Seán Canney TD, Minister of State for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rail and Ports and Leader in Cabinet of the Independent Ministers, has welcomed Cabinet approval for the priority drafting of the Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Bill 2025, describing it as a vital step in strengthening Ireland’s electricity infrastructure in the face of more frequent and severe weather events.

The Bill will empower ESB Networks to better manage vegetation around the national electricity grid. It comes in direct response to the significant disruption caused by Storm Éowyn, which left 768,000 customers without power at its peak.

“This legislation is essential to protect families, communities, and businesses – particularly in rural areas where the impact of power outages can be deeply felt,” Minister Canney said. “The establishment of forestry corridors around electricity infrastructure will play a crucial role in reducing the risk of outages during extreme weather events.”

The Bill will:

  • Provide ESB Networks with expanded vegetation management powers
  • Enable regulation of forestry corridor dimensions and conditions
  • Place responsibilities on landowners for corridor maintenance
  • Establish principles for compensation to affected landowners
  • Allow urgent works to proceed without standard planning processes while retaining strict environmental protections under EU law

Minister Canney also highlighted the importance of supporting rural and regional connectivity: “A reliable electricity grid underpins not only our climate ambitions, but also the development of new homes, the delivery of public transport, and economic growth in every part of the country. This legislation is part of building that secure and sustainable future.”

The measures will be supported by the ESB Networks Winter 2025 Grid Resilience Plan, which includes:

  • A nationwide survey of the network to identify and remedy hazards
  • A co-operative effort between ESB Networks, Coillte and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to identify at-risk segments of the network for priority remediation
  • The replenishment of ESB Networks’ emergency stocks of spare parts and materials to double their previous capacity
  • Agreements with European utilities for mutual assistance
  • A formal review of storm response protocols

Minister Canney concluded: “It is vital that our national infrastructure keeps pace with the challenges of climate change. I welcome this practical and balanced approach that improves grid resilience, supports the forestry sector, and ensures value for the public.”