Author name: oisinkelly

Sinn Fein has published legislation for a wealth tax on assets worth over a million euro. It wants the government to shift the burden of austerity away from low and middle income families, on to high earners. And it says it will oppose a property tax- it was reported in the Irish Independent earlier this […]

It’s been confirmed that Letterkenny Institute of Technology is extending their CoLab facility. Plans have been drawn up for a partnership between the North West Cross Border Region Group, the Northern Ireland Science Park, Letterkenny Institute of Technology and Ilex in Derry. The aim is to set up a regional Science Park campus, modeled on

The Manager of City of Derry Airport is calling for a £13 tax on all flights to and from Northern Ireland to be scrapped. The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee has said air passenger duty on short haul flights was a major stumbling block to rebuilding the NI economy. Such flights make up 98% of all

Sinn Fein says proposals to cut child benefit by ten euro in the budget would amount to taking clothes off the backs of children. The party has today published legislation for a wealth tax on assets worth over a million euro. It wants the government to shift the burden of austerity away from low an

Police in Derry are warning of some traffic delays tomorrow during the Apprentice Boys’ annual ‘Burning of Lundy Parade’ tomorrow. The events begin tonight when a cannon will be fired at midnight on Friday 30th November, during an initiation ceremony at the Memorial Hall. As well as the main parade in Derry, there will be

Cyber bullying is less likely to be noticed by an adult than traditional bullying. That’s one of the findings contained in a new report on bullying, which reveals 17 per cent of second level students have been victims of cyber bullying. The study by NUI Maynooth says one in ten students admitted carrying it out

A Fisheries Local Action Group, or FLAG, has been established by BIM to develop a strategy for the development of fishing communities in Donegal. The Northern regional ‘FLAG’ covers the Donegal coast from Ballyshannon to Muff, and includes representatives from the fisheries, community, county council and tourism sectors. BIM says the intention is to help

Police in Derry are appealing for information following a crash on the Victoria Road between Magheramason and Newbuildings at twenty to five yesterday afternoon. Police say a white Ford Transit van and a red Peugeot 106 were involved in the collision. Four people were taken to hospital and a 56 yr-old woman remains in a

An Grianan Theatre in Letterkenny has held a reception to highlight the work it is doing under the Peace 3 programme. The event coindiced with the end of a series of performances of the play ‘Bassam’, exploring the Israeli / Palestinian conflict. A series of other events has also taken place exploring themes of conflict

The Northerrn Ireland Fire and Rescue Service has released its preliminary report on the fire at Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry last Friday night. The investigation has indicated the fire started accidentally in a small room on the roof containing electrical equipment, near water storage tanks. The statement adds the fire did not start in the

Calls have been made on Donegal County Council to add roads that lead to the county’s filter houses to be added to the Councils gritting list to help ensure a continous water supply during the winter months. At this weeks council meeting, Councillor David Alcorn called for the road to the main county filter house

Donegal County Council will later today officially launch its new Winter Weather website. The website will show the Council’s gritting routes, outline its winter gritting policy and offer links to live updates which are provided through social media outlets such as Twitter. Stephen Flynn is a Senior Roads Engineer with the council, he says there

A Donegal South West Deputy has criticised the proposed property tax calling it ‘grossly unfair’. It was reported in today Irish Independent that most homeowners will pay between 200 and 400 euro. However, city dwellers will pay more than those living in rural areas. Deputy Thomas Pringle says the kite-flying has begun ahead of next

The Environmental Protection Agency says over 99% of public water supplies in Donegal comply with micro biological and chemical standards. Hoever, the agency’s water quality report for 2011 expresses concern at the poor water quality in many of the country’s private wells. According to the EPA figures, microbiological compliance in Donegal’s public schemes fell by

Members of the Donegal Mountain Rescue Team were put on standby last night after a search was launched for a missing girl in Gweedore. The 15 year old had been reported missing just after 11pm and a massive search involving Gardai and locals was launched in the Bunbeg area. The services of the Sligo Coastguard

One of Donegal’s top foresters has said it’s disingenious of the government to differentiate between the sale of state land and land under the control of Coilte. John Jackson claimed last month that over 1,000 acres of Coillte land outside Ballybofey has been put on sale. Since then, he says no-one will officially confirm that

Sinn Fein has launched proposals to tackle youth unemployment following the release of census figures recently showing that 49% of 18-25 year olds in Donegal are unemployed. In the EU, 22% of adults under 25 are unemployed but Donegal ranks alongside the likes of Spain and Greece which have 50% of 18-25 year olds without

There has been a broad welcome to the news that the Coastguard centre at Malin Head as well as those in Valentia and Dublin will remain open The news was confirmed last evening by the Minister for Transport who said the reviews into the coast guard services are ongoing. The minister said however that the

The Minister for Tourism, Sport and Transport has confirmed this afternoon that Malin Head Coastguard Station will not close. Malin Head Coastguard Station was under threat of closure following publication of the Fisher Report, which recommends a reduction in the number of coastguard stations. The report is still being considered by government but today Minister

A 39-year-old Derry man with over 470 convictions has been jailed today at Derry Magistrates Court. Eamon Lynch from Wesley Street, Derry, and who also has an address in Letterkenny admitted a series of road traffic offences in the city in 2010. The father-of-eight’s criminal record now stands at 472 convictions with almost 300 driving

Hundreds of LYIT students marched to Government Deputy Joe McHugh’s office in Letterkenny today protesting at grant delays and possible cuts to third-level education in the next week’s budget. Students fear that many may be forced to drop out of college if grants get lower and fees increase. Many students are still awaiting news on

The Department of the Environment has approved plan for a major science park on the site of the old army base at Fort George. It will be part of the North West Regional Science Park, which will have a second base at Letterkenny Institute of Technology. It’s hoped the venture could create up to 280

Divers have begun a serach in Donegal for what they believe could be some of the worlds rarest golf balls. The gutta percha balls they are searching for once belonged to golfing legend Tom Morris, who won the British Open four times. It’s believed that Tom Morris drove up to 20 golf balls into Lough

A Tyrone man who was questioned about events surrounding Constable Ronan Kerr’s murder last year has been released. The PSNI says he was released, unconditionally, late last night. The 39-year-old from Omagh was arrested yesterday over incidents related to last year’s killing, but not for murder. 25 year old Ronan Kerr was killed when a

A delegation of environmental campaigners from Moville is going back to Stormont next week to meet with Environment Minister Alex Attwood, after meeting earlier this week with Agriculture Minister Michelle O’ Neill. The group from the Campaign for a Clean Estuary outlined their concerns about the impact on the Foyle estuary from the proposed sewerage

Fianna Fail is hosting a public meeting in Glenties tomorrow night on the Common Agriculture Policy and the challenges facing the agriculture sector in Donegal and across the North West. Representatives from all the major farming organisations will be in attendance, with Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Agriculture Éamon Ó Cuív the guest speaker. The party

A Donegal County Councillor is warning that road funding for the county could be cut by even more than initially anticipated. It’s expected that the council’s road funding will be slashed by 15%, although there are worries that this could rise to 25%. Sinn Fein Cllr Marie Therese Gallagher says this is a short sighted

The Government has said there will be no reversal of the decision to cut funding of the Reserve Defence Force by half. Minister for Justice Alan Shatter is reducing the size of the Force and cutting its funding by 50 per cent following a value-for-money report. As a result the standalone units of the reserve

One of Donegal’s representatives on the HSE West Regional Health Forum says he is not satisfied with a HSE reponse to the case of a Donegal mother who had to drive her son to hospital while a paramedic worked on him in the back of the family car. An ambulance was called out by the

Two men are still being questioned this evening in connection with the murder of a PSNI officer in April of last year. Constable Ronan Kerr was killed when a bomb exploded under his car in Omagh, Co. Tyrone. Investigating officers arrested a 39 year old from Omagh this morning – he’s being questioned about incidents

Calls have been made for a footpath and cycle path to be introduced on the road from the Mountain Top in Letterkenny leading to Illistrin National School. There are currently 400 students at the school, with an application in place for extra students. And when a survey was recently circulated on whether or not students

The Cant Pay Wont Pay Campaign in Donegal have confirmed that they have no intentions of running anyone in the next local elections in the County. Last a week representatives from Donegal Action Against Austerity and ‘Cant Pay Wont Pay – Donegal Inclusive’, both said they were considering running candidates. But a spokesperson for Cant

An Inishowen councillor has been hailed a hero after he was involved in the disruption of a robbery and a ‘citizen’s arrest’ of one of the suspects. Councillor Mickey Doherty was alerted to a suspected robbery in Quigley’s Point by a member of the public and travelled to the scene with two other men. They

The Royal College of Nursing in Northern Ireland says some staff at Altnagelvin hospital are concerned about the safety of the tower block where a fire broke out on Friday night. Three wards on the top floors of the unit are to remain closed after the Western Health Trust said it was difficult to move

Donegal County Council is  calling on the Minister for Finance to introduce measures in Budget 2013 to help people who are struggling with mortgage payments. 83,251 mortgage holders are now three months or more behind on their payments. Another 40,221 mortgage holders have had to have their monthly payments lowered with agreement of their lender,

Donegal County Council are to hold landowners accountable if water comes from their land on to public roads. It was highlighted at today’s County Council meeting the severe damage water running onto roads causes. The Council has now come up with a six point plan to try deal with the problem. Cllr Patrick McGowan says

Over 9,000 German tourists have already been confirmed for Donegal next year as part of an initiative which the White Group has been involved in for some years. Eamonn Gillespie, manager of the Central Hotel in Donegal says the ‘Grand Tour of Ireland’ is the only tour to call into Donegal, and is helping to

The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg has approved the European Stability Mechanism after three questions were referred by the Supreme Court on foot of a case taken by Donegal TD Thomas Pringle. The court found EU law does not preclude the conclusion and ratification of the treaty. The case was referred to Europe after

Members of the Donegal Youth Council have expressed their anger at the news that a revised election process will take place this year, with members to be nominated by school management. The AGM takes place in Lifford today. Normally, every young person from 12 to 18 in secondary education or a youth reach programme had

The Courts of Justice of the European Union will give a judgement today on the legal challenge brought by Donegal South West Deputy Thomas Pringle to Ireland’s use of the ESM. The independent TD brought the challenge to Europe’s highest court, in an attempt to prevent the government from accessing the European Stability Mechanism bailout

A 22 year old man has been arrested and a lorry seized in Milton Keynes by detectives investigating the murder of Constable Ronan Kerr in Omagh last year. The 25 year old was killed when a bomb exploded under his car in April 2011. Police have also carried out searches in Omagh and Cumbria, seizing

A 71 year-old Derry woman has been targeted by thieves as slept in her home. Detectives are appealing for information following the burglary in Shaw Court during the early hours of Saturday morning, 24th November. Sometime between 12.30am and 8.30am, the house was entered and a sum of cash, bank cards and mobile phone were

Councillor Ian McGarvey has received council backing for his calls for public toilet facilities in Rathmullen. The Councillor pointed out at the weekend that there are currently no public toilets in the seaside town, despite 63,000 tourists visiting the Rathmullan last year. Portaloos are in place near the beach, but it was highlighted at the

A Donegal County Cllr has called on the person sending correspondence to media outlets regarding local politician’s expenses to put their name and address to the letters. In recent months a number of anonymous letters have circulated in the local media regarding a number of County Cllrs and a local Senator making allegations of inaccurate

Sinn Fein is expressing outrage at an incident in Donegal last week during which a mother had to drive her unconcsious daughter to hospital while a paramedic worked on her in the back of the family car. An ambulance was called out by the mother – but it was only staffed by one paramedic because

An incident that has been described as a “mass brawl” in Strabane on Saturday night is been played down by the PSNI in the town. It’s understood a fight started outside a nightclub on Railway Road shortly after 2am. One man was seen covered in blood, while a woman was left with cuts and bruises

As Oireachtas members in Donegal North East begin the process of quarterly meetings with IDA Ireland  Deputy Joe Mc Hugh wants other individuals and groups to become inv9lved. He says the recent KeyedIn investment in Letterkenny was secured after one LYIT lecturer intervened, and he wants other people and groups to consider what they can

Detectives investigating the murder of a police officer in Omagh have been carrying out searches in England. Constable Ronan Kerr was killed when a bomb exploded under his car in April last year. Anti-terror officers are taking part in the operation in Cumbria, while searches are also being carried out in Omagh.

The Government has been again asked by the former employees of Assetco in Lisfannon to take up their cause and assist in them fighting for the redundancy they believe they are entitled too. 29 people lost their jobs earlier this month when Premier Fireserve, formerly Assetco lost its contract with the London Fire Brigade. The

Donegal North East Deputy Padraig Mac Lochlainn says while he has no issues with the IDA personnel on the ground in the North West, he has serious issues with the leadership of the authority and the Enterprise MInister. He was speaking after Oireachtas members met with the authority at the weekend to discuss the fact