Electricity operators from Great Britain and Europe are joining the ESB restoration efforts this week as almost 204,000 customers remain without supply following Storm Éowyn.
Thousands of people with Donegal are entering their fifth day without power supply.
Electricity was restored to 564,000 homes, farms and businesses across the country yesterday.
ESB estimates that the vast majority of customers who lost power during Storm Éowyn will have supply restored by Friday night, 31 January. However, as many as 100,000 customers could be without power until next week.
Skilled technicians from counterparts in Great Britain have now been deployed to the worst impacted areas, and further support is set to arrive from electricity network operators in Austria, Finland, Netherlands and France over the coming days.
ESB Networks crews from the south and east of the country are also being redeployed to the worst impacted areas once restoration in their areas has been completed, while skilled retirees from ESB Networks are also being redrafted to assist.
The Irish Air Corps has also been assisting the ESB Networks with low-flying helicopters surveying the damage to power lines. These flights are helping to identify the most affected areas and guiding the restoration efforts on the ground.
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne said: “The damage caused to our power infrastructure last week was of a far greater scale than anything we’ve seen before, and I want to thank all the crews and emergency services who continue to work around the clock on this unprecedented recovery effort. The ESB has reconnected 540,000 people since Friday and this work will not stop until everyone affected has their service restored.”
Stay safe, stay clear of any fallen lines and report any damage to 1800 372 999
