100,000 businesses and homes without power and water

Thousands of homes and businesses across the country remain without power and thousands more are without water as the cleanup operation after Storm Ophelia continues.

ESB Networks has been working around the clock to restore power to some 306,000 homes and businesses since Monday. However, 78,000 customers remain without power and will have to wait three or four days to be reconnected. Those in isolated areas will not have power restored until Monday.

The 2,500 ESB Networks staff and 1,000 contractors have been joined in the operation by 283 staff from electricity utilities in Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, the Isle of Man and France.