The ongoing severe cold weather conditions are having a serious impact on farmers, according to the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) Munster Regional chair.
Conor O’Leary has said the announcement by Met Éireann of Status Orange weather warnings for low temperatures and ice in the coming nights is “a real concern”.
The first warning for the majority of counties will come into force from 8:00p.m tonight (Tuesday, January 7) and remain in place until 10:00a.m tomorrow.
Another Status Orange low temperature and ice warning, for all counties, apart from Co. Donegal, will be valid from 6:00p.m on Wednesday until 11:00a.m on Thursday (January 9).
The extreme cold weather conditions will bring widespread and severe frost, ice and lying snow.
Met Éireann said there will be dangerous travelling conditions on roads and underfoot, travel disruption and delays and animal welfare issues.
Weather
The IFA Munster Regional chair acknowledged that ESB Networks and local authorities are working hard to restore services, but added that “the challenges are huge”.
“It is vital that full resources are made available nationally and locally to clear roads and restore and maintain services.
“The main concern for farmers at times like this is to look after their animals. This can be very challenging without electricity or water, or with difficulties in transporting supplies to the farm,” he said.
O’Leary said frozen pipes, and the challenge of maintaining water supplies for livestock, is the biggest problem at the moment.
Farmers across Limerick, Tipperary, Cork, parts of Kerry and into south Leinster are dealing with the most severe aspects of the cold weather conditions.
“It looks like it could be the weekend before there is some thaw. The latest Status Orange alert will compound the difficulties caused by the freezing conditions in place since the weekend,” he said.
O’Leary said farmers are working together at a local level to assist their neighbours in any way possible.
“We are asking people to keep in contact with their neighbours who may need some support to get them through the next few days.
“While the county councils have devoted resources to keeping the main roads passable, conditions on local roads remain very challenging.
“Farmers have also been helping their neighbours by obtaining and delivering supplies. Farmers are happy to do this, but the pressure on farmers is mounting on farmers themselves as the cold spell continues.
“While it is understandable that the main roads are a priority, clearing local roads also needs to be a priority,” he said.
In its latest update, Uisce Éireann said that its crews are working to restore water supplies to approximately 17,000 customers in Tipperary, Limerick and Kerry.
With temperatures expected to drop to as low as -10°C, the utility said it expects further impacts to water supplies in the coming days as freezing ground puts stress on underground pipes and network connections to properties.
Crews are being provided with assistance in accessing water treatment plants and pumping stations where access is difficult due to hazardous terrain and snow and ice.
Uisce Éireann’s head of water operations Margaret Attridge is urging people to continue to conserve water and to report any leaks on the public network.
“As some counties face Arctic conditions, which can impact on our pipe infrastructure, letting us know of breaks on the public network allows us to dispatch our expert crews as early as possible, therefore protecting the levels of water in our reservoirs for the whole country.
“Conserving water at home and at work can help safeguard water supplies for as many people as possible, especially for our vulnerable customers and essential services such as hospitals and nursing homes,” she said.
“We’re asking people to do simple things like being mindful of shower times and turning off the faucet when brushing teeth.
“We are continuing to ask people to insulate outside taps, exposed pipes and tanks, to check for leaks and to turn off water to exterior pipes or unoccupied premises.
“We are especially asking people never to leave taps running as this will not necessarily prevent pipes from freezing and can impact on local water supply,” she added.
The public can report leaks or bursts on the public water networks to the Uisce Éireann customer care team on 1800 278 278.