Army on standby as grit runs out THE Army was last night ordered to prepare to clear the countrys main roads as Taoiseach Brian Cowen admitted grit supplies were running out. Salt needed to keep main routes open will hit critically low levels by the weekend with more snow forecast in the biggest freeze since 1963. After a meeting of the Governments emergency response committee, Mr Cowen said it was working on where to get more as its three main suppliers, in Carrickfergus, Co Antrim, as well as importers at Cork and Foynes, near Limerick, struggled to meet the demands of local authorities. About 50,000 tonnes of rock salt the amount used during an entire year has been used on the countrys national routes over the past few weeks. Opposition parties demanded sand and alternative quarry grit be used to make the roads safer immediately. But Mr Cowen denied the Government was slow to act and also dismissed criticism of Transport Minister Noel Dempseys absence during the big freeze, which has severely impacted bus and rail services. He said the response was being led by Environment Minister John Gormley until Mr Dempsey returns later this week from holidaying abroad with his family. Dublin remained one of the worst-hit areas last night with Dublin Bus shutting down services at 8pm. Met ireann predicted there would be no significant thaw over the next six or seven days and temperatures were expected to plummet to as low as -10C last night for the second night in a row. About six in ten of the countrys schools remained closed for the first day of the new term yesterday, while some Bus ireann routes have been affected by frozen roads, but rail bosses said they were only experiencing minor delays on a few lines. THE death toll caused by Britains big freeze rose again yesterday as the body of 45-year-old Philip Hughes from Slough was recovered from beneath the ice in a frozen lake in Frimley Green, Surrey. In Scotland a farmer was taken to hospital after a barn collapsed under the weight of the snow. At least 22 people have died after weather-related incidents since before Christmas. Thousands of homes have been left without power, schools have closed across the country and travellers have faced chaos as the weather hit roads, rail services and airports. Last night looked likely to be the coldest night of the winter. Meanwhile, councils rationed their salt as gritting stocks dwindled and one of the countrys biggest suppliers of rock salt asked the Department of Transport to draw up a list of priority customers. Deaths rise as UK freeze continues on D Friday, January 8, 2010 News This satellite image issued yesterday shows how the icy weather swirled down from the Arctic Circle index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html24.html25.html26.html27.html