5,000 ESB customers remain without power

An estimated 5,000 homes and businesses remain without power one week after a storm which cut services to more than 260,000 customers.

ESB Networks said it was dealing with 2,000 faults – having already dealt with more than 6,000 – and hoped to have reconnected the majority of these customers by the end of the week.

It some customers who have had services restored may lose power for a period as lines are disabled to allow for additional repairs.

The company said another 30 contractors joined the repair effort last night, joining the 245 additional extra staff from the UK brought in to assist ESB Networks repair crews.

It said 95 per cent of the remaining faults are isolated, impacting on less than 3 customers per fault.

The company warned customers not to connect a generator to a socket or distribution board.

“Doing so will create a feed onto the electricity network and will pose a danger to others including repair crews.”

The company also appealed to the public not to approach fallen lines after technicians observed members of the public engaging in “a number of extremely dangerous and worrying incidents”.

A spokesman said: “some of our lines are coated in PVC but are not insulated. We also remind customers who are using generators that they should observe the safety precautions and ensure they do not connect a generator to a socket or distribution board. Doing so will create a feed onto the electricity network and will pose a danger to others including repair crews.”

From Thursday to Sunday, approximately 1,700 poles, 400km of conductor line and 400 transformers have been replaced.

The regions with the most customers still without power are the surrounding areas of Tralee, Dunmanway, Killarney, Fermoy, Newcastlewest, Tipperary and Enniscorthy.