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ESB Networks crews and partner contractors pictured near Dunmanway in West Cork during restoration works in the aftermath of Storm Éowyn. Michael O'Sullivan

Taoiseach welcomes assistance from UK electricity engineers but normal ‘pool’ not available

Social Protection Minister Dara Calleary said ‘we don’t have the kind of pool we’d normally have’ due to significant storm damage in Scotland.

LAST UPDATE | 27 Jan

TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has thanked his British counterpart Keir Starmer for the help provided by UK engineering crews as ESB restores power after Storm Éowyn.

As of this morning, around 246,000 ESB customers are still without power.

While ESB said the vast majority of those impacted by Storm Éowyn will have their supply restored by Friday, it expects that around 100,000 customers will have to wait until the following week.

At the peak of the power outages on Friday morning, around 768,000 customers were without power.

Meanwhile in the North, around 65,000 people remain without power and Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) has advised that it could be 3 February before all properties are reconnected.

Some 52 engineers from England had been scheduled to arrive on the island of Ireland on Saturday, with 30 to be utilised by NIE and 22 to assist ESB Networks in the Republic, and further resources to follow.

download (3) ESB Networks crews and partner contractors pictured on site near Dunmanway in West Cork during restoration works in the aftermath of Storm Éowyn. Michael O'Sullivan Michael O'Sullivan

In a statement today, Martin said he spoke with Starmer earlier and that the impact of Storm Éowyn and ongoing recovery efforts were among the issues raised.

He thanked the British prime minister for his assistance and said that it came about “as part of a mutual association agreement among electricity companies”.

However, Social Protection Minister Dara Calleary today told RTÉ that Ireland doesn’t “have the kind of pool we’d normally have” in terms of electrical engineers because of the significant storm damage in Scotland.

Speaking to RTÉ this morning, Calleary said: “We’ve asked for support from other European countries, but there have been storms in other European countries.

“So that skill, which normally would be available, is going to be slower.

“We will be throwing everything to try and make sure that we get people reconnected.”

Meanwhile, Brian Tapley, ESB Networks Regional Manager, this morning told RTÉ that it will take “most of next week” before everyone has their power restored.

He also noted that the worst impacted areas are Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Cavan, and some parts of the Midland and it’s here where it will be next week until power is restored.

Tapley added that where people have access to phones or the internet, they should consult PowerCheck.ie for information on estimated restoration times.

He also said ESB is working with the government at Emergency Response Hubs to provide information face-to-face for people who have no power or mobile phone signal.

Local authorities have established, in the worst affected areas, Emergency Response Hubs to assist people with basic needs such as water, hot food, phone charging, broadband access, shower and clothes washing facilities.

However, not all local authorities will need to establish Emergency Response Hubs.

Meanwhile, Tapley noted that outside of urban centres, there is a predominantly overhead electrical network and that Ireland has “around four times the overhead network per capita compared to the UK or Europe”.

He pointed to this as a reason why Ireland is experiencing a higher level of power outages than the UK.

Tapley added that the overhead network design is the most cost-effective one and is common outside of urban centres.

“The overhead network is more exposed to the elements and when it comes to repairs, you do a lot of repair effort, and it might only restore small amounts of customers because those customers are not based in urban centres.”

He added that the wooden poles holding up the overhead networks are maintained every year and replaced regularly.

“It’s not that the network isn’t built to the highest standards, it’s just sheer scale and the wind speeds that impact the country,” said Tapley.

He added that there is “no shortage of people” working to restore power and that ESB will get more support from the UK this week, as well as support coming from Europe.

“But other utilities are experiencing the impact of the recent storms, so some of those can only come to help us when they’ve sorted out their own utilities at our own location,” said Tapley.

Elsewhere, Irish Farmers’ Association President Francie Gorman called for all necessary resources are deployed to repair the damage caused by Storm Ėoywn.

“For farms which are at the busiest time of the year, every day without electricity or water is very challenging,” said Gorman.

He added: “We need to assess our infrastructure in the aftermath and see what can be done to better prepare for this.

“This review should involve all stakeholders to see what steps can be taken to minimise disruption when we encounter similar events in the future.”

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    Mute Brian Molloy
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    Jan 29th 2025, 12:22 AM

    If only customs could put as much effort into stopping unvetted illegal migrants, it would be a great country

    159
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    Mute Maire Hicks
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    Jan 29th 2025, 1:32 AM

    @Brian Molloy: my thoughts exactly but might be asking too much for that to happen.

    71
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    Mute Jack Hayes
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    Jan 29th 2025, 1:44 AM

    @Brian Molloy: They can’t be ‘illegal’ until they’re vetted. They can’t be vetted until they’re here. Deportations were up in 2024 on the previous year. Laws and compassion are not always mutually exclusive.

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    Mute Jason Memail
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    Jan 29th 2025, 1:51 AM

    @Brian Molloy: You lot had your chance during the election. “People are waking up”, we were told. “People have had enough”, we were told. “We speak for the silent majority”, we were told. In the end, the only people that were actually told anything were those spreading hate – they were told where to go.

    32
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    Mute Staker Wallace
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    Jan 29th 2025, 2:01 AM

    @Maire Hicks: Unfortunately, these unvetted migrants (85% destroyed docunentation before arriving at Dublin Airport in 2023) will keep flooding in when we have our multi billion euro taxpayer funded woke NGOs like the Irish Refugee Council with stuff like this on their website:

    ”You can collect your PPS Number 4 working days after you applied for asylum at the IPO.
    When you collect your PPSN, you can apply for a weekly payment of 113 euro.
    You should also be able to apply for an additional needs payment of 100 euro”

    3 months later after processing, when they are granted refugee status or leave to remain, they’re entitled to council housing/HAP and family reunification to bring the rest of the family, all paid for from start to finish by the Irish taxpayer.

    59
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    Mute Me Me
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    Jan 29th 2025, 6:49 AM

    @Staker Wallace: Ah, that good old ‘destroy documentation’ myth!! Their names, addresses, passport details, etc. are all on passenger manifest.

    19
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    Mute Me Me
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    Jan 29th 2025, 6:55 AM

    @Brian Molloy: There are 10s of 1000s of ‘unvetted’ Irish people living and working all over the EU. Is there a problem with this?

    11
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    Mute tony hilton
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    Jan 29th 2025, 8:02 AM

    @Me Me: notice the working bit in your sentence. Well the ones coming here are not working , that’s the difference.

    25
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    Mute Sean Hayes
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    Jan 29th 2025, 8:22 AM

    @tony hilton: They are all trying to work- unlike a lot of “natives”

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    Mute Me Me
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    Jan 29th 2025, 8:33 AM

    @tony hilton: So then people should drop the ‘unvetted’ bit. Irrelevant?

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    Mute Caroline O Toole
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    Jan 29th 2025, 8:37 AM

    @Sean Hayes: are you having a laugh? All trying to work my eye. We are a dumping ground in Ireland

    18
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    Mute Paul Bannon
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    Jan 29th 2025, 1:16 AM

    Now that revenue from cigarettes has fallen sharply, we need to find a way to recoup that money. Slap tax and excise duty fees on vapes and E-liquid and make sure the only vapes and E-liquid sold in the state are the ones we get a massive cut out of. Never mind the health benefits for smokers who switch to vapes, we need to spin this as vapes that do not include warnings “as gaeilge” are dangerous and only sold by crime gangs.

    52
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    Mute Paul Gorry
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    Jan 29th 2025, 1:33 AM

    @Paul Bannon: Exactly. Imagine trying to get the off cancer sticks, and you’re now being told you’re as good as dead anyway. With no science to back it up. Mad Ted..

    19
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    Mute James T.Kirk
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    Jan 29th 2025, 9:12 AM

    @Harry Paisley: Work today Harry?

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    Mute Clare Power
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    Jan 29th 2025, 9:51 AM

    @James T.Kirk: didn’t you know he’s out skiing…told us that yesterday lol

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    Mute Paul Gorry
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    Jan 29th 2025, 12:16 AM

    Meanwhile, a million tonnes of cigarettes have gotten through …

    29
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    Mute Leonard Barry
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    Jan 29th 2025, 12:32 AM

    @Paul Gorry: Not to mention all the hard drugs getting in to the country but then what does one expect from a country that puts the Irish version of a navy out to sea to patrol our waters with their guns not working.

    28
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    Mute Jason Memail
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    Jan 29th 2025, 1:51 AM

    @Leonard Barry: Who are you expecting them to shoot?

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    Mute Brian Hunt
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    Jan 29th 2025, 2:17 AM

    @Jason Memail: It’s hard to believe that you’ve managed to survive for so long without a brain!

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    Mute damien leen
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    Jan 29th 2025, 4:07 AM

    @Jason Memail: you with any luck!

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    Mute Ann neylan
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    Jan 29th 2025, 7:06 AM

    @Jason Memail: What a ridiculous response!

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    Mute Daniel Skelton
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    Jan 29th 2025, 7:36 AM

    Undercover vape investigation by The Journal… LOL!

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    Mute pat malone
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    Jan 29th 2025, 8:07 AM

    @Daniel Skelton: yeah, they dressed up as sherlock to blend in

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    Mute Tory Soprano
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    Jan 29th 2025, 8:08 AM

    @Daniel Skelton: went to the shop, bought vape, smoked it, took picture, case closed.

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    Mute Daniel Skelton
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    Jan 29th 2025, 9:10 AM

    @Tory Soprano: Can’t wait to see the Netflix documentary on that.

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    Mute normally go through toll twice a day (M50), that will stop!!
    Favourite normally go through toll twice a day (M50), that will stop!!
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    Jan 29th 2025, 1:08 AM

    All vapes should be illegal, nicotine producers are laughing all the way to the bank while a new generation of addicts gets bigger and bigger.

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    Mute Niall English
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    Jan 29th 2025, 7:33 AM

    @normally go through toll twice a day (M50), that will stop!!: could say the same about coffee producers or alcohol.

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    Mute NoelDublin
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    Jan 29th 2025, 9:03 AM

    @Harry Paisley: No profit for you in vapes so. They don’t contain tobacco.

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    Mute NoelDublin
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    Jan 29th 2025, 9:13 AM

    @normally go through toll twice a day (M50), that will stop!!: the producers of ineffective nicotine patches and gums certainly are. HSE wastes a ton of tax payer money on them.

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    Mute NoelDublin
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    Jan 29th 2025, 9:10 AM

    The Journal’s manic anti vape campaign continues. Inadvertently keeping smokers smoking. Shameful. (PS to sub Ed- you can’t “smoke an “e cigarette” but you probably know that already.) Vaping saves lives. Anyone involved in this campaign should be ashamed.

    21
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    Mute Thomas Brophy
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    Jan 29th 2025, 8:14 AM

    Just ban all vapes

    11
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    Mute Darren Forde
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    Jan 29th 2025, 12:30 PM

    @Thomas Brophy: ya I’ll just go back on cigarettes and end my life and bank account quicker

    5
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    Mute Thesaltyurchin
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    Jan 29th 2025, 7:02 PM

    Ban all everything, put your hand up if you want to leave the house.

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    Mute pauley870
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    Jan 29th 2025, 8:44 AM

    If they stopped that amount of vapes it usually means twice that amount got true

    6
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    Mute William Jennings
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    Jan 29th 2025, 2:00 PM

    I’m not a huge fan of vapes myself but these boneheaded regulations are only going to make the situation worse. Multiple studies have shown that vaping 95% safer than smoking. Strict regulations make it harder for smokers to switch, keeping more people addicted to combustible cigarettes, which are far more harmful. Countries with relaxed vaping laws have seen declines in smoking rates, while places with bans or heavy restrictions have seen increases in cigarette sales. When legal products are banned or overregulated, black markets thrive. Bootleg vapes and unregulated e-liquids are more dangerous than legal, quality-controlled products. Adults should have the right to choose less harmful alternatives to smoking without excessive government interference. Let’s lift these restrictions now.

    6
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