Author name: oisinkelly

The Housing Minister hasn’t ruled out a 100% Mica redress scheme. As thousands gathered on the streets of Dublin yesterday, representatives of the Mica Action Group and fellow campaigners met with Minister Darragh O’Brien. Six weeks has been given as a deadline for the Minister to work together with a special working group and affected

The Dail last night approved a Sinn Fein motion calling for 100% redress for those affected by Mica. The motion called for a fully funded scheme for homeowners in Donegal and other counties, and also urged the Government to ensure those responsible for the manufacturing of defective blocks are held to account. A number of

The Tánaiste has said a United Ireland can happen within his lifetime. Leo Varadkar said it will take a redesigning of the island taking the best of both countries. He said he intends to set up a branch of Fine Gael in Northern Ireland. But Leo Varadkar warned it can’t be an annexation of the

The Chief Medical Officer’s stance on the use of antigen testing’s expected to come under scrutiny when he appears before an Oireachtas Committee later. Tony Holohan has previously hit out at the accuracy of the rapid test kits, which he said are only 50 percent effective. It prompted government to bar the use of antigen

A West Tyrone MLA says the DUP and Sinn Fein need to put the interests of the people first and not risk bringing down the assembly. Daniel McCrossan was speaking after it emerged that the numbers of people entering into emergency accomodation in the Derry City and Strabane District more than doubled over the past

In the Dail this evening, the government has confirmed it is not opposing a Sinn Fein motion calling for 100% redress, and action to be taken to recoup some of the cost from developers and block makers. Within the past hour, Deputy Pearse Doherty commended those who took part in today’s protest, and said they

The government has announced 25 million euro in funding to help gigs and festivals happen this year. 13 Donegal based companies are among the events, receiving grants totaling €764,895, this includes €222,146 for the Bundorans Sea Sessions. The Live Performance Support Scheme aims to provide money for live events to take place even with reduced

Thousands of Mica affected families and their supporters are returning to the county this evening after a demonstration in Dublin this afternoon calling for 100% redress for all costs incurred in mending or rebuilding their homes. Speaking to Highland Radio News from outside Leinster House a short time ago, Chris Duddy of Donegal Mica Awareness

16 million euro is being invested in Bus Eireann’s expressway coach service. That includes 30 coaches for use nationwide and a new contactless ticketing system. The first new coach went into operation in Waterford today, with vehicles from the new fleet also being deployed in Stranorlar, Sligo, Galway for use on the Derry service, Cork

As demonstrators gathered outside the Convention Centre where the Dail is sitting this afternoon, the opening exchanges on the floor were about Mica, when the Sinn Fein leader accused Taoiseach Michael Martin of refusing to answer questions about a revised scheme. He, in turn, accused Deputy Mary Lou McDonald of trying to exploit the issue

All parties are expected to back a Sinn Fein motion calling for a 100% Mica redress scheme in the Dail later today. The motion calls for a fully funded scheme for homeowners in Mayo and Clare as well as Donegal to cover remediation, storage and temporary accommodation costs. The party will urge the Government to

Many community groups who have a vision for developing their own area are unaware of the level of supports available to them. That’s the view of Cllr Barry Sweeney, who told this week’s reconvened meeting of Donegal County Council that with cooperation between the council and community groups, a lot can be achieved. Cllr Sweeney

Gardai say they will be out in force this weekend on what would traditionally be the Donegal International Rally weekend. The rally has been cancelled this year again due to the pandemic however, Gardai say they are aware that a number of events are planned for the weekend. Garda Sergeant Eunan Walsh says a particular

The Taoiseach says the Government will refine and improve the current scheme for homeowners affected by the mica controversy. Speaking on his way into Cabinet, Micheál Martin said substantive changes will be made:   It’s as thousands of Mica affected homeowners make their way to Dublin where they will gather outside the Convention Centre before

All services have been restored at Letterkenny University Hospital in a limited capacity following the cyber attack on the HSE on May 14th. However, patients attending clinics at the hospital continue to face significant delays as the recovery process continues. Sean Murphy, General Manager of Letterkenny University Hospital says there is still a lot of

The Transport Minister has confirmed that a number of airlines have expressed an interest in taking over the Donegal to Dublin flight. All regional flights operated by Stobart Air were suspended with immediate effect after news of the airline’s liquidation broke over the weekend. Eamonn Ryan is hopeful now, that an interim carrier can be

A Donegal Doctor doesn’t believe tightening travel restrictions will affect the spread of the Delta variant of Covid-19 in Ireland. The Transport Minister meanwhile, says people travelling from Britain will need to quarantine for 10 days instead of 5. It’s part of new plans going to cabinet this morning, aimed at limiting the spread of

A Dublin Senator says she has never before seen the depths of anger, frustration and desperation of so many in the community as she has witnessed among Mica affected homeowners. Senator Marie Sherlock, whose husband is a native of Carndonagh, has backed calls in the Seanad for a 100% redress scheme. She believes a lesser

Large crowds are travelling from Donegal to Dublin today to take part in a National Demonstration seeking 100% redress for people whose homes are affected by Mica. The Donegal participants will be joined by people from Mayo and Clare. They will gather outside the Convention Centre where the Dail is meeting at 1.30, and then

Cabinet will consider extra restrictions on people traveling into Ireland from Britain this morning. It follows a surge in cases of the more transmissible Delta variant in England, with the strain fast becoming dominant there. Under plans to be considered by ministers, unvaccinated people will need to isolate for 10 days – with negative tests

A full return to college campuses is on course for the autumn. Higher Education Minister Simon Harris will brief his colleagues today on the plan to re-open third level education. Numbers are likely to be managed and staggered – but smaller lectures, workshops, libraries and tutorials will return at minimum. Minister Harris will tell his

  The DUP and Sinn Fein have until 1pm next Monday to nominate a new First Minister and Deputy First Minister for the North. It’s after the resignation of Arlene Foster as First Minister – effectively dissolving the Executive. If both parties can’t agree to a power-sharing deal by next week, then it will trigger

One local resident started to notice the effects on mica in 2006 when he noticed a gable in his house starting to become damp. When he reroofed his house thinking there was loose glass in his conservatory, eventually he found it was mica causing the damage all along. Henry O’Donnell now has mica in his