Some 100,000 people may be without power until February due to damage caused by Storm Éowyn, the worst storm to hit Ireland in decades.
Approximately 246,000 homes and businesses remained without electricity on Sunday evening, from a peak of 768,000 customers, ESB said, while 109,000 were yet to have water restored.
ESB said in a statement that expected restoration times for electricity in several counties show that by Friday, the vast majority of those affected will have supply restored.
However, the statement added: “After this we expect that the remaining, approximately 100,000, customers will progressively have their supply restored over the course of the following week.”
Emergency response hubs to assist people with the basic needs of water, hot food, phone charging, broadband access and shower and clothes washing facilities are to be established in the areas worst affected by Friday’s storm.
Speaking on RTÉ's This Week, Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke said the Government “won’t be found wanting” in its response to the multimillion-euro damage caused across the country.
Mr Burke pointed out that there would be a “whole of Government” response to the severe disruption.
He also thanked first responders for their work in restoring power and water to communities.
“I know as a former minister for local government – the outdoor staff, the incredible work that they have done in communities right across the country, our Defence Forces, our Civil Defence, Uisce Éireann and ESB ... They’re working in very difficult circumstances,” Mr Burke said.
The National Emergency Co-ordination Group is working alongside local authorities nationwide to assist those worst affected.
Also speaking on RTÉ's This Week, Keith Leonard of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management said: “Local authorities are going to look at what the best options are.”
“I’m not sure if there’s accommodation available for those kinds of numbers of people, but certainly local relief will be provided, and every option is being explored at the moment to see what can be done for those who are particularly affected over the longer term,” Mr Leonard said, adding that the current storm, Herminia, is presenting difficulties.
Several counties were under Yellow weather warnings on Sunday due to Storm Herminia, all of which have since expired. However, Met Éireann issued a new Yellow wind warning for counties Cork, Kerry and Waterford from 11pm on Sunday until 9am on Monday.
Speaking this morning on RTÉ radio, Met Éireann meteorologist Gerry Murphy warned members of the public to keep updated with weather advice due to dangerous travelling conditions.
The National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG) was due to meet again on Sunday to deal with the ongoing clean-up operation as local authorities continue to deal with the clearing of roads of debris and downed trees.
The majority of transport services including buses, trains and flights from the country’s airports have now returned to normal, however Iarnród Éireann said that the Mayo-Dublin train was unlikely to be operating on Sunday due a major power outage.
Margaret Attridge, head of water operations at Uisce Éireann, said the problem areas for water are in the northwest and midlands, Meath and Longford.
Ms Attridge said that six boil water notices will come into effect, as treatment processes have been compromised, primarily due to the power outages.
“We are looking to get generators [into areas] wherever we can,” she said, adding that it was not possible to get generators to every site, but they are moving generators from the south.
The head of the water utilities added that Uisce Éireann would provide alternative water supplies in towns and villages through tankers or bottled water, with the location details posted on its website.
Older and vulnerable people are being advised to contact customer care centres where assistance will be provided.
Almost 140 of the water authority’s treatment plants had no power on Saturday.
Ms Attridge said teams would be out again on Sunday working with the ESB to “prioritise sites” and to ensure “alternative water supplies and [water] tankers” are made available to communities.
More than 109,000 people were without water on Sunday with supplies to a further 400,000 people at risk.
Communications sector watchdog ComReg said almost 300,000 fixed-line customers continued to be impacted over the weekend. A further 1.8 million mobile customers were affected with the total number of phone and broadband customers suffering some degree of access difficulties reaching more than two million.
Tánaiste Simon Harris said on X that “Defence Forces are now assisting ESB Networks with helicopters being made available to assist in the restoration of power to homes after Storm Éowyn.”
Mr Harris added that the Civil Defence is also on “standby” across the country.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin assured the public that the Government will carry out a full assessment of the impact of the storm with a view to establishing “what supports we can offer people and businesses”.
Mr Martin noted that “every effort is being made” to get homes reconnected to the power grid and water supplies secured” but noted that the “destruction caused by some of the strongest winds on record has been unprecedented, and there is still a huge amount of work needed in the days ahead”.
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