TECHNICIANS from across Britain and Europe are providing support in Ireland as thousands of properties remain without electricity due to Storm Éowyn.
Nearly 800,000 homes, farms and businesses lost power when the storm hit in the early hours of January 24, bringing record wind speeds of up to 183km/h in some areas.
Broadband repair crews at work in the The Glebe, County LongfordA mammoth cleanup operation began the following day with the Electricity Supply Board (ESB) mobilising all its resources, with the help of additional crews from the UK, to get the country back up and running again.
Since then, power has been restored to 723,000 farms, schools, and businesses across the country, and further assistance has come from countries across Europe too.
This week with 45,000 ESB Networks customers still without power, Ireland’s National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG) has confirmed the nation is now receiving additional support from its European neighbours to get the job done.
“Skilled technicians from counterparts in Austria, Finland, France, Great Britain, Germany, Netherlands and Norway are on the ground in the worst impacted areas,” the NECG said in a statement.
The ESB North Dublin Emergency Crew at work in North County Dublin, where a tree brought down power lines“They are supporting over 2,500 local ESB Networks crews and partner contactors who have been bolstered by colleagues from the south and east of the country, as well as skilled retirees.”
They added: “Several large-capacity generators are being provided by Poland and Denmark, following a request under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
“The generators are being deployed to support Uisce Éireann and telecommunications operators to bring water, phone and broadband services back to homes and businesses.”
Those who remain without power “will progressively have their supply restored over the course of [this] week” the NECG confirmed.