By Rebecca Black and Cillian Sherlock, PA
The Taoiseach and Tánaiste have indicated they are content with the handling of recent weather as the end of the cold snap is in sight.
Temperatures in parts of the country plunged to minus 7.5 degrees in the early hours of Thursday, with weather warnings remaining in place until Friday.
An orange weather warning for low temperatures and ice has been issued for 15 counties, coming into effect at 7pm on Thursday evening and in place until 8am on Friday morning.
Those counties include Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan, Galway, Leitrim, Roscommon, and Tipperary.
Travel disruption and delays and poor visibility are expected in affected areas for this warning.
The lowest temperature was recorded by Met Éireann in Mullingar, Co Westmeath, while minus 7 degrees was recorded in Athenry, Co Galway, and minus 6.7 degrees in Oak Park, Co Carlow.
Thousands lost access to power and water at points during severe winter weather this week.
However, Met Éireann has said milder weather will return this weekend.
The National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG) met on Thursday, and in a statement said indications are that temperatures will slowly start to increase from tomorrow, with temperatures of 8-11 degrees forecast by Sunday.
Keith Leonard, national director of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management, said while Thursday night is to be bitterly cold, “we are reaching the end of the severe weather phase”.
“We are continuing to co-ordinate a cross-government response to ensure the most appropriate supports are happening at local level, and we remain particularly focused on getting those who are still without power or water reconnected as quickly as possible,” he said.
Taoiseach Simon Harris said he was content with the response.
He felt that Met Éireann had been pro-active and have been updating the population constantly.
“We’ve had a national co-ordination team that met just after Christmas and on a daily basis since, and I must say I think they have done a great job and I’m very grateful to them for the very long hours they’ve worked, the multi agency approach and also civic society, community and voluntary groups, good Samaritans and others who have helped that national effort,” he said.
“When it comes to weather things can change, and particularly when it comes to things like snow it can be particularly hard to predict with exact accuracy and precision at all times but I think a good job was done.”
Tánaiste Micheál Martin said he felt significant warnings were issued.
“I think to be fair in certain parts of the country it was much more severe and perhaps people didn’t appreciate that it would be that severe,” he said.
“But I think there was sufficient warnings and there has been a strong response from many of the state agencies.”
An orange weather warning for low temperatures and ice for Leinster, Cavan, Monaghan, Munster and Connacht was in place until 11am on Thursday.
A yellow warning for low temperatures and ice covers all of the country until midday on Friday, with widespread frost, ice, lying snow and some patches of freezing fog expected. Potential travel disruption and poor visibility are also possible.
Meanwhile in Northern Ireland, a yellow warning for ice is in place across the region until 10am on Friday.
It comes after previous warnings for snow and ice and freezing fog expired on Thursday morning after a night when a low of minus 7 degrees was recorded in Castlederg, Co Tyrone.
On Thursday, police urged motorists to reduce their speed and keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front when in freezing conditions and heavy fog.
The conditions have caused disruption to some transport services and some schools have closed.
