Author name: oisinkelly

The European Central Bank has cut it’s key interest rate by point-two-five per cent. It’s the second cut in as many months – with the rate now standing at one per cent. Meanwhile – the Tánaiste’s promised to again haul in banks to force them to cut interest rates if necessary. Last month the Government […]

The 23 year-old man charged with dangerous driving causing the death of eight people has appeared in Buncrana court again today. 23 year-old Shaun Kelly of Hillhead Road, Buncrana was arrested in November as part of the garda investigation in the Inishowen tragedy. Mr Kelly was the driver of one of the vehicles involved in

A Letterkenny School Principal has described how she reads the annual School League Tables with dread stating the results are skewed and reflect unfairly on her school. Anne McHugh, the principal of the Errigal College in Letterkenny, says that with four second level schools in Letterkenny, enrollment of students is very competitive and the league

Winds of up to 100 mph have been lashing Donegal since early morning, with gardai and the Road Safety Authority urging caution on the roads. Trees and telegraph poles are down in a number of areas, and there are reports of trampolines and other items being blown from gardens onto roads. Offshore islands have been

Police in Strabane are today preparing to question a 46-year-old man in connection with a quadruple stabbing in the town on St Patrick’s Day. The man was arrested by the Metropolitan Police in London on Tuesday night. Members of the PSNI travelled to England yesterday to take the suspect into Northern Ireland custody. The man

It’s emerged that a shop targeted by armed robbers in Derry on Tuesday night is owned by a businessman whose Donegal home was targeted last month. Police in the city say their investigations are continuing, and are appealing for information. Three masked men entered the premises in Great James Street on Tuesday evening at a

Plans for a controversial end of life vehicle and scrap metal recycling facility at Bonagee in Letterkenny are back before An Bord Pleanala. Kelvin McElhinney has been granted condition permission by Letterkenny Town Council to create the facility. There was a similar type application from Kelvin McElhinney last year. On that occasion, permission was granted

A vigilant Dublin airport policeman this week spotted and arrested a bank thief who struck twice in Donegal in a fortnight. Rindas Horobas’ picture was taken by CCTV cameras when he conned money out of cashiers at the AIB branches in Donegal town and Bundoran in June. He disappeared but when he returned Tuesday after

A potential 1.6 million euro shortfall in Donegal County Council’s housing budget has been averted after the council was allocated 1.9 million euro from money which wasn’t drawn down by other councils. The allocation was confirmed at a Housing SPC meeting in Lifford yesterday. The council had signed a number of contracts earlier this year

A High Court judge has criticised the delay to an inquest into the death of missing schoolgirl Arlene Arkinson. The 15-year-old from Castlederg disappeared after attending a disco in Bundoran in 1994. An inquest was ordered in 2007, but has yet to start. Mr Justice Treacy dismissed a legal bid to stop it by a

Three fire tenders and gardai are attending a blaze in Glassagh, Gweedore after a shed containing a number of gas cylinders caught fire. For safety reasons a 200 metre area around the fire has been cordoned off. Part of the Glassagh Road is cordoned off and the fire service in Gweedore have said this will

Magee College in Derry is to admit over 300 additional students by 2015. The Employment and Learning Minister Stephen Farry announced today that an extra 700 undergraduate places for NI. The University of Ulster will have 322 new places as part of the plan. The university’s vice-chancellor, Professor Richard Barnett, said that all of the

Junior Minister Dinny Mc Ginley says this week’s budget is the best that could have been expected in the current circumstances, and he is happy to back it. Yesterday, community activist and eirigí spokesperson  Micheál MacGiolla Easbuig challenged challenged  Minister McGinley, to publicly explain his reasons for supporting the budget. He said Dinny McGinley should

A Donegal haulier, who threatened to bring the country to standstill earlier this year by blocking the countries ports, has slammed the Governments decision to increase fuel prices. John McLaughlin, who runs JML Transport in Convoy, says that hauliers may be left with no other choice but to protest again. The price of petrol and

A former weightlifting champion who claimed he was unable to work because of injuries suffered during a jujitsu martial art session in Letterkenny has lost a High Court action for damages. 40 year Neil Bradley of Lammy Walk, Omagh, Co Tyrone, had sued Letterkenny Community Centre and Josie Murray, a jujitsu champion who provided classes

A major fund-raising drive has been set up in a bid to save the life of a 31-year-old Strabane man who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Joe McGarrigle was diagnosed with lung cancer last month and he has been given nine months to live with treatment. However, his family has refused to give up

The North’s Culture Minister Carál Ní Chuilín is in Derry this evening for the North West launch of the Líofa project, which it’s intended will create over 1,000 new Irish language speakers within the four years. Ms Ní Chuilín says her aim is that at least 1,000 people, including herself, should have gained the Fainne

Hundreds of administration staff in the North’s health service could be forced to move as part of a major plan to reorganise how services are run. Four centres of expertise are to be created across Northern Ireland, one of them in Omagh. The Department of Health at Stormont hopes to make savings of around £100m

Sinn Féin has launched a scathing attack on the Budget. Finance Spokesman Pearse Doherty says it will hit those who are least able to afford it. He said the Government said the Finance Ministers Mortgage Interest Relief increase of 30% proves he doesn’t understand the situation….. Deputy Doherty also called on the Government to clarify

Motor tax is to go up by an average of 46 euro depending on what band you’re on and the price of petrol and diesel is to increase by 1.4 cent and 1.6 cent a litre from midnight tonight. Gerry Caffrey is President of the Society of the Irish Motor Industry – he says motorists

Cigarettes are going up by 25 cent. Benny Gilsenan of Retailers Against Smuggling says this will lead to more people buying cheaper, smuggled cigarettes – and will put small shops out of business:

Gambling, alcohol and cigarettes are all being hit in the budget. The government’s to introduce legislation extending the betting duty to remote betting. The VAT increase of 2 per cent will apply to alcohol – but no other excise increase will be applied. In addition, Minister Noonan says a packet of cigarettes will increase by

Carbon tax on fossil fuel’s is on the way up – from 15 euro per tonne to 20 euro per tonne. However home heating fuels will remain unchanged until next Summer, while the new carbon tax rate will not apply to solid fuel, so peat and coal are untouched. Petrol will go up by 1.4

Letterkenny Chamber of Commerce have said they are disappointed with the Governments announcement of a 2% increase in VAT. The Finance Minister, Michael Noonan, made the expected announcement today that VAT will increase from 21% to 23%. CEO of the Letterkenny Chamber, Toni Forrester, says while they are disappointed, she hopes all businesses don’t pass

As expected VAT is being increased by 2 per cent, however the Minister says the new 23 per cent VAT rate will not rise again during the lifetime of this Government. And Michael Noonan says he does not expect the move will lead to a rush of consumers heading north of the border to shop.

There’s good news for those who bought their homes at the peak of the property market and are struggling with negative equity. The Finance Minister has announced details of major changes to mortgage interest relief for those who bought their homes between 2004 and 2008.

The Government has pledged to retain the corporate tax rate of 12.5%, and is launching a new initiative for multinational’s to attract key people to Ireland to create more jobs. Michael Noonan’s also announced details of a new foreign earning’s deduction for the so called BRIC’s countries.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan is currently delivering part two of Budget 2012 to the Dail. SNAP – MORTGAGE INTEREST RELIEF Increase rate of mortgage interest relief to 30 percent for First Time Buyers who took out a mortgage between 2004 and 2008. SNAP – CAPITAL GAINS TAX Any property purchased from midnight tonight and the

Finance Minister Michael Noonan is currently delivering part two of Budget 2012 to the Dail. Among the measures expected to be announced are a 2 per cent rise in VAT and hikes in road tax and carbon tax. The Minister is also expected to announce changes to the universal social charge for low earners and

A public meeting regarding the retention of Lifford Hospital is to take place this Friday night. It will be held at 8 o clock in the Lifford Community Centre, and all six Donegal TD’s, the two Donegal Senators and all elected councillors have been invited to attend. According to an internal HSE document which was

Convicted child killer and rapist, Robert Howard, has lost his legal challenge to the holding of an inquest into the death of Arlene Artkinson. In September, he was granted leave to seek a judicial review of the coroner’s decision to examine the 1994 disappearance of Arlene Arkinson. His legal team claimed the move was an

Senator Jimmy Harte says that he is amazed by what he termed the blatant hypocrisy displayed by FF TD Charlie Mc Conalogue who criticised the changes to Child Benefit in yesterday’s budget. There had been suggestions that Child Benefit would be cut, but the base rate has been left unchanged, although increases for third and

A botched police investigation made it possible for two people to get away with a double murder for 20 years – by pretending it was suicide. Trevor Buchanan and Lesley Howell were found dead in a car in Castlerock, Co Derry in 1991. Their partners Hazel Stewart and Colin Howell killed them – with officers

A Strabane Councillor is calling on the Roads Service to take a close look at Bridge Street in the town. Cllr Patsy Kelly says there is serious traffic congestion on the street and also on the bridge itself. Cllr Kelly believes there is potential to widen the road, and says at a time when every

Gardai in the County have urged the public to be extra vigilant as a result of number of burglaries where private homes have been targeted in recent weeks. The County’s crime prevention officer Paul Wallace is urging residents to be alert to suspicous activity around their property and to ensure their home is secure when

The Director of Whiteoaks Rehab Centre in Muff says more needs to be done to make people fully aware of the dangers of drugs and alcohol. Fr Neal Carlin was speaking following new Health Research Board figures which showed that across Ireland there were 638 drug related deaths in 2009, with alcohol the most prevalent

Donegal South West Deputy Thomas Pringle has delivered one of three opposition responses to the Taoiseach’s Address to the Nation. Last night in his address, the Taoiseach Enda Kenny spoke of a fragile economy that remains in crisis. Three so-called ‘mini addresses’ have  been made by representatives from Fianna Fail, Sinn Fein and the Dail’s

Age Action says its very concerned by the Government’s decision to reduce the fuel season by six weeks. Chief Executive Eamon Timmins says it’s “extremely worrying” for the poorest of old people. He says the cold can kill – and it’s a year round problem:

The agriculture sector has not been left untouched by part one of the budget. The REPS 3 scheme has been cut by ten per cent whilst payments under the disadvantaged area scheme are being reduced by 15 per cent. Chairman of the Irish Farmers Association John Bryan says even though the agriculture sector is performing

The Health Minister says it’s going to be an “extremely challenging year” in the sector. James Reilly has been outlining cuts of more than 540 million to the Health budget for 2012. He admits it’s not possible to protect all services and some community nursing units will shut. However there is some good news –

It has been anounced this afternoon that two garda stations in Donegal are to close next year. The stations are located in Culdaff and Dunkineely. 12 stations had been flagged as being underthreat of closure according to local newspaper reports. It is not clear if today’s announcement means that the remaining ten will stay open

The Minister for Public Expenditure Brendan Howlin has been outlining the governments spending plans in part one of Budget 2012. 1.4 billion euro worth of savings have been announced with the biggest cuts in the areas of Health, Social Welfare and Education. In Social Welfare, there will be no overall change to headline Social Welfare

The Minister for Public Expenditure Brendan Howlin has been outlining the government’s spending plans in part one of Budget 2012. 1.45 billion euro worth of savings have been announced with the biggest cuts in the areas of Health, Social Welfare and Education. CHILD BENEFIT Phase out entitlements to higher rates for third and subsequent child

The SDLP is expressing concern at the potential closure of local police stations. A plan to close 40% of police stations across the North was presented to the policing board last week. The 34 stations slated for closure include Castlederg, Fintona and Dromore in Tyrone and Dungiven, Garvagh and Eglinton in County Derry. The proposed

The Donegal winner of the 2.6million euro Saturday Lotto Jackpot was 77 year Grandmother Kathleen Mc Laughlin of Redcastle. She bought the winning €4 quickpick ticket at Farren’s newsagents in Moville. The wining numbers were 2 – 4 – 8 – 16 – 19 and 20.

Drivers are being warned to expect wintry conditions on the roads this morning. Snow and slush are causing problems in parts Donegal, with particularly difficulties in Meenaroy and the Barnesmore Gap, where lorries have become stuck. Traffic is getting through, but gardai are urging motorists to take extreme care, and only travel if absolutely necessary.

Met Eireann is warning of further wintry in Donegal over the coming days with a risk of accumulations even on lower ground. Already by Sunday evening there was patches of snow settling on the county’s higher roads not least through Barnesmore Gap. While there is no suggestion that we will see levels of snow equal

Deputy Padraig MacLouchlainn says the people of Inishowen yesterday sent a clear message to Government that no further cuts will be accepted. Hundreds turned out at the Market Square in Buncrana on Saturday for Sinn Fein’s ‘anti-austerity’ protest. Donegal has one of the highest rates of unemployment in the country with fears that any further

A Derry busman has lobbied the Vice-President of the EU Commission’s Transport Commissioner over what he describes as the monopolisation of local school transport contracts by Donegal firms. Willaim Leonard says he has been forced him to sell vehicles and let drivers go as he claims up to 90 per cent of  private hire Home