Snowbound

THE freezing weather that continued to cause transport chaos over the weekend looks likely to do so for another week at least.

Transport Minister Noel Dempsey returned from his controversial holiday yesterday, insisting he was right to have taken one just as the country was facing into the major weather emergency. While the thaw in the snow around Leinster caused its own trouble with sludgy roads yesterday, the snow hit the south of the country for the first time.

Dozens of flights in and out of Cork Airport were cancelled for several hours from late yesterday afternoon due to heavy snowfall. In Cork city and county, army patrol vehicles were deployed yesterday evening to bring gardaí and other emergency services around because of the hazardous road conditions.

Road conditions inWaterford, Kerry and Clare were also treacherous, with the Conor Pass into Dingle closed off. Local authorities around the country have warned of water shortages in the days ahead because of burst mains and some areas may lose supplies as a result of reduced pressure. Mr Dempsey, who said he had cut short his stay in Malta by two days because his absence had become a “distraction”, returned to Dublin yesterday but refused to apologise for staying out of the country for so long.

“I can understand that people who were having difficulties, who were perhaps not able to get out of estates... on Wednesday, that people would be annoyed, but I don’t think I would have been able to prevent the weather from happening whether I was in the country or out of the country,” he said.

Mr Dempsey said he had remained in touch with his officials while in Malta and the Taoiseach had not asked for him to return early. He even tried to make a joke of his absence.

“I’m glad things are improving so fast. I’m only in the country two or three hours and the thaw has set in. I cant say I’m glad to be back in the cold weather but I am here now,” he said. Mr Dempsey said he would not have been able to do anything more than was already being done if he had been in the country. The Emergency Response Committee heard yesterday that the thaw would set in from next weekend with temperatures again dipping mid-week but not to the Arctic levels of recent days.

Environment Minister John Gormley denied the decision to shut all schools until Thursday had been taken prematurely, after snow falls in the east and north over the weekend were not as bad as feared. However, last Friday’s order from Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe was criticised by primary school board representative organisations which said hundreds of schools could have opened.

Met Éireann forecasts that any snow today will be restricted to higher ground in north Leinster and parts of Connacht, while Munster is likely to see showers throughout the day. Night time temperatures should begin returning to zero or above from tonight. Age Action Ireland said any older people who do not have regular visitors and are running out of food, fuel or medicine should contact the Society of St Vincent de Paul at 01-8386990 or Age Action at 01-4756989.