Scale of crisis in Longford is immense: TD demands that free hot meals and temporary accommodation should be made available

Micheál Carrigy TD has called for immediate government intervention as County Longford experiences one of the highest levels of ESB outages in the country, with 89% of customers—both businesses and households—losing power.

While ESB crews are working tirelessly to restore supply, some homes, farms, and businesses may remain without electricity and water until next Wednesday, February 5, leaving many in an increasingly dire situation.

Deputy Carrigy is demanding urgent supports to be put in place for those affected, including:

• Free hot meals for families without power and cooking facilities.
• Temporary accommodation in hotels for families unable to stay in their homes.
• Financial assistance for those who have had to move into hotels due to the outages.
• Support packages for businesses forced to close, including wage subsidies for staff who lost out on earnings.
• Emergency aid for GP surgeries struggling to operate without power or water.

“The scale of this crisis is immense, and people need immediate support. Families who have had to relocate to hotels must be reimbursed through a central fund. Businesses forced to shut down need urgent financial support—what is being done to help their staff who have lost wages?”

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Deputy Carrigy has also raised serious concerns about the impact on farmers, particularly during milking and calving season.

“This power outage has been devastating for farmers, many of whom are in the middle of calving season and rely on power for milking. The government must allow the purchase of generators to be covered under the TAMS scheme to ensure farms can operate in these emergencies. Farmers need certainty that their livelihoods and livestock will be protected in times of crisis.”

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He also called for a dedicated grant scheme to help rural households purchase generators, particularly for people with additional needs.

“Households in rural Ireland should have access to financial support for generators through a dedicated grant scheme. In addition, those with additional medical or care needs should be able to apply for assistance in purchasing a generator through the Community Welfare Services to ensure they are not left vulnerable in these situations.”

Deputy Carrigy has also strongly criticised the lack of a coordinated national response for vulnerable individuals.

“Where was the plan for those who are sick, elderly, in nursing homes, or require additional supports? Why were emergency generators not sourced from Europe before Friday and redeployed across the worst-affected areas? These questions need to be answered, and action must be taken to prevent this from happening again.”

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Despite the challenges, Deputy Carrigy expressed his deep appreciation for the efforts of ESB crews, emergency services, local authority staff, healthcare workers, and community volunteers who have been working around the clock.

“The dedication and resilience of our emergency responders and volunteers have been outstanding. Their tireless work, often in extremely difficult conditions, has been vital in supporting those most in need. I want to sincerely thank every single person who has stepped up during this crisis.”

Deputy Carrigy is urging the relevant Ministers to take immediate action to provide practical, on-the-ground supports for families, farmers, and businesses affected by the ongoing outages.

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“We need urgent action—not more delays. People are struggling, and they need assistance now.”