Storm Éowyn: Stormont Executive allocates £17.4m to tackle aftermath
There was widespread damage across Northern Ireland as the result of hurricane-force winds
Last updated 7th Feb 2025
More than £17m has been earmarked to repair the damage caused by Storm Éowyn.
The Stormont Executive which agreed the allocation comes two weeks after businesses and properties across Northern Ireland suffered widespread disruption from hurricane-force winds.
At one stage nearly 300,000 properties were without electricity while schools and supermarkets were closed.
Tens of thousands of trees were also uprooted with more than 3,000 incidents of obstructions of debris reported on roads.
Ministers met yesterday (Thursday) and agreed funding allocations of £19.4 million, with £17.4 million being provided to help departments deal with the impact of the storm.
The money has come from the UK Government by way of Barnett consequentials.
The remaining £2 million has been allocated to the Department for the Economy for unavoidable pressure in its statutory skills programme which has arisen due to higher-than-anticipated demand.
The Department for Infrastructure, which includes the Roads Service, is receiving the most, with £8 million to deal with a "range of pressures".
The Department of Health will receive £4 million for repairs to its estate, the Department of Education will receive £3 million for school building repairs, and the Department for Communities will receive £1.4 million for pressures including the emergency financial assistance scheme.
Meanwhile the Department of Justice will receive £1 million to meet additional policing costs in terms of assisting other emergency service partners in the repair of damage to infrastructure.
Finance Minister John O'Dowd said the full cost of the storm "has yet to be quantified".
"Storm Eowyn caused widespread disruption to individuals, businesses, communities and to public services with damage to schools, the hospital estate and critical infrastructure, including the road network and water supply," he said.
"I want to pay tribute to our frontline staff and emergency services who worked together with partner agencies in the most challenging of circumstances to keep us safe, support the most vulnerable in our communities, clear roads and restore power.
"The recovery operation will take time, with assessments still ongoing the true cost of the storm has yet to be fully quantified.
"Given the unprecedented scale of the Storm Eowyn, I was determined to ensure this additional Westminster funding was allocated quickly to departments to help them respond to its impact."
Mr O'Dowd added: "Given the unforeseen costs and exceptional challenges facing departments as they deal with the aftermath of the storm, the limited funding available had to be prioritised for this purpose.
"I appreciate the other financial pressures faced by departments and am committed to working together with my Executive colleagues to address the challenges ahead."