A member of the ruling Fine Gael party in the second chamber of the Irish parliament believes Ireland will be entitled to financial aid to help with reconstruction in the aftermath of Ophelia.
Senator Neale Richmond said the EU Solidarity Fund should be accessed. The fund was established by the EU in 2002 following severe floods in Central Europe. Since then it has been used to help out in disasters such as forest fires, floods and even earthquakes.
Richmond said:
Given the huge amount of damage inflicted across the country by Hurricane Ophelia, Ireland will be eligible for such funds.
Any application has to be received by the European commission within 12 weeks of any disaster occurring.
This not a rapid response tool but it will be vital to the post storm recovery and I have no doubt the government will apply to draw down these funds once the initial emergency and relief measures are attended to.
The interesting question will be whether Northern Ireland could apply to the same European fund via the Westminster government even as Theresa May negotiates the UK’s exit from the EU.
All schools across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland are to remain closed on Tuesday as the authorities deal with the aftermath of Storm Ophelia.
The decision was taken to “avoid any potential risk to life for children and staff” after severe winds caused widespread damage to the electricity network, structural damage and uprooted trees.
Richard Bruton, Ireland’s education minister, said over 350,000 businesses and homes are already without power, severe winds continue to cause damage and many roads are closed due to fallen trees.
He said:
It is also the case that school authorities will in very many cases not have had an opportunity to check their buildings and confirm they are safe, have power and water, and that routes to the school are safely open.
Bruton admitted that the decision to close schools “will have a major impact on families and on the workforce.”
He added, however: “This decision has been taken in the interests of safety for children and to provide clarity for everyone concerned.”
Following careful consideration by the National Emergency Coordination Group, the Department of Education and Skills, has decided that all schools will remain closed tomorrow #Ophelia
He said his department will issue guidance to schools in relation to making up lost days.
In relation to further and higher education Bruton said it was up to individual institutions to decide whether to open.
In Northern Ireland, the education department said schools have been advised to remain closed. The decision was taken following a meeting of the Civil Contingencies Group, after the Met Office advised it on “the prolonged nature and potential severity of the storm”.
I fully appreciate this decision will impact on the work of the schools and indeed on other businesses and services but the decision has been taken to avoid any potential risk to life for children and young people as well as staff.
MerrionStreet, the Irish government’s news service says the priority across Ireland continues to be ensuring that any homeless person will have access to shelter during Storm Ophelia.
Across the country rough sleepers are being supported by charities and local authorities who are picking them by taxi and taking them to shelter.
A statement said:
Additional facilities providing shelter and supports to those who need them have opened up across the country today. Notices have been posted in relation to the extra facilities, cafes and emergency beds that are available in the system.
There have been over 100 calls to the emergency lines and to the rough sleeper email address from concerned members of the public in relation to homeless individuals. These have all been followed up on.
Eoghan Murphy, minister for housing, planning and local government, indicated that he will continue to keep matters under review and confirmed that he is making all the required supports and resources available to local authorities to ensure the safety of Ireland’s homeless and rough sleepers.
This is Nicola Slawson taking over from Haroon. Thanks for joining us. I’ll be keeping you up to date throughout the evening.
A number of flights to UK airports have been diverted after “smoke smells” were reported on board, the Press Association reports.
EasyJet said four of its flights were diverted due to “atmospheric circumstances” while a British Airways spokeswoman said the carrier has had “some reports of smells on board” but the aircraft continued to their destinations.
Five full emergency landings at London Heathrow today with smell of smoke in the cockpit due to dust from Sahara and Iberia Fires 🛬
Liverpool John Lennon Airport stated that “atmospheric conditions” are believed to be causing flights to divert.
An easyJet spokeswoman said: “EasyJet can confirm that four of its flights flying in the west of the UK have reported smoke smells in the cockpit today, believed to be linked to atmospheric circumstances due to storm Ophelia.
Two flights returned shortly after take-off and two flights requested an expedited landing as a precaution only. We understand other airlines have experienced similar events and we continue to liaise with the Met Office as to the likely cause. The safety and welfare of our passengers and crew is easyJet’s highest priority. We would like to apologise for any inconvenience experienced by the diversions.
BA said in a statement:
The safety of our customers and crew is always our priority. Our flights have been operating and landing normally, but we have been liaising with the Met Office about atmospheric conditions.
Three people have been killed as tropical storm Ophelia batters Ireland with winds of more than 100mph. Waterford council said a woman was killed when high winds brought down a tree on her car in Aglish. A man in his early 30s died after an accident with his chainsaw while trying to clear a fallen tree in Ballybrado, Tipperary. Another man died in Ravensdale, near Dundalk, close to the border with Northern Ireland, when a tree struck his car.
At least 360,000 electricity customers are without power amid scores of reports of fallen trees and power lines. The network operator warned that the majority of those already affected would be without power tonight and 5% to 10% could be without electricity for up to 10 days. Northern Ireland was also affected, with 18,000 customers suffering a loss of power, including the Stormont parliament.
The force of Ophelia was such that it blew roofs of buildings in Cork. Douglas Community school saw the roof of its gym ripped off and the roof of Cork City football club’s stadium collapsed. A gust of 118mph was recorded off the coast of Ireland.
All schools in the Republic of Ireland will remain closed tomorrow in the interests of “child safety”, the education minister announced. The Northern Ireland department of education followed suit. Cork airport said no more flights would be departing today, while public transport in the Republic of Ireland will not be resuming until 5am on Tuesday at the earliest.
Bill Clinton’s visit to Belfast was cancelled because of the storm. The former US president was due to meet political parties represented in the Stormont parliament to urge them to find a way to restore the power-sharing government. Government buildings in Northern Ireland have been closed.
The Met Office has extended an amber weather warning to parts of Scotland, Wales and northern England with winds threatening power cuts and falling debris. A series of flood alerts and warnings are in place for south west and north west England. Planes have been grounded at Manchester airport, with 20 flights cancelled and passengers warned to check ahead before travelling to the airport.
Waves of up to 27ft high were recorded at sea as a rare warning for hurricane-force 12 winds was issued for shipping areas south of Ireland.
The department of education in Northern Ireland has followed in the footsteps of its southern Irish counterpart by instructing all schools to close tomorrow.
@Education_NI has announced that all schools should close tomorrow (Monday 16 October) as precautionary measure in light of weather warnings
The latest official update warns that storm Ophelia will “bring further violent and destructive winds for a time, with gusts of 120 and 150km/h”, as well as flooding, posing a threat to life and property.
The Gardai have confirmed that another man has died in Ravensdale, near Dundalk, close to the border with Northern Ireland, as a result of a falling tree.
Ahead of her dinner in Brussels this evening, Theresa May spoke with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar this afternoon. She expressed her condolences over the loss of two lives so far in Ireland (since up to three) connected with storm Ophelia.
A Downing Street spokesman said:
On storm Ophelia, the prime minister expressed her sympathies for the loss of life and said the UK government stood ready to provide any support if requested.
