Author name: oisinkelly

The Minister for Housing says NAMA will release 450 homes next year to help people in long term homelessness. Focus Ireland has criticised the agency for failing to deliver on its promise to use vacant units to help those with nowhere to live. The charity says 5,000 people are currently homeless in Ireland and many […]

Children in the most economically disadvantaged households are more likely to be obese. That is according to the latest Growing Up in Ireland survey which also found that children who spend a lot of time in front of the TV are overweight. The study focused on how 5-year-olds and their families are faring across a

Gardai are investigating after two teenagers were beaten and robbed by a gang of up to 20 men in Letterkenny on Sunday night. One of the teenagers was hospitalised after he was beaten with batons, while the other had a phone worth €650 stolen. The incident happened near the green area at Glencar at around

Cars have been broken into in Burnfoot, with a number of items taken, including a mobile phone. Local councillor Jack Murray says he knows of at least two incidents in Fairview and Pairc an Grianan, and believes there could have have been more. In both instances, the cars were unlocked, and Cllr Murray says its

The Tánaiste says the case of Marie Fleming and her medical card shows the “cold system” needs to be addressed. It’s after the Lifford native’s partner revealed the HSE demanded documented proof that the terminally ill woman is dying, as part of a review of her medical card. However the H-S-E has now told Marie

A number of towns and cities in the Northwest of Northern Ireland are set to benefit from reduced car parking charges over the Christmas period. Derry, Omagh and Strabane will see the introduction of a new reduced tariff of five hours parking for just one pound. It’s hoped the measures will provide a welcome boost

The High Court has upheld a District Court judge’s decision to release the Dutch-owned supertrawler Annelies Ilena on €250,000 bail. The vessel, formerly the Killybegs based Atlantic Dawn, is now free to leave Killybegs Port, after being detained on Friday. Its captain has been accussed of breachiong EU Fishing Regulations. Yesterday, Judge Kevin Kilrane set

Two men in their 30s have been arrested in Coleraine in relation to recent paramilitary-style attacks. They were arrested in the Harpurs Hill area of the town this morning, the same area in which a 15 year old boy was shot in both legs last week. Police say the men are being questioned about attacks

A Donegal County Councillor has said that it could be two weeks before a dispute over access to Carrigart beach is settled. A disputed right of way to the beach has been blocked off by a 7 foot steel gate which has been erected by a contractor developing in the area. Local residents claim they

The partner of Marie Fleming has revealed the HSE demanded documented proof that the terminally ill woman is dying, as part of a review of her medical card. The 59 year old MS sufferer made headlines earlier this year for her failed Supreme Court bid to protect Tom Curran from prosecution, should he help her

A Donegal County Cllr has said that more contracts should be tendered to small, local companies for road resurfacing works in the county. Currently the council has to abide by the requirements of EU directives when procuring works, goods and services. Cllr Martin Harley says the current EU Directive guidelines are currently at level that

Personal debt campaigners say hundreds of more people will soon benefit from the new insolvency regime. It’s after a Donegal HSE worker last night became the first person to enter an arrangement under the Act – which will see 70 per cent of their debt written off. The Donegal borrower was a partner in a

A HSE worker from Donegal is understood to have completed Ireland’s first insolvency deal with more than 70% of the borrower’s debt written off. The arrangement was agreed at a creditors’ meeting today at the offices of  ‘New Beginning’. The Donegal borrower was a partner in a business that failed – the collapse of the

Donegal County Council has claimed that a recent trip to New England by a Council delegation was hugely beneficial. Mayor Ian McGarvey was joined by County Manager Seamus Neely, the Council’s Director of Community, Culture and Planning, Michael Heany and Cllr Noel McBride earlier this month. Flights and accommodation for the week long trip were

Retailers are threatening to withdraw en masse from ESB if workers at the company go ahead with strike action planned for next month. Retail Excellence Ireland says trading over the Christmas period is vital to the sector and should the planned industrial action go ahead they will withdraw all business in the New Year and

The State sought bail of €5.8 million today to free one of the world’s largest fishing ships, the Dutch-owned Annelies Ilena, formerly the Killybegs-owned Atlantic Dawn. The Master of the 14,000 tonne vessel, Gerrit Plug, 57, appeared at Donegal District Court accused of breaching EU fishing regulations. The court heard that the likely evidence, some

Local musician Gary Doherty has become the newest member of Donegal County Council. The Sinn Fein representative replaces Cora Harvey, who stepped down from the local authority last month. The Castlefin man, was accompanied by family members as he was officially confirmed this morning. 31-year-old Gary, who is the bass player with Donegal band Heads

The organisers of a Border Poll in Strabane and Lifford have hailed the vote as a success. Over the weekend, only 448 people came out and voted in the poll in Strabanes East Ward and Liffords Clonleigh area, despite 1700 being registered to do so. 93% voted ‘Yes’, and 7% voted ‘No’ in the unofficial

A North West MEP has criticised the Irish Government, over its decision to exclude the West and North West from an important EU Transport Programme. MEP Pat the Cope Gallagher stated that the TEN-T Core Network agreement, is confined to eastern and southern regions. An agreement on the programme was reached under the Irish EU

Donegal Deputy Padraig Mac Lochlainn says a change of culture is needed in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to secure up to 150 jobs at Marine Harvest in the Fanad peninsula, and increase employment nto the future. He’s raised the issue with Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore, following a meeting with management of the

Donegal South West Deputy Pearse Doherty has ruled himself out as a contender for the leadership of Sinn Fein. His party colleague Mary Lou Mc Donald says she would be interested in the leadership, but stresses there’s no question of a vacancy arising at the moment. In a documentary on the party to be broadcast

 Detectives at Strand Road are appealing for witnesses following an incident in the Creggan area on Saturday 23 November. At approximately 8 pm the driver of a fast food delivery van was approached by two men with scarves over their faces whilst making a delivery to a house in the High Park area. They intimated

Donegal County Council says there’s been a positive response to the recent call for payment of outstanding development charges, commercial rates and other charges. Director of Finance Gary Martin says the council understands the financial pressure businesses and others are under, and where possible, is anxious to come to arrangements which suit both sides. Speaking

Donegal County Council officials are to be questioned about what strategy the authority has to deal with the issue of horses being abandoned on public roads in the county. Cllr Dessie Larkin has tabled a question on the issue for Monday’s meeting of council, saying there is a worrying increase in the number of horses

One of the world’s largest fishing vessels, detained  off the Donegal coast by the Navy for alleged fishing law breaches, has arrived in Killybegs. The arrest was made by the LE Roisin off Tory island. The Dutch-registered Annelies Ilena, formerly the Atlantic Dawn and registered in Ireland, is the largest ever detained by the Irish Navy.

Two Northern Ireland men were tonight(Fri) remanded in custody on a €115,000 drugs distribution charge. Paul McConville 55, of Cranny Terrace, Craigavon, and Malachy Doran, 52, of Church Walk, Lurgan, appeared at a special sitting of Sligo District Court. They were accused of having €115,000 worth of Methylone, and ecstasy-type drug, and having it for sale and supply in

Three men caught with a pipe bomb in Derry two years ago have been jailed. Police stopped a blue Citroen car on the Buncrana Road on 26 September 2011 as it travelled towards the city. During a search of the vehicle a viable pipe bomb type device was recovered from under the front passenger seat.

A security alert in the Gobnascale area of Derry has ended, with a suspicious object declared to be an elaborate hoax. It was trhe fourth alert in the area in less than 24 hours. There were three hoax bomb alerts overnight in the same area. Army bomb disposal experts examined suspicious objects in all four

A Court has been told today that the appearance of a key witness at the inquest of a murdered Castlederg schoolgirl has been thrown into doubt because of a row over legal aid. Robert Howard, who was acquitted of killing teenager Arlene Arkinson, has not been granted funding for legal representation at next year’s hearing,

There is now a serious threat of power cuts across the country this December – after unions at ESB announced that they will serve notice of industrial action. The strike threat is over a 1-point-6 billion euro hole in the company’s pension scheme. The unions will serve notice next Friday – and if there is

Gardai  are following a number of lines of enquiry into yesterday’s bomb attack in Letterkenny. A sophistivated device detonated under a jeep in Manor View Park in Long Lane at around 4 am. Nobody was injured but extensive damage was caused to the vehicle. Gardai are appealing to anyone that noticed a silver saloon-type car

  The Dáil will debate Fianna Fail proposals to crack down on hit and run drivers today. The Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar has accepted the principle of the Fianna Fáil Bill introducing tougher penalties for those caught fleeing the scene of an accident. The campaign has been led by Donegal based road safety group

A long leasehold of a two bed ground floor apartment in Letterkenny for 12,000 euro is amongst the lots included on what is being described as Ireland’s biggest ever auction of 150 properties. Allsop Space, which claims it won’t sell repossessed family homes, will host the auction in the RDS next month with a total

Donegal County Council have received reports of bogus collectors in the Lifford area yesterday evening, purporting to be from the Council. A man and women entered a business premises in Lifford between 6 and 7 pm seeking payment of rates. They did not have identification badges but had a letterhead with the Council Crest. No

Donegal County Council is to discuss the takeover of water services by the new company Irish Water at its November monthly meeting on Monday next. A presentation is to be made to members on the handover protocol, but councillors are concerned that this is only coming now, less than two months before the new regieme

Two men accused of attempting to murder a student police officer in Co Fermanagh in 2009 will go on trial in the new year. Ex-Irish Soldier Gerard James McManus from Letterkenny and Kevin Barry Nolan from Blacklion deny attempting to murder the student police officer, and possessing a gun with intent to endanger life in

18 Primary Care Centres and Health Centres in Donegal are to introduce a tobacco-free campus policy next month. From Monday 2 December it will no longer possible to smoke anywhere on certain Primary Care Centre or Health Centre grounds; for example, entrances, doorways, walkways, internal roads, car parks or cars. It will mean that a

Fine Gael MEP Jim Higgins has slammed the HSE for its handling of the medical cards scheme. Mr Higgins says some of his constituents have had their cards unjustifiably withdrawn. The North West MEP describes the HSE s handling of the medical card scheme is an  absolute shambles:

Gardaí have seized a quantity of drugs in Bundoran worth an estimated €115,000. The quantity of Methylone was seized at a house in Bundoran this morning. The seizure was made at approximately 9.15am this morning. A vehicle and mobile phones were also recovered during this operation. Two males, both in their early 50’s, were arrested

A Letterkenny mother has confirmed that post mortem results has shown her son died from a brain haemorrhage after taking a legal high. In October 22-year-old Jimmy Gruichard, died tragically in hospital in England. The post mortem results, which were released this week show that no traces of illegal drugs or prescribed drugs were in his system.

Members of an army unit dubbed Britain’s secret terror force have admitted firing on unarmed IRA suspects in West Belfast. The Military Reaction Force also carried out drive by shootings of nationalists 40 years ago, without any evidence they were members of the Republican group. More than three thousand deaths are being investigated by the