Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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171. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if areas on boil water notices will be prioritised for power restoration in the event of power outages due to poor weather in view of the added cost and implications for households; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39129/18]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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The priority for the restoration of outages caused by severe weather is an operational matter for ESB Networks, but my Department has raised this matter with the ESBN, which has  provided the following information: - Prioritised power restoration proceeds when conditions allow for this to be undertaken safely. Power restoration takes place in an organised way with the prioritisation of resources to worst affected areas and locations where there are medically vulnerable households.

- ESB Networks works with a range of stakeholders to prioritise restoration of electricity in a safe and efficient manner. One of these stakeholders is Irish Water. During severe storms, ESB Networks and Irish Water maintain a direct line of communication to allow Irish Water to provide detailed information to ESB Networks about locations where power outages are impacting its operations. These can be locations where power outages are affecting water pumping, sewage treatment or other Irish Water activities, including where Boil Water notices are in place.

- Where possible and safe to do so, ESB Networks prioritises the restoration of electricity to those locations identified by Irish Water. Where prioritisation is not possible, or restoration is scheduled over an extended period of time, ESB Networks provides information to Irish Water on the forecast power restoration schedule for these locations which helps Irish Water to plan its response to the weather event effectively.