European crews join Storm Éowyn recovery as 100,000 face another week without power

Workers clearing a fallen tree on Grove Park Drive, Dublin, as ESB Networks continues to reconnect homes and businesses across the country after Storm Éowyn wreaked havoc throughout the country last weekend. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

Repair crews from across Europe are assisting with efforts to restore power across Ireland, as 100,000 people face another week before they are reconnected.

Support crews from Britain have been deployed to the worst impacted areas in Ireland, with further teams set to arrive from Austria, Finland, the Netherlands, and France.

Although Britain faced its own clean-up following Storm Éowyn, teams arrived in Ireland on Saturday to help the restoration efforts here. 

It is expected the Austrian and Finnish crews will arrive on Tuesday followed by the French on Wednesday.

The cavalry comes as more than 200,000 people remained without power last night, 84,000 without water, and nearly 1m people were unable to use their mobile phone.

Following a meeting on Monday, the National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG) said it will take until at least this coming Friday for the vast majority of those impacted to have their power restored.

However, they said it will take until the end of next week for power to be returned “progressively” to a cohort of around 100,000 people in remote rural areas supplied by the networks.

Tina Daniels, at her home in Loughrea beside a battery operated latern, was told they won't have power restored till Wednesday of next week. Picture: Ray Ryan

Tina Daniels, who lives with her family in Loughrea in Galway, is yet to have their power restored. The mother of two says it could be more than a week before they have electricity again.

“My daughter is deaf so she wears a cochlear implant," Tina said. "She needs to charge the batteries every night but that’s not possible at the moment,” she told the Irish Examiner.

“She ended up having to take it to work with her because that was her only option. Her employers have been very good to her. They normally don’t open the office there on a Saturday but it was opened up especially so she could charge the batteries.” 

The situation has been a huge source of worry for Saoirse.

Saoirse was very stressed at the thought of not being able to charge them

"Of course, we can sit in the local hotel — but it takes eight hours to charge. This is specialised equipment," Tina added.

"It’s a 24- to 48-hour battery and she has one of them. The other two are 10 hour batteries but she prefers the 24 hour one to be on the safe side.”

The chair of the National Emergency Co-ordination Group, Keith Leonard, said every resource that could be brought to bear in the State has been brought in to support the ESB — including Coillte, the civil defence, the air corp, and the Defence Forces.

Emergency response hubs have been established in counties across the country, including Kerry, Galway, Cavan, Laois and Westmeath, with more promised, to provide people with water, hot food, phone charging, broadband access, and shower facilities.

ESB Networks crew work to restore power in Avoca Avenue in Blackrock, Dublin, after Storm Éowyn left more than 1m people without power last Saturday. Picture: PA

The group said its number one priority is creating these hubs, and people can rest assured that they will remain open and available for as long as they are required.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin praised the work of State agencies and emergency services, as well as the resilience shown by local communities, in the face of unprecedented storm damage.

"Government will provide all the necessary supports to the households and businesses who have been impacted by this storm," said Mr Martin, confirming that Cabinet will meet on Wednesday to decide measures to further support people.

Means testing for emergency payments have been eliminated in order to prevent delays in people accessing support due to red tape. 

The Humanitarian Assistance Scheme is available to those whose properties have been directly impacted by Storm Éowyn.

Enterprise Minister Peter Burke said his department is working to ensure businesses get what they need in order to get up and running again.

The Irish Farmers' Association has called on the Government to provide support for horticulture producers who are facing "significant financial losses".

"The storm came at a vulnerable time for growers, as tunnels and glasses have been planted with young plants for the upcoming season," said the Irish Farmers' Association fruit and vegetable chair, Niall McCormack.