Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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104. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government in view of severe weather events in 2024 and to date in 2025, the measures being implemented to strengthen critical infrastructure including energy supplies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49276/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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Following Storm Éowyn, I asked ESB Networks (ESB-N) to prepare as a priority a Winter 2025 Resilience Plan to enhance the resilience of the grid in the most vulnerable locations for the upcoming winter. This has been progressing since April and the actions include:-

1. ESB-N has made hazards safe and progressed remedial works needed to refurbish the network.
2. ESB-N continues to work with Coillte and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to identify segments of the network at highest future risk. Timber harvesters have been procured and during the summer began to cut timber according to this prioritisation.
3. Emergency stocks of spare parts and materials are being replenished.
4. Staffing levels and available contractor resources are being increased through provision of targeted training programmes. In addition, my Department has progressed the issue of permits for skilled workers from outside the EU to advance urgent forestry work.
5. ESB-N is leading a working group at EU level to establish formal arrangements for mutual aid during extreme weather events.