The National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG) is helping local authorities set up response hubs in areas impacted by power outages.

The coordination group met today (Sunday, January 26) and is continuing to ensure all efforts are made to restore power, water, telecommunications and other services to homes, farms and businesses following Storm Éowyn.

ESB Networks is continuing to restore power to some 330,000 customers, and there are approximately 109,000 customers without water, with 126,000 at risk.

Ireland has activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and has made a request for high-capacity generators to support critical infrastructure operators.

Due to the unprecedented extent of the disruption to services, the NECG has established two additional sub-groups to manage the ongoing coordination of the storm impacts.

The groups include the NECG Sub-Group on Communications Infrastructure and the NECG Sub-Group on Humanitarian Assistance.

Emergency Response Hubs will assist people with basic needs such as water, hot food, phone charging, broadband access, shower and clothes washing facilities.

Local authorities will continue to manage coordination groups in the worst affected areas to coordinate available supports and assistance.

Local authorities continue to offer helplines for those in need of assistance and to provide advice and direction to supports available, including the Department of Social Protection’s Humanitarian Assistance Scheme.

All local authorities will share available resources between them, and a central national database is being established to support this.

Chair of the NECG Keith Leonard said: “With yellow weather warnings in place for much of the country today and into tomorrow, we are again going to see dangerous travelling conditions.

"These strong and gusty winds may cause further damage to already weakened structures and trees – so please take extra care if travelling, and remember to never approach fallen or damaged wires as they are likely to be live and very dangerous."

"We remain focused on providing cross-government support to these recovery efforts – making sure that any organisation that can help is available to do so," he added.

NECG sub groups will meet again later today to progress work in their respective areas. The full NECG will meet again tomorrow, and work will continue throughout the day and week to coordinate the response and recovery.