Ireland continues to grapple with the aftermath of Storm Éowyn, with thousands still without power and water a week after the historic storm. While restoration efforts are underway, many residents, particularly in rural areas, are expressing frustration over the extended outages and a perceived lack of support.
Thousands of homes across Ireland remain without power more than a week after Storm Éowyn , one of the worst storms in living memory, battered the country. Over 32,000 ESB customers are still grappling with the aftermath, facing disruptions to their daily lives. While progress has been made with over 736,000 homes and businesses restored, the remaining 30,000 without power are being warned of potential short disruptions as crews continue to safely reconnect neighborhoods.
The National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG) met on Monday to coordinate the ongoing restoration efforts for power, water, telecommunications, and other essential services. The NECG reported that the vast majority of schools are expected to reopen as normal on Tuesday, with power restored to over 300 schools previously affected. Uisce Éireann, Ireland's water utility, has deployed generators at almost all plants, alleviating the water shortage impacting approximately 400 premises.The storm's impact on Ireland's telecoms infrastructure was the most extensive recorded by the Commission for Communications Regulation (Comreg). However, significant progress has been made, with only 0.83% of fixed service users and 2.76% of mobile service users experiencing service disruptions. 326 Emergency Response Hubs are currently operational, providing support to communities affected by the storm. These hubs include community-led initiatives with financial and administrative support from local authorities. To assist those grappling with the storm's aftermath, the government has launched the Humanitarian Assistance emergency payment program. This program provides support for food, clothing, and personal items and can cover alternative accommodation costs if necessary.The program is open to those in affected areas without power or water supply, regardless of income. Many residents in affected areas have expressed frustration over the extended power and water outages, highlighting the impact on their daily lives. Emma Ward, a wheelchair user in Athenry, Co Galway, has been without power since January 23rd and faces another eight days without electricity. She expressed the immense discomfort caused by the cold, highlighting the urgent need for restoration. Others, like Brian O'Leary, also in Athenry, feel that the rural communities are being overlooked in the recovery efforts.Seamus Boland, CEO of Irish Rural Link, emphasized the need for a comprehensive review of the country's preparedness for such events and the support provided in the aftermath. He acknowledged the tireless efforts of ESB and local authority staff but stressed the importance of learning from this experience to ensure a more robust response in the future.
Storm Éowyn Power Outages Water Shortages Ireland Rural Communities Emergency Response Humanitarian Assistance
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