Irish university accommodation supplies torches for tenants in response to blackout risk

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Trinity College Dublin has purchased battery-powered lamps for all of its tenants as a safety measure for this winter. The college announced in an email to students in its university accommodation that a torch had been provided for each individual tenant in case of blackouts this academic year. "You may be aware from media reports that electricity suppliers in Ireland have advised of the possibility of power outages this winter," the email read. "For your safety, the university has purchased a battery-powered lamp for each individual resident." The email noted that the lamps remain property of the University and will need to remain in the resident's room when they depart the accommodation. It comes as a senior research officer from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) has said there is no certainty that Ireland will be able to avoid blackouts this winter. Speaking recently, Dr Muireann Lynch said that supply is the tightest it has been for “a good while" and if Ireland were to experience interruptions to power, it would "certainly occur at peak times". "What we do know is that supply on the system is the tightest it's been for a good while and while the expectation is always that there will be no blackouts, historically we have operated the system far more reliably than targets suggest," she said. The Trinity Accommodation Team advised residents that they can collect their battery-powered lamp at the Accommodation Office.