Government making €9m available to local authorities to deal with Ophelia aftermath
The Government is making almost €9m available to local authorities, to help deal with the clean up following Hurricane Ophelia and other major weather events in 2017.
Despite bad weather causing widespread damage and disruption, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government says the exceptional nature of preparation and response by local authorities led to a remarkably swift recovery.
Ex-Hurricane Ophelia was an unprecedented weather event for Ireland with record breaking wind-speeds that prompted a Met Eireann,red level severe weather warning for the entire country.
The storm caused widespread damage and disruption with 385,000 businesses and households without power and 109,000 people without water at the peak of the storm.
Despite the damage and disruption, the recovery was remarkably swift, with practically all roads reopened within 24 hours of the storm, water supply restored within four days and power back within eight.
The Government is acknowledging the preparation and responses of local authorities - making over €9m available to help cover the cost of the cleanup for hurricane Ophelia and other major winter weather events.
Over €1.98m is being made available to Cork City Council, €1.4m to Cork County Council and over €330,000 for Galway city and county - among other local authorities affected.
And, along with €1.73m being made available to Donegal for the extreme rainfall event and flooding in August €208,00 is being made available for severe flooding in Mountmellick in Laois, after the River Barrow overflowed in November.
Along with acknowledging the responses in place - the Government also noted that systems for dealing with vulnerable customers worked well and should be carried forward for the future.
