Author name: oisinkelly

It has been confirmed at the North South Ministerial Council meeting in Armagh that the establishment of a radiotherapy unit at Altnagelvin is still on time. The meeting was told the unit remains on track for a 2016 opening. Delegates at the North South Ministerial Council meeting were told that the business planning process is […]

The Agriculture Minister is to seek more consultation with farmers groups before he sends out guidelines to farmers sharing commonage. Donegal has the second largest commonage ground in Ireland with one quarter of all arable land designated in this way. It has been feared that the penalties for non-compliance with the proposed new rules may

It’s speculated the Education Minister may propose the introduction of a State-backed student loan scheme – or a graduate tax, when he outlines his vision for Higher Education reform later this morning. Ruairi Quinn will meet with the Heads of the country’s Universities and Institutes of Technology at the Department of Education. Recent figures show

An earthquake with a 2.7 magnitude was recorded off the northwest coast of Ireland earlier today. The deep tremor in the Atlantic ocean was noted by the British Geological Survey at about 9.08am. It was recorded at a depth of 34km. The centre of the earthquake was marked 150km from the Donegal coast. This isn’t

Donegal North-East Deputy Charlie McConalogue has said it is ‘extremely worrying’ that the Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn has no plans to meet with SUSI officials face-to-face. The Fianna Fáil Education Spokesperson says it comes in the wake of the failure of the Minister to express confidence in the Dail that the tens of thousands

Police in the North investigating the murder of prison officer David Black have arrested two men. The 52 year old father of two was shot dead as he drove to work on the M1 motorway in Co. Armagh earlier this month. The men, aged 34 and 42, were detained in Coalisland, Co Tyrone. They’re being

A Donegal based independent activist has called for widespread international opposition to the G8 summit which is planned to take place next year in County Fermanagh. Criticising the event, Michael Mac GiollaEasbuig said it was important there was mass opposition to the summit and he said such events were the starting point for many of

Donegal must take advantage of the announcement that the G8 summit is to take place in Fermanagh next year. It was confirmed yesterday by the British PM, David Cameron that the event would take place at the Lough Erne golf resort. And Labour Senator Jimmy Harte says it’s a huge opportunity for tourism in the

A Donegal North East Deputy is hitting out at the Government after it was confirmed that the standalone units of the reserve defence forces are to close in Carndonagh and Milford. Minister for Justice Alan Shatter is reducing the size of the Reserve Defence Force and cutting its funding by 50 per cent following a

MEPs in Strasbourg have called for better ways to tackle cyber bullying and other forms of online abuse of children. They voted yesterday in Strasbourg in favour of proposals to introduce measures to curb illegal and unsuitable content on the internet. They’re recommending that teachers and parents become more educated about how best to protect

The Standards in Public Office Commission has confirmed that it is to formally investigate allegations relating to travel and subsistence claims by Fianna Fáil Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill. Upon receipt of the allegations originally earlier this year, SIPO appointed an inquiry officer to look at the matter. The commission considered that report and has now

The Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs has said that the nomination of Cllr Alcorn to Udaras is currently on hold. Dinny McGinley said he’s making no judgement or reflection on anyone, and he said the decision was taken after taking legal advice. And the Donegal South-West Deputy said the position would remain unfulfilled until

The British Prime Minister says he couldn’t think of a better place than Co. Fermanagh to stage the G8 Summit next year. Earlier he confirmed that leaders from some of the world’s biggest economies will attend the event at the Lough Erne golf resort in 2013, as it is the UK’s turn to host. The

The nomination of Donegal Councillor David Alcorn to the new board of Udaras na Gaeltachta has been deferred, pending an investigation into expenses. It follows the receipt of an anonymous letter two weeks ago by a number of media outlets and public bodies detailing a number of claims. There are two Donegal representitives confirmed on

A public meeting of the County Donegal Joint Policing Committee has heard calls for the introduction of new laws to regulate and licence scrap metal dealers. It follows a significant increase in thefts of copper, lead and other metals across the county, with empty houses now the latest target. In some instances, this has led

Letterkenny Town Council has passed a unanimous vote of no confidence in Environment Minister Phil Hogan. Fine Gael Cllr Jimmy Kavanagh was not present at the time. Members hit out at the minister after it emerged that no correspondence has been received from Mr Hogan or his department since the announcement last month that town

City of Derry Airport has published a draft Master Plan which sets out the Airports vision for future development. The airport and Derry City Council say the document is intended to grow the Airport and deliver the widest possible economic and social benefit to the North West Region. The document is stressing the airport’s importance

The Mayor of Letterkenny is proposing that more use be made of the plaza outside An Grianan Theatre. Speaking at last night’s meeting of the Town Council, Cllr Dessie Larkin said it’s time to explore how best to use it as a public space. There have been concerts and events there in the past, and

Buncrana Town Councillor Lee Tedstone has hit out at the apparent reluctance of the county council to fund a spur from Project Kelvin into Buncrana. Cllr Tedstone says a spur could be of huge benefit to the whole of Inishowen, and reap significant rewards down the line. However, he says the reluctance of the executive

A Sinn Fein initiative to consult with businesses across the country has reached Donegal, with the party holding a series of meetings with local businesses and Chambers of Commerce today. The partys’s Enterprise and Innovation Spokesperson Peadar Toibin says he’s anxious to hear at first hand the challenges local businesses and the unemployed are facing,

Donegal Senator Jimmy Harte has hit out at Fingal County Council. accusing it of double standards. The senator was fined 150 euro for a sign he had erected on a bridge over the M1 motorway into Dublin, bearing the message Jimmy Winning Matches, Good luck Donegal. However he says while his sign was removed and

A cross border search for a missing Galway woman who was last seen in Clady County Tyrone, close to the Donegal border has ended. The woman has been found safe and well.

The RNLI has issued a warning about bogus collectors in Donegal. Gardai in Bundoran are investigating reports that a man in a Santa suit attempted to collect money in a pub in the town last night. Shane Smyth is press officer with Bundoran Lifeboat ; he says this was not an official collection, and they

Details have emerged of a lucky escape for a 40 year old Letterkenny man who is recovering in hospital after being hit by a train in the Netherlands. The accident happened almost a fortnight ago as Kevin Rooney was out jogging. The Donegal News reports that Mr Rooney, who works with the European Patents Office,

Ilex, in partnership with the University of Ulster and Social Capital North West, will survey residents in the Derry City Council from next week to get their views on what they want for the future of the city. Over 500 households will be surveyed from 19 November until 7 December The aim of the survey

Donegal Road safety group PARC has officially launched a new guide designed to help people who have lost loved ones in a Road Traffic collision. The book, which is the first of its kind in Ireland, lays out practical advice on the garda investigation, post mortem, inquest and any civil or criminal cases which may

A vigil for Savita Halappanavar has been orgainsed for Letterkenny tomorrow. The 31 year old woman died at University College Hospital in Galway last month, after contracting septicaemia during a miscarriage. It’s reported she was repeatedly refused a medical termination. A protest took place in Derry City today – organisers said it was in keeping

Figures from the INMO show 31 people on trolleys at the north west two hospitals According to the figures provided this morning, 12 people are being treated or awaiting treatment at Letterkenny General Hospital. This despite the recent opening of the new multi million euro medical block. There are 19 people on trollyes at Sligo

The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association is calling for a complete re-think on proposed new rules for commonages. The ICSA says there are over 1,300 commanages in Donegal, almost a quarter of all the commanages in the country. ICSA president Gabriel Gilmartin has welcomed the news that the Minister for Agriculture has delayed sending

Buncrana Town Council is to call a meeting of interest groups in a bid to progress the setting up of a CCTV system in the town. The move was proposed this week by Cllr Michael Grant, who says while Buncrana is a very safe place in which to live and do business, there are occasional

Donegal Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill has said the significant increase in farm inspections year is causing hardship for many farmers in Donegal and across the North West. Senator O’Domhnaill, the Fianna Fail Agriculture Spokesperson in the Seanad says while this has been one of the toughest years for farmers due to increasing costs and poor

Gardai are continuing their investigations into the seizure of an estimated 8,000 euro worth of drugs in Sligo yesterday in a joint operation with the Revenue Customs Team. A quantity of Methylethcathinone with an estimated street value of just over eight thousand euro was seized by officers as part of an investigation by the Garda

The sister of a Derry youth shot dead by the British army in 1972 has said she is ‘disgusted’ at the decision by coroner John Lecky to suspend new inquests into 14 deaths that were ordered by Attorney General John Larkin. Mr. Lecky suspended the hearings and referred the matters back to the Secretary of

An 8.3 million euro regeneration project on the Donegal Fermanagh border has moved to construction phase from today. The ‘Termon Project’  will see a major revitalisation and the provision of cross-community facilities in the border villages of Pettigo and Tullyhommon. It was formally launched this afternoon by Junior Minister Dinny Mc Ginley and Stormont Minister

A Co Donegal woman who was raped and abused by her godfather has been awarded damages of 2.8 million euros. 31 year Marcella Breslin of Emerald Drive, Killybegs sued Patrick Gillespie of Carrrickmagrath, Ballbofey, Co Donegal for the sexual abuse she suffered when she was 12 to 16 years of age. The 54 year old

Workers who lost their jobs with the closure of Assetco Managed services in Buncrana are to lobby the London Mayor and Prime Minister in their efforts for a fair deal. 30 people lost their jobs when The London Fire Brigade terminated their contract with Assetco’s parent company. A meeting between workers, the National Employment Rights

It’s been claimed today that a decision to sell 1,100 of state owned forestry land outside Ballybofey is in direct contravention of promises made by the Taoiseach and the Agriculture MInister during the MacGill Summer School in Glenties last July. Donegal Forestery spokesperson John Jackson says he secured the promises from both Enda Kenny and

The President of the Union of Students in Ireland was last night arrested in the Dáil. John Logue, who is from Letterkenny, and around one hundred students were in the visitor gallery, watching as TDs voted on a motion put down by Sinn Fein and Fianna Fail. It callied on the Education Minister to freeze

Don’t feel obliged to appear hospitable to strangers. That’s the advice from the Crime Victims Helpline – it’s warning that recent public awareness campaigns, like the digital switchover, have helped conmen gain entry to vulnerable people’s homes. A number of such cases have been reported across Donegal in recent months. Victims have had money and

Workers at the Buncrana call-centre which closed yesterday have been given a glimmer of hope that they may get wages owed to them for November. Workers were given until yesterday afternoon to agree to terms of exit with the administrators, but the terms that had been offered were pulled at the last minute. But Deputy

A Killybegs woman who was raped and sexually abused as a child by her godfather has launched an action for damages in the High Court. 31 year-old Marcella Breslin from Emerald Drive has sued her 54 year-old godfather Patrick Gillespie of Carrrickmagrath, Ballbofey, as a result of the sexual abuse when she was aged 12

Labour Senator Jimmy Harte has asked Junior Minister Alex White to clarify the situation after the HSE wrote to thousands of medical card holders over 70 telling them their cards are being reviewed. Last week, Sinn Fein Deputy Pearse Doherty raised the issue of medical card holders being warned of reviews, even though their cards

Police in Strabane are appealing for information following the report of a burglary in the Melmount Road area in the early hours of Monday 12th November. It was reported shortly after midnight that premises in the Melmount Centre had been entered by unknown persons. A security light was smashed and considerable damage was caused to

The Apprentice Boys are reviewing security at their headquarters in Derry after three attacks in as many days. The loyal order has blamed young nationalists for throwing paint at their historic memorial hall in Society Street. They said the attacks started over the Remembrance weekend. The Governor of the Apprentice Boys, Jim Brownlee, said the

A Cork property developer has told the High Court that Junior Minister Lucinda Creighton refused to issue an open public apology after he complained about comments she made about him while discussing poor standards in public life. Michael O’Flynn is suing the Fine Gael TD for damages arising from a speech she gave to the

The PSNI in Strabane have confirmed that they have carried out a number of searches in relation to dissident republican activity. Detectives from Serious Crime Branch conducted a number of searches in the early hours of this morning. A licenced premises in the town and a number of houses in the Head of the Town

29 workers at a Buncrana Call Centre, who were told yesterday that they were losing their jobs, have been told this afternoon that they will not receive any wages for November. Workers were given until this afternoon to agree to terms of exit with the administrators, but the terms that been offered were pulled by the administrators

Donegal Deputy Joe McHugh has called on the Government to consider paying social welfare payments into people’s Credit Union accounts instead of insisting it is paid into a bank. Deputy McHugh says it would be one way of punishing some of the larger banks responsible for the economic crisis who still pay out large salaries

It’s emerged that the ongoing discussion over the employment of Polling Clerks in Donegal may have ramifications for Labour in Letterkenny. Peter Cutliffe, the Chairperson of the party’s Letterkenny branch has announced he will contest the next local election following the emergence of anecdotal evidence that a number of people working in the UK took

There are calls for Donegal County Council to ensure that road works be carried out in the evening or night time to lessen the negative impact on businesses. Stranorlar Electoral Area Cllr Cora Harvey says that a business in her local area was forced to cease trading with most of the blame being attributed to