people are at risk in areas where power has not yet been restored.

State and Ministerial Responses

Austrian crews are set to arrive in Dublin by ferry this morning, while Finnish technicians will land at Dublin airport around 11 am. An ESB spokesman confirmed the logistical plan, highlighting the international assistance in the recovery effort.

New Minister for Housing, James Browne, has defended the government’s response to Storm Éowyn, calling it “a storm without precedent” that had “double the impact” in terms of the numbers left without power.

Browne noted, “Nothing has been left on the pitch” by any state agencies involved, citing the unprecedented scale of the storm. While acknowledging the difficulties, he emphasized that the priority remains restoring services as quickly as possible.

A review is planned to identify potential improvements for handling future extreme weather events.

European Union Response

MEP Ciaran Mullooly criticized the delay in the European Union’s response to the crisis, stating that emergency help was offered on Wednesday, but a request for assistance, including generators and crews, was not received until 4 pm on Saturday.

Minister Browne clarified that a request for assistance could not be made until the extent of the damage was known, and efforts were immediately directed to the EU for specific support.

Mullooly argued that planning for future funding to address infrastructure issues should start immediately, emphasizing the growing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.

Support for Affected Households

Minister for Social Protection, Dara Calleary, urged households impacted by the storm to access available supports. He highlighted the Humanitarian Assistance Fund as a resource for those in need and encouraged engagement with community services.

Calleary stressed that “people shouldn’t be hungry or cold” and that the Department of Social Protection offers a range of supports, including assistance for structural damage.

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‘The house is literally like living in an ice box’: Rural householders still suffering after Storm ÉowynOpens in new window
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Weather Forecast

The unsettled weather following Storm Éowyn is expected to continue over the coming days, although temperatures are anticipated to increase.

Met Éireann predicts rain showers in the morning, with sunny spells in the afternoon. Wednesday will see dry conditions, long spells of sunshine, and warm highs ranging from 5 to 8 degrees. However, scattered showers will impact parts of Connacht and Ulster, with a chance of sleet.

Frost and icy patches are expected in the evening, with temperatures dropping to -2 to 1 degree before warming to 5 to 9 degrees on Thursday. Cloudy conditions with scattered showers will dominate the day, with the possibility of some rain on Friday.

Saturday is set to bring further rain outbreaks and drizzle from the southwest, with a high of 10 to 13 degrees. The weather forecast predicts unsettled conditions with rain showers for Sunday and early next week.