Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte has said that the public will have to become more accustomed to power cuts if EirGrid is not allowed to further develop the national grid.
Minister Rabbitte said that the power cuts caused by the harsh weather are an indication of the conditions people would be forced to endure without a proper upgrade of the electricity network.
He says efforts to restore power to houses affected by the storms are going quicker than expected.
But he says upgrading the electricity network - whether through overground or underground lines - is a must.
"All you have to do is to look at the unfortunate people at the moment who have been plunged into darkness and don't have light or heat," he said.
"And you get a taste of what it would be like if we didn't have a transmission system fit for purpose."