From Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
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The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, in its role as the Lead Government Department for coordinating the response to severe weather, continues to monitor the situation.
As the immediate response phase to this severe weather event has ceased or is being wound down in all areas the National Emergency Coordination Group (NECG) has been stood down after being in continuous daily session, including twice daily as required, since Monday 26 February.
The Irish Water Crisis Management Team is continuing to meet to coordinate the response in relation to water services. The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government is attending these meetings. While the numbers of people affected by disruptions and restrictions to water supply are generally decreasing day by day, the Irish Water Crisis Management Team will continue to manage their overall response while this is necessary.
All Local Authority Crisis Management Teams have also now been stood down reflecting the improved conditions. However, some conditions remain in places, particularly in Wicklow, where the County Council is managing significant snow clearing operations in remote areas with the assistance of the Defence Forces. The advice to the public to be extremely careful when using the roads remains in place.
Frost will clear quickly this morning in the bright conditions but fog may linger for a time. There will be good sunshine at first but cloud will gradually increase and rain will develop across the south of the country in the early afternoon. Highs of 7 to 9 degrees with, southeasterly winds slowly freshening.
Rain will gradually push northwards this evening with some heavier outbreaks overnight. Lowest temperatures of 3 or 4 degrees in moderate southeasterly winds.
Saturday morning will be wet for many places. The rain will begin to clear from the south in the afternoon with the skies gradually brightening. Highs of 11 or 12 degrees as southerly winds freshen with the clearance.
Sunday will be a cloudy day with showery outbreaks of rain, heavy at times across the southwest of Munster. Highs of 9 to 11 degrees.
Irish Water reports that the national picture has improved significantly with only a few small pockets remaining with no water supply. 2,450 customers remain without a water supply, 30,216 customers have a restricted supply and there are now no customers on boil water notices relating to storm Emma. One do not drink notice is in operation in Fethard serving 12,000 customers however the water treatment plant concerned is scheduled to be back in operation on Monday 19 March.
Irish Water and the Greater Dublin Region Local Authorities continue to make good progress on finding and fixing leaks and some local restrictions may still be experienced in a number of areas because of the revised network arrangement.
While conditions have improved significantly across the country over the last week, the major urban housing authority areas will keep their cold weather arrangements under ongoing review
In particular, the Dublin Region Homeless Executive will keep contingency beds in the system for the time being and will continue to work with service providers in an effort to assess, and provide for, the needs of those homeless individuals that presented to services during the severe weather.
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