It is generally the case that after big weather events there are calls for “lessons to be learned”. Such was the extent of the damage caused by Storm Éowyn that while there is already debate on this issue, tens of thousands have still to get their power back and many still await a water supply or internet connection too.
Given the unprecedented extent of the storm, severe damage was always likely. The normal warnings were issued and the activation of national emergency planning took place – and the public were well served by Met Éireann. The crews who went out in all weathers to reconnect people deserve great credit.
The new Government, however, was slow to react. It was late this week before senior ministers conceded that more support was needed, including temporary housing for the vulnerable.
The damage having been done, they may not have had the ability to speed up reconnections. But the Government could have ensured that those without power and water – particularly the most vulnerable – were assisted more rapidly and efficiently. Financial assistance was available, for sure, but physical help was needed too. Calls to recall the Dáil may have been driven by party political concerns, but it is an entirely reasonable question why the national parliament did not sit to debate the issue. It should have.
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There are longer-term questions. Ireland’s investment in adapting to climate change has been insufficient, as has been seen in many flooding events. Now the “big wind” of 2025 has underlined the fragility of the electricity network. As the planned climate transition will move more and more of our lives to relying on electricity, a more convincing strategy is needed to upgrade the network and to cope when trouble hits.
This is difficult, given the dispersed nature of the Irish population, which means that our transmission lines per head of population are four times greater than the EU average. Many rural lines are vulnerable to wind and falling trees – and this greatly complicates recovery efforts. Eirgrid, which is responsible for the backbone of the transmission system, and ESB Networks have both been investing. But clearly all aspects of this need to be reviewed. As does the reliance of the water network on electricity; the time it took to restore supply through bringing generators to pumping stations was simply too long.
In the longer term, national spatial planning would see more people living closer to towns and cities in “denser” communities where these issues would be more easily dealt with. But national delivery on this strategy is far from convincing. And rural communities in particular need to see a more resilient network and a better plan to cope when problems do hit. The trouble is that, after the storm has passed, all too often these issues are not given the urgency they deserve.
