Social Democrats have stressed that the cost of repairs to the electricity network in the aftermath of Storm Éowyn should not be passed on to customers under any circumstances.

This concern was raised following the suggestion by the CEO of ESB Networks that the repair costs could result in higher electricity bills for customers next year.

Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore, who is the party's spokesperson on energy, rebuked this idea, stating it "must have sounded like a sick joke" to the thousands of customers still waiting to have their power restored.

Deputy Whitmore said: "While the full cost of restoring the network has yet to be determined, it would be unconscionable if domestic or business customers ended up picking up the tab.


"ESB Networks is a highly profitable company and should be well placed to foot the repair bill, however costly, from their own resources.

"Ireland already has the highest electricity prices in the EU so any attempt to push up bills further must be strenuously resisted.

"That is not to take from the incredible efforts of the thousands of ESB and international crews, as well as their contract partners, who have been working round the clock in extremely challenging conditions to restore power to homes and businesses around the country."

Deputy Whitmore separately called on the Minister for Energy, Darragh O'Brien, to come into the Dáil and take questions from the Opposition on the Government’s "completely inadequate" response to Storm Éowyn.

Deputy Whitmore said: "We need to know why the Government was so badly prepared for this extreme weather event; what supports will continue to be provided to those most impacted; and what plans will be put in place for the inevitable arrival of the next storm.

"It is completely unacceptable that the Dáil was not recalled last week. At a time when the country was in crisis, the Government was missing in action."