Preparations by local authorities and the preparation of flood defences is a matter for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Office of Public Works respectively.
My Department engaged in significant preparatory work in advance of Storm Amy last week including attending technical briefings hosted by the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM). These briefings included significant inputs from Met Eireann on the arrival of Storm Amy and the warnings that would come into play which assisted agencies in their preparedness.
Officials in my Department were also in regular contact with their counterparts in ESB Networks (ESB-N) and EirGrid prior to the storm and throughout the weekend. Officials attended sub-groups hosted by the NDFEM that dealt with the humanitarian response and the impacts on all critical infrastructure.
I am advised that ESB-N entered preparedness mode in advance of Storm Amy and mobilised repair crews and contract partners to the areas that were expected to be most impacted. ESB-N developed and issued Public Safety Messages ahead of the arrival of Storm Amy, alongside Local Authorities and State Agencies. There was significant engagement between these parties to identify critical sites for urgent repairs and ensure timely access.
With regard to the safeguarding of electricity supply in coastal and rural areas, following Storm Éowyn, I asked ESB-N to prepare as a priority a Winter 2025 Resilience Plan to enhance the resilience of the grid in the most vulnerable locations for the upcoming winter. This has been progressing since April and the actions include:
ESB-N has progressed remedial works post Storm Éowyn, needed to refurbish the network.
ESB-N continues to work with Coillte and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to identify segments of the network at highest future risk. Timber harvesters have been procured and during the summer began to cut timber according to this prioritisation.
Emergency stocks of spare parts and materials are being replenished.
Staffing levels and available contractor resources are being increased through provision of targeted training programmes. In addition, my Department has progressed the issue of permits for skilled workers from outside the EU to advance urgent forestry work.
ESB-N is leading a working group at EU level to establish formal arrangements for mutual aid during extreme weather events.
ESB-N is also increasing the number of access officers who manage engagement with landowners on forestry work. My Department is preparing legislation to enhance ESB-N’s powers to manage vegetation, place the dimensions and conditions of corridors through forestry on a statutory footing, and establish principles for the compensation of affected landowners. Cabinet approved the Heads of this Bill in July and work on advancing the legislation continues.
I should also highlight that significant investment in the electricity grid which supports overall resilience is ongoing. The National Development Plan will provide for the provision of up to €3.5 billion in additional equity to support an unprecedented investment in electricity grid infrastructure over 2026 – 2030. €2 billion will be provided to EirGrid and €1.5 billion to ESB. This equity will enable both companies to raise finance for the planned investment of up to €18 billion.
