Every effort being made to restore power and electricity supplies – Taoiseach

By Rebecca Black and Gráinne Ní Aodha, PA

Taoiseach Micheal Martin said every effort is being made to restore power and water supplies following Storm Éowyn.

He described the destruction caused by some of the strongest winds on record as “unprecedented”.

One man was killed during the storm. Kacper Dudek, 20, died when a tree fell on his car in Co Donegal early on Friday morning as Storm Eowyn started its destructive course across Ireland.

Record-breaking winds saw buildings damaged and roads blocked.

Around 625,000 remain without power across the Irish Republic and around 138,000 people had no water as of Friday evening.

The Taoiseach thanked emergency crews and responders working to restore power and clear roads, and said a huge amount of work is needed in the days ahead to restore electricity, water and communications to hundreds of thousands of people.

“I’m grateful for the efforts of multiple state agencies to help those most in need, and we understand how difficult it is for homes and businesses across the island,” he said.

“This is a whole of Government effort including ESB, EirGrid, Irish Water, Local Authorities, the Defence Forces, Civil Defence, the NPWS, Coillte and others.

“I’ve been briefed by the chair of the National Emergency Co-ordination Group, which will meet again today, and every effort is being made to get high voltage transmission lines up and running, homes reconnected and water supplies secured.

“My Government will fully assess the situation in the coming days to see what supports we can offer people and businesses caught up in the aftermath of this storm.”