Author name: oisinkelly

County Manager Seamus Neeley says while there have been a number of issues to iron out, the takeover of water services by Irish Water is working well. Since January 1st, the new company, which is wholly owned by Bord Gais, has been in charge of water services, and a nationwide metering campaign is continuing ahead […]

Donegal County Council has passed an emergency motion calling on management not to cooperate with with the controversial Gateway – local authority work placement scheme. The scheme, announced last week by Social Protection Minister Joan Burton, is intended to offer work experience to 3,000 jobseekers. However, Sinn Fein claims “Gateway” is compulsory, will not enhance

The Police Service of Northern Ireland has accepted full responsibility for failures leading to the collapse of the prosecution against the Hyde Park bombing suspect. John Downey, of Ards, Creeslough, received a letter of assurance in 2007 saying he was not wanted. But a judge says the PSNI knew the Metropolitan police wanted to arrest

Former US President Bill Clinton is to pay tribute to John Hume during his visit to Derry next week. Mr Clinton will honour the former SDLP leader’s contribution to peace in Northern Ireland in a speech at the city’s Guildhall Square. During his visit to the city, Mr Clinton will also visit the University of

Nursing cutbacks have been found to be directly linked to higher death rates in hospitals. A new European study says every extra patient added to a nurse workload increases the number of deaths within a month of surgery by 7 percent. It also showed that for every 10 percent jump in nurses with bachelor’s degrees

A Cabinet minister believes it is likely there will be a full Commission of Investigation into garda whistleblower allegations. A barrister has been appointed by the government to look at the claims and determine whether one is necessary. The Justice Minister is addressing the Dail about his response to the allegations. More than five hours

 The trial of a Donegal man accused of bombing London’s Hyde Park for the IRA has been dropped after the judge was told about a deal granting him immunity. John Downey, from Ards, Cresselough had been charged with the murders of the four members of the Household Cavalry who died in the attack in 1982.

A County Tyrone teenager who shot dead his father told police that he had been seeking treatment for depression, a court has heard. Sean Hackett is charged with the murder of 60-year-old Aloysius Hackett, outside the family home in Augher in January last year. 19-year-old Sean Hackett, admits that he intended to kill his father,

Bishop Donal McKeown has been appointed the new Bishop of Derry. The announcement was made in Derry this morning. The 64 year old was the Auxiliary Bishop of Down and Connor. We will be speaking to the Bishop about his appointment later today and the audio will be posted here when available

The former army base at Rockhill outside Letterkenny could still be bought by Donegal County Council after a discussion in the chamber this week. County Manager Seamus Neely told the meeting that he would go back into talks with the Department of Defence with a view towards reducing the initial costs. However, he warned even

Donegal hauliers are to take their campaign against a new UK road tax to Stormont today. The tax is set to be introduced on April 1st which will see hauliers crossing from the south into Northern Ireland having to pay a daily tax of £10. The haulage industry feel the introduction of the charge will

Donegal County Council has passed an emergency motion signed by 14 members calling for an Independent Judicial Public Inquiry into policing in the past, the present and the future. The motion also calls for the setting up of policing boards similar to the model in the North. The motion calling for the inquiry was one

Donegal County Council is once again seeking a meeting with Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Transport Minister Leo Varadkar to discuss the A5, and specifically, the road between the Manorcunningham Roundabout and Lifford. Moving the motion, Cllr Ciaran Brogan said that recent comments by Minister Varadkar make him concerned that the government is rowing back on the

Donegal County Council’s monthly meeting has been adjourned for second time following heated exchanges in the chamber between Cllr Frank Mc Brearty and members of Fianna Fail. It follows discussions on who should replace Cllr Barry O’Neill on the Education and Training Board following his resignation from the body due to work pressures. Donal Kavanagh

A Donegal man has admitted a number of driving offences at Benone beach in County Derry last summer. A woman and her four-year-old daughter were hit by a car during the incident. 30-year-old Paul John Doherty, from Ballynahone in Faughan, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving at the beach and at the Seacoast Road in Limavady

Donegal County Council’s monthly meeting has been adjourned following clashes in the chamber between Independent Cllr Frank Mc Brearty and Fianna Fail whip Cllr Ciaran Brogan. It began when the council was asked about replacing Cllr Barry O’Neill on the Education and Training Board. Fine Gael proposed Cllr Martin Harley, and it would have been

Donegal County Council has been told that if action is not taken to stem coastal erosion at Ballyheirnan in Fanad, then more land will be lost to the sea. The issue was raised by Cllr Liam Blaney, who told members that problems on the beach there have been worsened by the recent storms. Officials plan

Figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives association show 27 people without beds at Letterkenny General Hospital this morning. According to the figures, 12 patients are on trolleys while a further 15 are in wards. Last week the HSE asked the public to stay away from the  Emergency Department at Letterkenny General Hospital unless absolutely

A 21 year-old man has been charged with possession of €10,000 of drugs for sale in Laghey last week. Conor McCallig, with addresses at Tullyleague, Laghey, and Fintra, Killybegs, faced five summonses at Donegal District Court today. He was accused of possession of cannabis and ecstasy and possession of both with intention to sell at

Donegal County Council officials are being asked to provide members with monthly updates on what progress is being made in achieving financial targets. The move’s been proposed by Sinn Fein, who say the 2014 budget was forced through, and increased accountability is needed to ensure that extra money anticipated in the budget is sourced. In

There was an increase last year in the number of vacant commercial premises in Donegal. Figures from the GeoDirectory show that in the last quarter or 2013, 13.1% of commercial premises in the county were empty – that’s an increase of half a percent on the previous quarter. Over the year, 1,218 of the 9,297 commercial

Met Eireann has issued a weather warning for Donegal. The weather service says strong winds will gust this afternoon and evening. The status yellow warning also applies to Munster, Leinster, Connacht and counties Monaghan and Cavan. Met Eireann forecasts that rain and strong to gale force Southerly winds will spread across the northwest during this

The next stage of a campaign to improve the security of older people in their homes takes place on Wednesday night. Another meeting has been called for Manorcunnigham and surrounding areas by local businessman Tony Morning. 1,500 people attended the first meeting earlier this month called in reaction to a number of robberies of older

Gardai are investigating a suspected burglary at a house in Lifford which left a couple hospitalised. The man in his 30s and a woman in her 20s were treated for injuries after the incident on Saturday night. A lone man entered the house in Porthall between 7.30pm and 8pm on Saturday night – he inflicted

An information meeting is taking place tonight over concerns at the quality of drinking water in the Gweedore area. The situation has become so bad that parents are being advised that the water is no longer safe for their children to drink, Tonight s meeting will be addressed by local GP Dr Tony Delap amongst

Donegal based road safety group PARC says there is not enough publicity of  new penalty points for learner drivers. The new Road Traffic Act will allow, for the first time, learner drivers to receive penalty points for driving unaccompanied or for not displaying learner plates. Susan Grey of PARC says that due to the lack

Councillors meet today to discuss a recommendation from the County Manager that the Council not buy the former Rockhil Barracks in Letterkenny. The Department of Defence has offered Rockhill and Lifford barracks to Donegal County Council for a total of 1.2 million Euro over six years. However the County Manager has compiled a report which

Detectives investigating the murder of 31-year-old Kieran Doherty in Derry have issued a renewed appeal for information on the fourth anniversary of his death. Kieran was found dead on the Braehead Road on the evening of 24 February 2010. He had been shot in an attack which has been claimed by the Real IRA. Detectives

A Donegal North East Deputy has said that the A5 is still on the agenda for the Irish Government. It was confirmed earlier this month that the public consultation into the delayed A5 dual carriageway will commence in April. And Donegal Deputy Joe McHugh says money from next years budget will go towards the A5:

A Donegal Senator has called on the UK Government to introduce an exemption for Irish registered trucks which will be traveling through Northern Ireland. A new tax is set to be introduced on April 1st which will see hauliers crossing from the south into Northern Ireland having to pay a daily tax of £10. The

Detectives in Derry are appealing for information following a shooting incident that occurred in the Lincoln Court area on Friday evening. At approximately 11.15pm, a shot was fired at the front door of a house. One man, aged in his 40s, was in the house at the time. He was not injured in the incident.

A coastal search will start in Bundoran this afternoon for a person who its feared entered the water on Thursday morning. The low water shore search will involved members of the Killybegs Coastguard assisted by the coastguard helicopter. It is the third day of the search which was launched after clothes and other personal items

There has been anger and outrage expressed following the discovery of six puppies who were left to die at the side of a road in Gweedore. The six puppies were dumped at the road in a cardboard box. The person who found the pups brought them immediately to Burtonport Pet Rescue. Ann Marie Devine from

The husband and son of a Bundoran town councillor have been banned from meetings of the council until a court deals with public order offences against them. It follows an alleged disturbance outside the council offices earlier this month. 55 year old Thomas McNulty and his 32 year old son Joe each gave an undertaking

Donegal North East Deputy Joe Mc Hugh says the North West Gateway which emphasises the links between Donegal and Derry is firmly back on the agenda in both Dublin and London. Deputy Mc Hugh chairs the Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, which is meeting in the North West at the

Gardai in South Donegal have seized a quantity of drugs. Cannabis herb, along with small quantities of other drugs, with a combined value of 10-thousand euro were recovered from a house in Laghey yesterday evening. No one has been arrested and investigations are ongoing.

Donegal Cllr Frank McBrearty Junior is calling for the positions of Garda Commissioner, Minister for Justice and Garda Ombudsman to be ‘completely independent’. Mr Mc Brearty came to international attention when the Morris Tribunal found that Gardai had tried to frame him for murder. He’s now demanding that reforms recommended in the tribunal report are

A windfarm in South Donegal has been given the go ahead by An Bord Pleanala depsite a recomendation by its own inspector that permission be refused. M.D. South Windfarm Limited have recieved a10 year permission for development of the 11 turbine wind farm close to Laghey, outside Donegal Town. The turbines will be 74 metres

A Local election candidate has called for the resignation of the Minister of State for the Gaeltacht, Dinny McGinley. Micheál Cholm Mac Giolla Easbuig says Minister McGinley has completely failed to defend the language and the Gaeltacht areas. The independent candidate says the Irish language and culture are under severe threat, and he says as

A search is continuing in Bundoran this moring amid  fears that a person entered the water earlier yesterday (Thursday). Clothes and other items were found on the cliff side at Roughey, an area popular with walkers in the town. The coastguard helicopter was tasked to the scene to conduct a search. Later in the day,

Management says the problem is in part as a result of the seasonal flux in hospital activity that traditionally takes place at this time of year. In addition only a small number of patients are expected to be finished their treatment at hospital today and discharged. The public is being asked to stay away from

Latest figures show the continued pressures on the MABS service in Inishowen with people waiting six and half months for their first appointment. The Money Advice and Budgeting Service offers help for people in debt, or in danger of getting into debt. One hundred and twenty one people are awaiting their first appointment with MABS

The people of the Glenties Parish are to introduce a community text alert system after an elderly man was burgled in his home last week. In the wake of that incident a public meeting was held in the Highlands Hotel last night, and up to 400 people turned out. The community text alert system will