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LAST UPDATE | 27 Jan
IRELAND WILL RECEIVE 13 emergency power generators to assist with hundreds of thousands of citizens currently without electricity, The Journal can confirm.
A request for generators was sent to the European emergency response unit in Brussels by government on Saturday, but member states who indicated that they could help required more information.
A spokesperson for the national emergency response team, located in the Department of Housing, told The Journal that the government provided the additional information this morning and was offered 13 generators shortly after.
ESB’s updates have now indicated that power might not be restored in some remote parts of the country by as late of 6 February, as crews continue their work to fix outages in badly-hit areas along the west coast of the country.
Approximately 250,000 premises are still without power, as of this morning, and a further 100,000 people do not have water. Potentially thousands of homes in rural parts of the country, who are not connected to water mains, are also impacted by outages.
A request for emergency aid from the EU was issued by the Irish government on Saturday to assist with restoration works after Storm Éowyn.
Officials from Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands indicated that they could deliver much-needed emergency generators to Ireland but asked for more details, such as the voltages and quantity needed in the government’s request.
The Journal reported today that the Irish government did not respond to the EU for two days, leaving the Danish, German and Dutch officials on standby for the time being.
It has since been confirmed that the national emergency coordination team has accepted an offer of 13 generators, three large, industrial units and ten single-phase, diesel-powered generators, from the EU’s stockpile.
The national emergency coordination group will now coordinate with operators of critical infrastructure and essential service providers to allocate the placement of these generators.
The government’s lag in responding to the EU’s request for more information has been criticised by Independent Ireland MEP Ciaran Mullooly. He yesterday called on ministers to “get on top of this situation and get their act together”.
100,000 people in the west , north west and midlands CANNOT be abandoned by the Government for another week - we need the Irish Government to act fast and accept help from Europe pic.twitter.com/uSso5oe13Q
— Ciaran Mullooly MEP (@ciaranmullooly) January 26, 2025
The EU’s emergency response coordination centre grants urgent aid to member states and allies following natural disasters and other emergencies.
Member states assisted in Greece and Italy after wildfires last year and with medical operations in Palestine. Ireland previously donated to the centre to assist India in its response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to statements issued to Mullooly, the centre contacted the Irish government on Wednesday, 22 January, and provided emergency reports, forecasted the potential damage that Storm Éowyn could cause and offered satellite mapping imagery.
It is the discretion of a member state’s government to request the activation of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (emergency aid). The first request was made by the Irish government shortly after 4pm on Saturday, according to the same statements.
The spokesperson confirmed that the team had been in touch with the EU’s emergency unit in advance of the storm “to prepare for any requests for assistance”.
Irish European Commissioner Michael McGrath confirmed on X last night that the centre has received a request for a large number of mobile generators from Ireland and that the EU is in contact with “a number of member states” to fulfil the request.
He said he is in communication with the crisis management commissioner, Belgium’s Hadja Lahbib, as well as Ireland’s new Housing and Local Government Minister James Browne. McGrath did not detail the timing of the requests or responses.
Mullooly has said many of his constituents, in Midlands North West, have been left without electricity and water.
A spokesperson for the Department of Housing told The Journal that the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management first requested the generators on Saturday following an assessment of the damage caused by Storm Éowym.
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they’ve been voted in now they won’t do a thing. Promising sun moon and stars while campaigning and disappearing once it’s over. Great bunch of lads.
@reg morrisey: cry me a river.
@Philip Kennedy: Very flippant of you, maybe you could go with power and water for several days only then to be told it will exceed a week because the politicians would rather put on a stage drama in Dublin before scooting off for two weeks holidays.
@reg morrisey: Giving the BS at the doorstep, and that’s if they even bother to turn up at it. And not delivering then when voted in. I’m not sure how long you’ve been awake, but this type of behaviour is known as being a politician. Don’t expect change when they next turn up at your doorstep as politicians lie and do so with a straight face. If one were to say, vote for me, and I’ll do nothing for you. My bank balance will grow expediently once in, and I’ll not be grateful to you for that either. Rest assured, you won’t even see me in 5 years’ time as I’ll post you my stationery and you can see what kind of a plonker you are for actually thinking differently, expecting me to work for a living. Shame on you, kind regards, your local FF/FG advocate for the needy
‘More than €10m worth of generator engines meant to tackle the State’s electricity supply shortage have been stranded in Dublin Port for over a year as they are too heavy to transport on the M50 toll bridge.
The machines were shipped to Ireland last summer by German manufacturer MAN Energy Solutions to be brought to two industrial estates in Dublin.
However, after the 11 engines arrived in Dublin Port, it was discovered they were too hefty for transport across the M50, weighing in at 275pc more than the design load for the West-Link toll bridge.’ Irish Independent.
Another Eamon Ryan phucq up.
@Staker Wallace: probably paying huge storage charges for them too
@Staker Wallace: These were actually shipped to The industrial estates late last year
@Staker Wallace: What has that to do with Eamonn Ryan?
@Staker Wallace: a screw up yes, but nothing to do with Eamon Ryan.
@Me Me: Nothing to do with Eamon Ryan who had responsibility for both energy (the generators) and transport (the toll bridge)? Eamon Ryan got the law amended in 2022 to allow the use of these generators. The buck stops with him.
@Peter Johnston: How did they transport the generators and which route did they use?
@Staker Wallace: But he’s a private citizen now, how are you going to hold him to account? The toll bridge is not the only way from the port out to the rest of the country, in fact it’s only one of 10 or 11 , are you sure the facts are correct on this?
@Staker Wallace: I’m sure they could be dismantled into a few large parts and transported and the reassembled on site. Even if the manufacturer had to be paid to do this it would be cheaper than storing them.
@Dermot Blaine: Don’t you know everything is Eamon Ryans fault. It’s probably Eamon Ryans fault the OP is bald and fat!
@Staker Wallace: Probably Eamon Ryans fault your fat and bald and your wife left you. Ye never stop blaming the Greens for absolutely everything. Sad
Most of you got exactly what you voted for. The same. A most horrible government.
@Harry Paisley: what’s your agenda? Even if you did vote for them, and do like them, you seem to have an unhealthy obsession with them. There is no government in the world that is wonderful the way you go on. Did you kill off your Doe accounts?
@Andrew Kenny: I like the Indo’s best. Their tantrums are unsurpassed. Would vote again it’s so much fun.
A shame of a government and not a days work done and off on holidays.
@Criostoir Mac Raghnaill: So who is attending the Summit in Brussels?
You get what you vote for shur’up and get the candles out
@MN: what would we have got if we voted for SF then? Warmth from the bombs?
@Darius Guppy: Say hi to the 70s
They won’t apply for EU AID, they’ll only apply for Aid for themselves. Not ONE Government Minister or opposition has visited the destructive damage that was caused because the status quo will remain and they’ll all pat themselves on the back say more carbon tax on the hard pressed people of Ireland so.
@Tommy: Why would they visit- that would only be a photo op. The relevant agencies are working day and night to get this fixed
@Sean Hayes: That’s a bit of a sensible comment Sean. This is the Journal, there is no place for comments like that.
Up in the halfway house pub the night of the storm sipping cocktails after they were all ekected on taxpayers money all the audi cars parked outside about 25 of them people scrambling to tie down the stuff they owned b4 the storm hit I haven’t seen one political body out to inspect the damage
@giles wolohan: I think you’re in the halfway house now
@giles wolohan: well they all went to the Aras on a bus, dunno who owned the Audis
@giles wolohan: Are you suggesting that it’s the responsibility of the government to tie down people’s property?
@Paul O’Mahoney: he’s drunk
Comms have been disastrous since power was lost. ESB telling people today, then in two weeks, then Thursday and always at 9pm for some reason. I totally understand it isn’t the fault hardworking staff volunteers but the comms and leadership are a shambles. Government newly elected couldn’t give a s…- where the TD’s who called to the door mere months ago
With these violent storms becoming more common they really need to invest in this type of infrastructure.
@Trevor Schmitt: These violent storms are NOT becoming more common. In fact, the intensity of storms have been reducing over the last few decades. https://x.com/SnowbieWx/status/1883590345772199980
Please stop spreading misinformation about storms.
@Laois Weather: Do you have anything else than a link to “X” as a source?
I searched for a bit, but couldn’t find anything other than
“more storms or more heavy storms” over the last decades..
@Wolfgang Bonow: Agreed, it’s pretty easy to see that the intensity of storms has increased and not just here, mass flooding in Valencia, an area usually dry , the UK has had more flooding than ever. There seems to be an agenda to ignore facts, and it’s not really work out well for us if we continue on this path.
@Wolfgang Bonow: The data in that X post is from Met Éireann. What you are searching for is someone’s opinion on it, you don’t need opinion, just hard raw data. It speaks the truth. Storms are less intense. Similar data for Dublin Airport shows even more of a decline: https://x.com/SnowbieWx/status/1882488201954378195?t=6jGpOcRcVd45PMfIzt1eMg&s=19
@Lone Hurler: So, you post another link to to twitter, same guy, same “statistic”.
I’m not looking for opinions.
LW and now yourself, post the same twitter link and I’m only asking for the data source to confirm it’s a genuine argument and not some makey-uppy stuff.
@Wolfgang Bonow: It’s Met Eireann’s data, it clearly says so on the chart that is linked. It’s not some makey-uppy stuff – that makey-uppy stuff you’re thinking of is peddled by Trevor above who has no data to back up his assertion “With these violent storms becoming more common”. Notice you didn’t question that statement on this discussion, is your mind already made up and facts be damned?
For such a wealthy nation we always come up short, never prepared, I know the usual crowd will say other countries are better prepared because they experience weather like this more often, no they are just prepared for all eventualitys, if it snows we haven’t a clue we come to a stop if the wind blows over our old wooden esb poles we need outside help, like come on if we want to act wealthy and far advanced let’s at least try be prepared and stop needing help, where does our high taxes go at all, please don’t say a bike shed.
@Darran Macken: We send engineers to other countries too when severe weather comes to them. Having engineers for rare events isn’t effective use of funds. Poles generally don’t fall over its trees, taking poles down is the issue. Are you going to ask for trees to be cut down too? Steel poles might look stronger but they won’t prevent branches from affecting power/telephone lines.
@Paul O’Mahoney: yes, my bro in law in the esb spent a week in France a few years ago doing just that
Fair play to the MEP for speaking out on this. Watch as the Irish government move to outlaw fossil based generators and further turn the screw on Irish people. Wait and see, it will happen
@Thesaltyurchin: another soothsayer
When will people finally realise the FFFG government only interested in pleasing Europe ,landlords and the elite.
No interest in the working or middle class , shower of cu nts
Same crowd whinging about “voting in the same gobsh*tes, and they should be better prepared” as the ones whining that “it’s only winter.”
@William Rymer: and denying climate change
A lads go easy on the ministers and td’s would you like to be annoyed by your boss when your on holiday
A bit of good and news and an improvement with this update.
Why does Ireland still have overhead electric cables? Put them underground like other modern countries
@Hector turtlehead: “modern countries” have overhead cables as well in rural areas.
Maintenance and execution is the issue.
Driving thru some small villages, the cabling looks like from some picture from a 3rd word country.
I have\had family in a tiny village, next house +500m away.
I never heard of of power cuts because of storms or waterpipes burst because of frost. I’m talking here about -20 degrees and more.
It’s all down to shoddy standards and work.
Where are FFG ,people in a bad way and them not to be seen anywhere
If only we had let Sean Kelly build his LNG terminal we would have been able to manage!
My friend in the uk had a power cut, something wrong with a line under her house, within the hour a huge generator outside, I know we would need a good few here but for people to go this long without electricity? Vulnerable elderly, babies, small children, it’s freezing! It’s not right.
Wonder if theses would happen to be diesel generators? (like the ones used to charge electric cars & busses?)
Pathetic that the supposed richest country in Europe if not the west can’t even keep the lights on. 3rd world infrastructure across the board with a facade of the 1st World for the FDIs it is a digital banana Republic, kleptocratic faux democracy. And yall keep voting them in afraid of not being told what to do, yall deserve what’s going to happen, you reap what you sow
@Tom L: it’s a fallacy that Ireland is the richest country in Europe
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