The National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG) met today (Sunday) and continues to ensure all efforts are made to restore power, water, telecommunications and other services to homes, farms and businesses following Storm Éowyn.
The NECG met as ESB Networks continues today to mobilise all available resources to restore power connections as soon as possible, including crews coming from the UK. Power has been restored to 438,000 customers; however some 330,000 homes, farms and businesses remain without supply.
Unprecedented damage has been done by Storm Éowyn. ESB Networks have updated www.PowerCheck.ie with expected restoration times. By Friday, 31st January the vast majority of those impacted by Storm Éowyn will have had their supply restored. After this, the remaining customers (approximately 100,000), will progressively have their supply restored over the course of the following week.
Estimated Restoration Times will continue to be updated as the restoration continues to progress. Weather conditions may impact on the restoration work.
Telecommunications and water supplies have also been significantly affected. In most cases, this is a due to knock-on effects of power outages, with assessments continuing.
In order to marshal all available resources to restore power supplies, Ireland has activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and has made a request for high-capacity generators to support critical infrastructure operators.
A key focus for the NECG and all organisations involved is to find solutions, to support ESB Networks in the restoration works which has had a consequential impact on water, communications and other services.
Due to the unprecedented extent of the disruption to services, the NECG has established two additional Sub-Groups to manage the ongoing coordination of the whole of government response to the impact of the storm, namely:
NECG Sub-Group on Communications Infrastructure; and
NECG Sub-Group on Humanitarian Assistance
Working with the support of the other members of the NECG Sub-Group on Humanitarian Assistance, the local authorities will continue to coordinate a local level response to the needs of people who have been significantly impacted by the storm.
Local authorities will:
Establish, in the worst affected areas, Emergency Response Hubs to assist people with basic needs such as water, hot food, phone charging, broadband access, shower and clothes washing facilities, etc.;
Continue to manage Local Coordination Groups in the worst affected areas to coordinate available supports and assistance;
Continue to offer helplines for those in need of assistance and to provide advice and direction to supports available, including the Department of Social Protection’s Humanitarian Assistance Scheme; and
Source/provide supports and equipment for those most in need.
Not all local authorities will need to establish Emergency Response Hubs/Local Coordination Groups – Local authorities are best placed to gauge the level of response required in their areas.
All local authorities will share available resources between them, and a central national database is being established to support this.
Local authorities will ensure that all appropriate local and national organisations are coordinated in responding to individual and community needs and, most importantly, that the needs of the most vulnerable are prioritised.
Andrew Hamilton is a journalist, investigative reporter and podcaster who has been working in the media in Ireland for the past 20 years. His areas of special interest include the environment, mental health and politics.