IFA president, Francie Gorman, has said it is critical that all necessary resources are deployed to repair the damage caused by Storm Éowyn last week.

“This storm has wreaked havoc across the country, with nearly 250,000 locations not connected this morning. It’s vital that every resource is deployed to restore power to those impacted as soon as possible,” he said.

The ESB has said that over 768,000 customers lost their electricity supply on Friday, January 24, and that the storm brought "unprecedented, widespread and extensive damage to electricity infrastructure".

ESB Networks confirmed that, as of 7:00a.m this morning, 246,000 homes, farms and businesses remain without electricity supply.

IFA president Gorman has expressed his concerns about the impact that the recovery will have on farmers who are without power.

“Tens of thousands of customers will be without power for a number of days. For farms which are at the busiest time of the year, every day without electricity or water is very challenging,” he said.

The IFA president also acknowledged the work of first responders and local communities that are supporting people who are without power and water at the moment.

The National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NCEG), has set up emergency response hubs to assist people without power and water in the aftermath of the storm.

The IFA has noted that Storm Ėowyn is the second major weather event to hit the country this year. Earlier in the month, some areas of the country were impacted by significant snowfall.

“We need to assess our infrastructure in the aftermath (of the storm) and see what can be done to better prepare for this," Gorman said.

"This review should involve all stakeholders to see what steps can be taken to minimise disruption when we encounter similar events in the future,” he concluded.