IRELAND is set to buy 100 large-scale power generators in a bid to avoid a repeat of the mass water outages suffered in the wake of Storm Eowyn.
Thousands of people were left without access to water across the country in the aftermath of the record breaking wind storm last month.
Uisce Eireann was forced to borrow generators from countries across Europe in order to get power back to treatment facilities and restore water supplies.
The Defence Forces were tasked with transporting these massive power generators around the country as State bodies worked together to restore the damage caused by the storm.
Uisce Eireann relied on 300 generators to temporarily power treatment facilities and pumps across the country after the storm.
Housing Minister James Browne will today bring forward a proposal to Cabinet to order Uisce Eireann to purchase 100 generators to have on hand in case another storm takes out power at treatment facilities.
If the Cabinet agrees to the proposal, Uisce Eireann will lead on the procurement of these generators which is expected to cost several million.
The new Housing Minister is keen to avoid a repeat of the chaos caused by Storm Eowyn and has been working with other Ministers on contingency plans to prepare for future storms.
Tens of thousands of people were left without electricity for nearly two weeks following Storm Eowyn which brought record breaking winds to the country.
Storm Eowyn was the most violent weather event to hit Ireland in decades.
Winds maxed out at a record-breaking 184kph in Co Galway when the storm hit on January 24 – smashing the previous 182kph record from Limerick in 1945.
The terrifying weather closed workplaces, events, shops and schools, and also left thousands without water.
Thousands of ESB crews teamed up with counterparts in Austria, Finland, UK, Germany and Norway across the ground in Galway, Mayo, Clare, Cavan, Monaghan, Westmeath, Donegal and Longford – which were the worst affected areas.
