Almost 200 engineers deployed to Northern Ireland following Storm Eowyn
Hundreds of thousands of properties were left without power on Friday.
Nearly 200 electricity engineers have been deployed to Northern Ireland from other parts of the UK to assist with the operation to restore power to customers following Storm Eowyn.
The major storm on Friday led to hundreds of thousands of customers being left without electricity in the region.
By Tuesday, NIE Networks said 37,000 customers remain without power.
The company has said it may be February 3 before power is restored to all homes.
As part of the effort to help with repairing the network, engineers have arrived in Northern Ireland from across the UK.
Lawrence Slade, chief executive of Energy Networks Association, said: “As other network operators return to normal operations, additional staff and equipment are being freed up and sent from Scotland, England and Wales to Northern Ireland to support with the reconnection efforts there.
“This is in addition to more than 1,000 staff based locally at NIE Networks who have been working around the clock since the storm hit.
“Nearly 200 staff have been redeployed to Northern Ireland to date, in addition to helicopters, drones, generators and replacement parts from stockpiles in other parts of the UK.
“More people and equipment are expected to be sent over today and later this week.
“Everyone is working flat out to support and reconnect customers.
“This is a huge team effort from every network operator across the UK, Ireland and further afield.”
NIE Networks, Northern Ireland’s energy network provider, said power had now been restored to 248,000 properties.
Education Minister Paul Givan said the majority of schools in Northern Ireland which had been forced to close due to the storm disruption have now reopened.
However, around 20 schools remain closed.
Mr Givan said: “Storm Eowyn brought widespread disruption to schools across Northern Ireland and the Education Authority has been working closely with NIE Networks and other partners to make repairs and get electricity reconnected.
“The Education Authority’s maintenance helpline has received around 1,000 calls for assistance from schools as result of the impact of the storm.
“Work continues apace, and while the number continues to fluctuate, the latest position is that some 20 schools are currently closed, down from 60 on Monday.
“The vast majority of these are due to ongoing power outages and we are meeting regularly with NIE to ensure they are prioritised for reconnection as soon as possible.
“However, this remains a changing situation, and we appreciate the range of challenges facing NIE colleagues.
“Where schools are closed, the Education Authority is proactively engaging principals to ensure contingency arrangements are in place to support continuity of learning.”
Stormont’s Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has announced £1 million in funding to help those who are affected by the aftermath of the storm.
Mr Lyons said: “Storm Eowyn has caused devastation and my primary concern is the safety and well-being of all those affected, particularly children, the elderly and people with vulnerabilities.
“Over the weekend I activated the non-flooding scheme of emergency financial assistance (SEFA) to ensure immediate, on-the-ground support with community assistance centres operating across every council area.
“Today I am extending the scheme and have ring-fenced funding of up to £1 million for outreach services, delivered in partnership with councils and the community and voluntary sector, to ensure the right supports are in place in the right way for those most in need.”
Northern Ireland Water has said around 300 properties are experiencing a loss of water supply.
A spokesperson said: “We can give the assurance that we won’t stop until all properties are back on supply. We are a 24/7 business and that work will continue day and night until water supplies return to normal.”
It said that bottled water is available to customers at a number of public buildings across Northern Ireland.
