Taoiseach Simon Harris has commended farmers and the wider farming community for supporting the work of their local authorities during the spell of very cold and often dangerous weather this week.
As the country exits the Arctic spell, and nationwide weather warnings expire, the Taoiseach has commended the national response to the severe weather.
“The coordinated response, led by the National Emergency Coordination Group (NECG) and guided by Met Éireann’s forecast, was crucial in mitigating the potential dangers posed by the cold spell, and the effort by multiple teams nationwide showed their dedication to public safety and protecting the most vulnerable,” he said.
“We are lucky to have such dedicated teams who worked in the freezing conditions to restore power and water as quickly as they could.
“I want to particularly thank the civil defence teams and everyone who volunteered in order to get patients and staff in and out of hospitals, delivered prescriptions to those who could not make the journey, and made every effort to ensure food and water were delivered to those who were in isolated areas,” the Taoiseach added.
He also thanked the people who worked in their local communities who help ensure vulnerable people were supplied with their needs.
“During the cold spell, we have once again seen the very best of Irish people as they travelled across their communities to deliver supplies to their neighbours.
“I also want to commend the farming community for their support to the local authorities.
“Please continue to be mindful when travelling over the coming days as a result snowmelt and the conditions that may follow,” the Taoiseach said.
Met Éireann has forecast a gradual increase in temperatures from today (Friday, January 10) and over the weekend, with temperatures of 6° to 10° predicted for Sunday (January 12). The last remaining Met Éireann Status Yellow low temperature and ice weather warning for Ireland expired at noon today.
The NECG said that the vast majority of people affected by power or water outages have now had their supply restored.
The group also said that the transport picture is also improving, but road conditions remain difficult in some parts of the country, and some public transport services may continue to be affected. People in those areas are still advised to check with the relevant operator.
Keith Leonard, the national director of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management, said: “Our strong community spirit is such an asset during times like this, and once again we’ve seen people step-up to help and support those who needed it.”