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About 8,000 still without power in NI one week after Storm Éowyn

Getty Images A large tree lies across a road blocking a taxi. Branches are lying about the road.Getty Images
A fallen tree brought down during Storm Éowyn blocks the road on 24 January in Holywood, near Belfast

About 8,000 properties in Northern Ireland are still without power one week on from Storm Éowyn.

At its peak 30% of all premises in Northern Ireland had their power disconnected.

The former MP Francie Molloy, who has been without electricity since last Friday, said customers have been "failed".

Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) future networks director, Ronan McKeown, has said the company has a "very robust emergency plan" in place.

Getty Images The driver of a white van is unable to drive forward because of a large uprooted tree. More trees are uprooted further up the road.Getty Images
Fallen trees block a road near Templepatrick during Storm Éowyn on Friday

Mr Molloy, who lives in Moy, Dungannon, County Armagh, told BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme that he fears he will be 10 days without electricity.

"I am sitting in pitch black with a torch," he said.

Talking about how politicians have been responding in the aftermath of the storm, he said: "I don't think enough people are speaking up."

Mr Molloy said that a "company like NIE should be prepared".

"They knew this storm was coming."

'Prioritising as best we can'

Speaking to BBC's Good Morning Ulster, Mr McKeown described the aftermath of the storm as "a serious challenge" and said NIE is "working tirelessly" to restore power for customers.

"There are hard yards here ahead of us this weekend but we are committed to making sure everyone's on by Monday night," he said.

He also said he empathises with people who are still without electricity, but said his organisation is "prioritising as best we can" and "working extremely hard right around the clock".

On Thursday, Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) Networks confirmed that a further 70 specialists were on their way from Great Britain to help restore electricity to all customers.

This is in addition to the 300 engineers already working on the ground in Northern Ireland since last week's storm.

Meanwhile, a generator and trailer was stolen from NI Water from a site near Omagh.

Northern Ireland had its highest gusts in 27 years during the storm.

In the Republic of Ireland, there are 76,000 customers still without power, down from a peak of 768,000.

A man died after a tree fell on the car he was driving in Raphoe, County Donegal, on Friday.

Emergency contacts

To report faults or emergencies you should contact:

Northern Ireland Housing Executive: 03448 920 901

Openreach Damages to Network: 08000 23 20 23 (Individual faults must be logged with Communications Providers)

Gas networks: 0800 002001

NI Water: 03457 44 00 88 or visit niwater.com

Flooding Incident Line: 0300 2000 100

NIE Networks: 03457 643 643 or visit nienetworks.co.uk