Today we address commercial pressures on school transport operators, equine therapy for additional needs, parking vigilantes vs. accessibility, road safety concerns in Burt, and a moving reality for families impacted by defective concrete blocks.
Inside Today’s Episode:
🗞️ The Morning Press: We open the program with a scan through the morning newspapers, tracking the top local, regional, and national headlines breaking across the papers today.
🚌 School Transport Sustainability Crisis: Irish Farmers Journal journalist Jacqueline Hogge joins Greg to discuss growing anxieties within the private bus and school transport sector. Bus operators warn that soaring fuel costs, combined with fixed-rate contracts, are making their runs financially unsustainable ahead of the new school term.
🐴 Equine Therapy & Inclusive Community Morning: We visit the Glebe Farm Equine Centre to explore their work with children and adults with additional needs:
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Expanded Services: Linda Doherty joins us from the centre to discuss their therapeutic equine programs and preview an upcoming coffee morning aimed at making their facilities even more inclusive for the community.
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Camp Interactions: Caoimhe Gill from Spraoi agus Spórt shares her firsthand observations on how young participants interact with the horses during their summer camps, highlighting the physical, social, and emotional benefits of equine-assisted learning.
♿ Blue Badges & Parking Vigilantes: A story shared by listener Mark sparks intense debate across the text lines. Mark relates how a disabled friend—currently awaiting his official blue badge—returned to his car to find it stickered by an overzealous parking vigilante for using an accessible space, raising sharp questions about public enforcement, empathy, and accessibility barriers.
⚠️ Road Safety Demands in Burt: Following another serious road traffic collision in the area yesterday, local resident Mark outlines the ongoing hazards on the local road network around Burt and urges responsible authorities to implement long-overdue safety interventions before further lives are lost.
🚑 Honouring Donegal’s Emergency Responders: Dr. Gerry Lane joins Greg in-studio following his joint win with Dr. Jack Collins for the Blue Light Unsung Hero Award at the 2026 Blue Light Awards. Dr. Lane outlines the life-saving voluntary work they undertake across the region with CRITICAL, the emergency medical response charity.
🎉 Onam Celebrations in Letterkenny: Abin Joshy and Arya Satheesh drop by to preview Ponnonam Ponnarangu 2026, taking place this Sunday at the Aura Leisure Centre in Letterkenny, extending a warm invitation to the entire community to experience traditional music, dance, and festive celebrations.
🧱 The Human Toll of Defective Concrete Blocks: Councillor Ali Farren shares a poignant personal update regarding his parents, both in their 80s, who have been forced to move out of their family home to facilitate a complete rebuild under the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme, emphasizing the deep emotional strain felt by elderly residents across Donegal.
🎧 Listen to the full episode and stay ahead of the local news:
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