Author name: oisinkelly

The agriculture minister in Northern Ireland has said the relocation of her department’s headquarters will go ahead. In 2012, the Department of Agriculture announced it would move to Ballykelly. But it was revealed this week that a survey of DARD staff found 86% did not agree with the move. The 800 staff affected are based

Highland Radio News can reveal that plans for what was being describes as a new Casino for Letterkenny have been blocked by An Bord Pleanala. Letterkeny Town Council’s planning department had granted permission for the redevelopment of the ground floor of the Gleneany Hotel on the Pearse Road. The plans included the development of an

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the arrival of Seagate in Derry, with a number of senior executive from the company in the city for a series of celebrations. A number of business meetings are also taking place, with Seagate involved in supporting a number of initiatives in Derry at present, including Culturetech and the

A Sinn Fein Deputy has hit out at the Can’t Pay Won’t Pay campaign for falsely claiming he was going to pay the property tax by choice. Can’t Pay Won’t Pay released a statement this morning challenging the stance of Sinn Fein on the property tax  claiming that Donegal Deputy Padraig MacLochlain had announced he

The Western Health and Social Care Trust is investigating how the records of 17 patients at the Waterside Hospital came to be in a bin bag which was found in the garden of a house in Derry last weekend. The records contained highly sensitive information about patients aged from 76 to 93. The bin bag

  The family of a 41-year-old man shot dead by a soldier in Derry has received an official appology from the UK government. William McGreanery was walking past an Army observation post near the Bogside when he was shot in 1971. They had previously received an apology from the defence forces, but last evening, a

Two Donegal Development companies are to share in 90 million euro worth of funding being released by government under the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013. The Donegal Local Development Company and the Inishowen Development Partnership are responsible for distributing allocations to groups in Donegal. The Enviroment Minister has given development companies across the country two weeks to

The North’s Department of the Environment has ordered an internal investigation into why people were not informed of planning approval for a major waste processing plant near Derry. Approval for the 500,000 pounds development at Strathfoyle was granted in September, 2011. At that point, the decision should have been advertised in the local press, but

Donegal drivers who have failed to pay a parking ticket in Northern Ireland may now run the risk of having their vehicle clamped next time they return to the North. The new proposals from the Northern Ireland DRD are now with their counterparts in the Republic of Ireland. A new information sharing arrangement between the

  A Donegal band has put out a public appeal after cables and other items were stolen from their van after a weekend gig in Lettekenny. The Heads of State say they opened their van after a gig on Saturday and were devastated to find that two bags of  leads had been stolen. The bags

The Social Protection Minister says she wants to save 1.5 million euro a year by abolishing the special welfare payment for religious ceremonies. Joan Burton’s told the Dáil the payment was meant to be for exceptional events and that welfare recipients should be able to plan ahead for communions and confirmations. And she says that

Failte Ireland have descovered a new most northerly point in Ireland  – Mizen Head. Yesterday, the tourism Minister Michael Ring unveiled the final ‘Wild Atlantic Way’ route to 300 top overseas tour operators attending Ireland’s largest tourism trade fair. However the official map released by Failte Ireland has replaced Malin Head with Mizen Head. ‘Wild

The border diocese of Clogher has been singled out for failing to prevent child abuse in the past. The National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church criticised the former bishop. The Diocese consists of County Monaghan, much of County Fermanagh with parts of Counties Tyrone, and Donegal. The reviewers said it was clear

There are fresh concerns over the decentralisation of 800 civil service jobs to Ballykelly after the majority of workers said they were against the move. It was announced last September that 800 Department of Agriculture jobs would be moving from Belfast to Ballykelly at the site of the former Shackleton Army Barracks. But in October

The Dail has heard calls for a specific plan to be put in place to attract new employers to Donegal. The issue was raised by Donegal Deputy Charlie McConalogue who again was critical of the IDA pointing out that, last year, only 1 out of 88 national IDA site visits throughout the country came to

The Education Minister says the current criteria for school investment is such that there are no plans to replace Scoil Mhuire in Stranorlar with a new school building. The project was previously included in the government’s Capital Investment Programme but was removed by the current education minister’s 5 year programme. The issue was raised in the Seanad

Land at a sports centre in Derry could be used for camping space to cope with an influx of visitors expected in the city for the All Ireland Fleadh. Organisers of the Fleadh expect 400,000 visitors to converge on the city from August 12-18. The organisers of the all-Ireland fleadh have applied for permission to

The Minister for Public Expenditure and reform has re-stated the government’s commitment to making savings of 300 million euro in the public sector wage bill this year. Brendan Howlin made his comments in the Dail last night after asking the CEO of the Labour Relations Commission to make contact with unions to see if the

A man is continuing to be questioned this morning after he was arrested in relation to dissident republican activity in Derry. Detectives from the Serious Crime branch arrested the 44-year-old last night. He was taken to Antrim police station for questioning. Police said his arrest was in connection with dissident republican activity in Derry in

Belfast Crown Court has heard that the Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams never confronted his brother Liam about child sex abuse allegations involving his daughter. During interviews given under caution to the PSNI in February 2007, Liam Adams rejected claims that the Sinn Fein president had quizzed him about the alleged abuse of his daughter

Letterkenny Circuit Court has been told that the trial of a man charged with dangerous driving causing the deaths of eight men in July 2010 is not ready to proceed. Shaun Kelly of Hill Road, Ballymagan, Buncrana, is facing trial in relation to the fatal crash between Clonmany and Buncrana. Mr Kelly was in court

Tourism Minister Michael Ring today unveiled the final ‘Wild Atlantic Way’ route to 300 top overseas tour operators attending Ireland’s largest tourism trade fair. It’s Ireland’s first co-ordinated long-distance driving route, stretching from the Inishowen Peninsula to Kinsale in County Cork. The final route was unveiled at the Meithal 2013 trade fair this morning following

The Fianna Fail Ard Fheis will hear Donegal motions calling for party members to be consulted more when it comes to the election of a party leader or if the party is considering entering a coalition. The motions come from Claudia Kennedy from Bundoran, who is also seeking re-election to the party’s National Executive. Ms

Four people have been brought to hospital following a three car collision outside Ballybofey this morning. It happened before half past nine at Barney Logue’s Bridge on the Glenfinn Road. Fire and ambulance crews attended the scene, with two adults and two children brought to hospital. None of their injuries are life threatening. The road

Donegal County Council is to examine two entry roads into the village of Carrigans to try and determine the cause of a recent high number of road traffic collisions in the area. Councillor Paul Canning has suggested that the road surface may be to blame, particularly after long dry spells. However he was told that

The Mayor of Letterkenny says the council will not be recognising the findings of the Irish Business Against Litter league. It was announced yesterday that the town was back into the league having previously been ommitted. Buncrana which finished 8th overall last year has been dropped. Relations between IBAL and Letterkenny Town Council have, in

It’s reported that eight out of 10 new homes are never inspected by local authorities for fire hazards and structural defects, with even less happening in Donegal. The Irish Independent says that’s despite the fallout from the Priory Hall controversy in Dublin. Local authority inspectors are supposed to carry out random checks on new buildings.

Schools across Donegal are being urged to play their part in raising awareness of cancer and much-needed funds for the Irish Cancer Society by getting involved with this year’s Relay for Life. Primary Schools will have the opportunity to play their part in a very special way this year by organising their very own ‘Primary

Police in Foyle are looking to identify the occupants of a small blue van seen in the Bantry Road area around 6.30pm on April 21st. The two males inside the van, one of whom had white hair and one ear pierced, stopped to speak to three children. The occupants, or anyone with information, is asked

SDLP MLA Pat Ramsey has presented a petition to the Northern Ireland Assembly opposing the closure of on-site nursery facilities at the University of Ulster’s Magee Campus in Derry. The Employment and Learning Spokesperson says the proposals from senior management at the University of Ulster would force those who rely on the service out of

Bundoran Town Councillor Philip McGlynn has been elected the new Chair of the Donegal VEC. He was elected to the position this morning. Mr McGlyyn said it was a great honour to take up the post and said providing a new school campus for Buncrana as his number one priority for his term:

14 people are on trolleys today at Letterkenny General Hospital either receiving or awaiting treatment. The figures were compiled this morning by the Irish Nurses and Midwives organisation. It is a particularly high figures, the INMO normally reports single digit numbers for Letterkenny General in its trolley watch figures. At Sligo General Hospital there are

The IFA has repeated calls on the Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney to do more to help hard-pressed farmers cope with the unprecedented fodder crisis. Association president John Bryan has challenged the Minister to deliver on a number of measures identified by the association, including advances on Disadvantaged or Single Farm payments. The association says

A Co Donegal farmer who sexually abused seven children has been jailed for 12 years. 43 year old Peter Corcoran of Dunmore, Falcarragh has pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to 15 sample counts of indecent assault, sexual assault and rape between 1984 and 2000.   He was described in court as evil, very

A Carrigart carpenter has been speaking of his experience after the surviving Boston bombing suspect was captured in his next door neighbour’s back yard. Brendan Toye from Carrigart was at his home in Watertown when a SWAT team knocked on his door and evacuated him, his wife Lori and his son Garvin. This morning, he,