merrion street

The NECG met again this evening and the following is an update on the situation:

People with no water supply down from peak of 109,000 to 66,000
ESB Networks has restored power to 216,000 homes and businesses in the last 24 hours

Key safety messages remain the same regarding fallen ESB cables and taking care when driving because of possible debris on roads. See details below.
Local Authorities have confirmed that most of our roads have been cleared of fallen trees.
Schools, VTOS and Youthreach centres will re-open tomorrow and school transport will be back in operation, subject to any damages experienced at a local level. As always, schools must ensure the safety of those in their care and give due consideration to this when making a decision to re-open.

Irish Water has confirmed that at peak today over 109,000 people had no supply and this number is now down to 66,000 and they hope to half this figure by end of today.

The Defence Forces have deployed personnel, two helicopters and a water tanker today in support of the national response to Storm Ophelia.

Army personnel and vehicles from the 3rd Infantry Battalion have been deployed to Kilkenny this morning to support the local authorities there in their response to Storm Ophelia. The Army personnel deployed were assisting in road clearance and mobility tasks.
A 10,000 litre water tanker has also been deployed from the Defence Forces Training Centre to Killmagany to assist Kilkenny County Council in their efforts there.
The Defence Forces have also deployed two Air Corps EC 135 helicopters to assist ESB Networks in conducting aerial recce of powerlines in Midlands & South West. This request is likely to be repeated tomorrow in other areas, pending a formalised request and weather permitting.

ESB Networks has restored power to 216,000 homes and businesses in the last 24 hours, which equates to 60% of the 385,000 homes and businesses without power on Monday. Only 7% of homes and businesses nationwide are without power at present.

ESB Networks has deployed 2,500 staff in the recovery effort, and in addition 1,000 contractors have been engaged. Additional resources from Northern Ireland, Great Britain and France are also scheduled to provide support from Wednesday.

ESB Networks will publish restoration times for all customers who are remaining without power
on its PowerCheck app tomorrow morning, and will be making additional efforts this evening to contact vulnerable customers.

ESB Networks continues to work with key stakeholders including Irish Water, the HSE, telecoms providers and other critical infrastructure providers in the restoration of power.

ESB Networks has advised that there are still several thousand locations that pose potential public safety risks, in particular to first responders and local authority staff, due to fallen wires. ESB Networks should be contacted immediately at 1850 372 999 if any response staff come across fallen wires.

Key Public Safety & Information Messages
· ESB Networks is highlighting the dangers posed by fallen live wires and is advising the public and the emergency services to stay away from these fallen cables and to report such cases to it immediately. ESB Emergency Services can be contacted at 1850 372 999.
· Power outages have occurred countrywide with contingency planning activated by the ESB. 216,000 homes and businesses had power restored. All customers will receive an estimated time for the restoration of their supply by tomorrow, they can also check on their individual situation using the PowerCheck app. Cork, Tipperary and Kerry have been worst affected, and it is anticipated that it will be early next week before power is fully restored to a small number of customers in these areas.
· Local authorities have activated full deployment of outdoor crews who are working to remove trees and other obstacles blocking roads across the country. National and regional routes are being prioritised. Today, local authorities will begin to assess damage caused to dwellings and other buildings/ structures, coastal infrastructure, parks and amenities.

· Health services will gradually return to normal over the next few days, however some continued disruption is likely. Clients can expect some delays in their appointments and discharges from hospitals. The HSE will contact clients whose appointments have been cancelled to reschedule them as soon as possible.

· It is expected that both Emergency Departments and GP clinics will be very busy over the next few days, with increased demands on those services.

· Insurance Ireland has today issued a statement which clarifies matters regarding possible insurance claims. Householders have been advised to check the full extent of their policies, and contact their insurer or broker for further information. The Insurance Ireland statement is available from:
http://www.insuranceireland.eu/news-and-publications/news-press-release/insurance-ireland-statement-safety-first-motor-and-home-insurance-policies