13,000 homes, farms and businesses still without power
ESB Networks has confirmed that around 13,000 homes, farms, and businesses remain without power following Storm Éowyn
The storm, which hit Ireland almost two weeks ago, brought hurricane force winds and new wind speed records for Ireland and caused "unprecedented damage" to the electricity network.
The ESB said that power has been restored to 755,000 customers following the storm and "intensive work" is continuing.
"All available ESB Networks crews and resources, partner contractors, and international support are mobilised to restore power to all customers as soon as possible.
"We are working towards restoring the majority of these customers over the coming days however, in the areas with the largest number of faults some customers may see their estimated restoration times change, in some cases into the weekend," ESB said.
ESB said that technicians from Austria, Finland, France, the UK, Germany, and Norway are on the ground in the worst impacted areas.
They are supporting over 2,500 local crews and partner contactors who have been joined by colleagues from the south and east of the country, as well as skilled retirees.
Over 1,300 support staff are also involved in overseeing damage assessment, emergency call management, logistics, and network operations.
The ESB said where people can, they should check the Power Check website, where estimated restoration times will continue to be updated.
In some instances, customers whose power has been reconnected may have to be disconnected again for short periods of time to allow their neighbours to be reconnected.
These interruptions ensure that restoration work can safely take place on the system, ESB said.
Meanwhile, the Social Democrats agriculture spokesperson, Jennifer Whitmore has called on the government to provide urgent financial supports to the horticulture sector in the wake of Storm Éowyn.
Deputy Whitmore said that growers have incurred crippling losses at a crucial time in planting season.
“Given the importance of our horticulture sector, it is unacceptable that there has been no real discussion about how it has been impacted by this devastating storm.
“This is usually a time when growers start planting for the season. Instead, many are counting the cost of Storm Éowyn after it ripped through the country, with extensive damage to polytunnels, glasshouses, crops, and equipment.
“This has led to significant financial losses for growers and many will struggle to recover from this serious setback to their business," she said.
The TD noted that the horticulture sector supports over 7,000 jobs in rural areas and is worth nearly €600 million to the national economy.
“The impact of this storm has highlighted the sector's vulnerability to climate change and the urgent need for Government intervention to support these essential businesses. There should be an immediate audit of the damage caused with necessary financial supports put in place for affected businesses.
“In addition to financial assistance to repair damaged structures and replace lost crops, measures are also needed to improve the long-term resilience of the sector," she added.
Fine Gael TD Joe Cooney has previously said that Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Healy-Rae, is engaging with Teagasc and other stakeholders on the impact of Storm Éowyn on the horticulture sector.
The Clare TD said that Minister Healy-Rae has confirmed to him that his officials are assessing the extent and significance of the damage caused.
It is understood that the minister is set to meet representatives of the horticultural sub-sectors at a meeting of the Horticulture Industry Forum on February 11, where the impact of the storm will be discussed, as well as wider sectoral issues.
