Technicians from England and France to help restore power in Ireland
More than 100,000 may remain without power by next Friday.
Technicians from England and France are set to help restore power to homes and businesses across Ireland following Storm Eowyn.
Around 278,000 remain without power across Ireland on Sunday evening following record-setting wind speeds.
ESB Networks have warned that 100,000 may still be without power by next Friday, and it is aiming to restore their supply over the course of the following week.
Some 109,000 were without water on Sunday afternoon, and 94,000 homes and businesses were without broadband by Sunday evening.
Since Friday, eir has restored fixed and broadband services to 110,000 homes and businesses, while service has been restored to more than 500 mobile sites in the same period. Currently it is estimated that 94,000 homes and businesses customers remain without broadband.
The north west and west coast of Ireland have been described as the worst affected areas.
On Sunday evening ESB Networks said the number of customers without power had reduced to just over 278,000.
Some 768,000 were without power during the peak of the destruction caused by the storm on Friday.
Irish premier Micheal Martin said every effort is being made to restore power and water supplies, describing the destruction caused as “unprecedented”.
One man was killed during the storm. Kacper Dudek, 20, died when a tree fell on his car in Co Donegal early on Friday morning as Storm Eowyn began its destructive course across Ireland.
Tanaiste Simon Harris said the Irish Defence Forces were assisting ESB Network with helicopters to help restore power.
He said the Civil Defence is also on standby across the country.
The Irish Government is set to make financial support available to families and businesses affected by the storm.
ESB Network workers continued to work over the weekend despite a number of weather warnings for snow and ice and for wind being in place.
Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary said technicians from England are helping ESB workers, and further support is coming from France.
He said the main focus this week is around restoring power and water.
He described the damage as “extensive”, but said they are “throwing everything at it”.
“We’re bringing additional people from England today and we’re looking for people from France, additional technicians,” he told RTE’s The Week In Politics programme.
“What we’re focused on is getting our infrastructure back up, getting our power back up, getting our water and connectivity back up as soon as is possible.
“The main focus this week is on restoring power, the damage is extensive but they (ESB Networks) are throwing everything at it.
“We’re being joined today by technicians from England, and also, we’ll be joined by technicians from France and we’ll be working with our colleagues from Northern Ireland Electricity to do this on an all-island basis.”
Met Eireann has issued a number of warnings, including a yellow warning for rain from 5am on Sunday for counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Wicklow, Cork, Kerry, Tipperary and Waterford, and a yellow warning for wind from 6am on Sunday for counties Carlow, Dublin, Kilkenny, Wexford, Wicklow, Munster and Galway.
There are also yellow warnings for wind from 11am on Sunday for counties Donegal, Leitrim, Louth, Meath, Mayo and Sligo, and from 11pm for counties Cork, Kerry and Waterford.
