Updated 5.40pm
THE ESB HAS successfully reconnected 13,000 homes in the last 12 hours – however significant outages remain in the southeast of the country.
12,000 homes, farms and businesses are now without power nationwide. 11,000 of those, 90%, are in the areas of Enniscorthy, New Ross, Wexford, Killinick and Bealistown.
Especially heavy snow yesterday afternoon and evening in south Co Wexford has caused extensive faults, the ESB says, with access to some areas proving exceedingly difficult due to snowdrifts of many feet in height.
A spokesman for the network says that “crews will be working late into the evening in an effort to restore as many customers as possible tonight”.
We will continue from first light tomorrow until we have restored supply to all the homes, farms and businesses affected.
ESB Networks expect to have electricity back to all homes affected within the next 24 hours.
At the peak of the storm, there were 117,000 premises without electricity. ESB Networks operations staff and its control centre restored supply to 113,000 customers since then.
It’s a similar story for water supplies. Speaking on Morning Ireland today, Eamon Gallen of Irish Water said crews are out attempting to reconnect supply to homes nationwide.
He said: “We have around 10,000 people without water. I’d like to apologise to customers whose supply has been affected. We’re arranging alternative water supplies.
“Our reservoirs are running down caused by leaks and bursts. We would appeal to customers to stop running taps and hoarding water.”
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