Updated 20.50

International crews are helping restore power to thousands of customers affected by Storm Ophelia.

Tens of thousands of people remain without power or water.

ESB Networks say 78,000 homes and businesses remain without power, while 306,000 have now been re-connected.

It says it has been prioritising supply to emergency services, hospitals, water and waste water plants - as well as telecoms infrastructure.

In a statement to Newstalk.com, the utility says: "We can confirm that electricity supply to all hospitals has been restored.

"ESB Networks particularly wishes to acknowledge the work of farming organisations in coordinating the sharing of generators among farmers badly hit by loss of supply in the south of the country."

While water has been restored to 84,000 customers - down from a peak of 109,000.

Irish Water says of the 148 wastewater schemes affected, 104 are back up and running.

There are approximately 25,000 customers without water. The affected counties are:

• Wexford
  Kilkenny
  Waterford
  Cork

The National Emergency Coordination Group say a 10,000 litre water tanker has been deployed to Galmoy in support of Kilkenny County Council.

A deployment of Defence Forces on Thursday will include more reconnaissance flights by the Air Corps in the South and South East - and transporting ESB personnel to islands off the coast, dependent on the weather.

The ESB says most customers should be back on the grid within three to four days - but with more heavy winds forecast for this weekend, repair crews are under increasing pressure.

Communications Minister Denis Naughten has met with some of the international crews that have travelled here to assist ESB Networks in restoring power.

The minister met the crews at the ESB Training Centre in Portlaoise.

Specialist crews are here from Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, the Isle of Man and France.

They will work on the ground over the coming days alongside the ESB colleagues until full power has been restored to all customers.

Steady stream of international crews arriving @ESBNetworks Training Centre Portlaoise before being despatched to locations #Ophelia pic.twitter.com/T1zAbX9HJZ

— Denis Naughten (@DenisNaughten) October 18, 2017

Minister Naughten said: "I wanted to personally meet the international crews that have travelled to Ireland to assist ESB personnel to thank them on behalf of the Government and the Irish people for their support and expertise during our time in need as a result of Storm Ophelia.

"I also want to take this opportunity to thank the thousands of ESB crews who have been working around the clock in hazardous conditions to restore power".

Sean Hogan chairs the National Emergency Coordination Group.

Earlier, he said anyone without electricity "can be assured that ESB Networks are working in a planned, methodical way" to restore power.

Full details of current outages can be found on the ESB's Power Check website.

While the latest water updates are available on the Irish Water website.

Eir estimates some 60,000 of its customers are without broadband, telephone and mobile service.

Workers in Kilcock, Ireland, clear fallen power lines after Hurricane Ophelia . Picture by: Niall Carson/PA Wire/PA Images

Meanwhile, a vast majority of schools re-opened nationwide on Wednesday after two days of closures due to Monday's powerful storm. 

Public transport services have returned to normal.

Luas services also resumed on Tuesday night ahead of schedule, following repair works at the Red Cow depot.

#Luas Red and Green Line are running normally

— Luas (@Luas) October 18, 2017

Additional reporting: Jack Quann