Following power outages caused by Storm Éowyn lasting many days, MEP Seán Kelly has called for enhanced investment in Ireland’s electricity grid, warning that the "system is outdated".

MEP for Ireland South and Leader of Fine Gael in the European Parliament, Seán Kelly has said that the electricity system is "unfit" for challenges of the electrified, digital age.

Storm Éowyn which hit Ireland last Friday (January 24) resulted in 768,000 homes farms and businesses being left without electricity supply.

Of these, some 626,000 have had power restored, with around 142,000 customers currently without power.

"The rapid response from ESB Networks teams in reconnecting so many customers deserves the highest praise, however the scale of the outages shows that we urgently need to act," Kelly said.

“We have failed to deliver the grid upgrades needed over the last two decades. Our system must be capable of accommodating high volumes of renewable energy and electrification, while also being resilient to the growing threat of extreme weather events caused by climate change," Kelly added.

MEP Kelly was recently appointed as lead negotiator on electricity grids for the European People's Party in the European Parliament.

He said that the issues "must be" addressed through leveraging funding for grid resilience such as structural reinforcement of existing overhead distribution lines, and undergrounding of distribution-level overhead lines wherever feasible.

"Additionally, the new EU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) will provide an opportunity to ring-fence dedicated funding for modernising grid infrastructure across Europe.

"We should prioritise grid development and resilience in the MFF and enable Ireland to channel EU resources toward the significant capital investment needed to make its electricity network fit-for-purpose.

“We must prioritise grid resilience and work to preventing power outages during storms, while at the same time ensuring the reliability of electricity for homes, schools, hospitals, and businesses in an increasingly electrified economy," Kelly said.

While Kelly commended the work of ESB Networks, he said that emergency responsed cannot be relied on and that preventative investment in grid resilience is "the only sustainable solution".