Author name: oisinkelly

The government’s plan for the resumption of air travel, entertainment and sport will be revealed next week. The Taoiseach says it’ll be part of his ‘comprehensive statement’ about how restrictions will ease in June and July. Micheál Martin says we need to ‘reboot’ the aviation sector as it’s crucial to the economy. It comes as […]

Almost 100 drinking-water samples had outside the allowable limit of lead, or an environmental pollutant. According to Irish Water’s most recent test results, seven properties had too much lead in their water. Homes in Donegal, Cavan, Cork, Limerick, Roscommon and Kerry were all outside the allowable limit. 91 properties nationwide, had too many T-H-Ms, which

The Dail has heard that water and wastewater issues in Inishowen and Letterkenny is ‘a mess’. Donegal Deputy Padraig MacLochlainn says Irish Water is under resourced and has no plan in place to meet their responsibilities. Speaking during a motion on Water and Wastewater Treatment Services, he says thousands of homes in Inishowen suffer repeated

A section of council-owned land in Carndonagh is being considered for the development of a new Garda Station. It’s been confirmed that Donegal County Council, An Garda Siochana and the OPW are working to progress the project which has been included in the upcoming Garda Building and Refurbishment Programme. The existing station in Carndonagh was

The General Manager of Letterkenny University Hospital has confirmed that no services will be resuming at the hospital this week due to impact of the cyber attack on the HSE being felt across the hospital. All outpatient, diagnostic and endoscopy clinics at the hospital are cancelled. All elective inpatient and day case procedures are cancelled

A Donegal Deputy says the Government needs assurances from the British Government that it will not seek to curtail further legacy inquests. Deputy Thomas Pringle has been speaking in the Dail during statements on the Ballymurphy inquest which last week, found 10 people killed in the Ballymurphy massacre were entirely innocent. He also questioned how

Representatives of the Office of Public Works are being asked to attend the next meeting of the Letterkenny and Milford Municipal District to brief members on the current status of the Letterkenny Flood Relief Scheme. The issue was raised at a recent meeting by Cllr Gerry McMonagle, who said with work continuing on the updating

It’s claimed medical and personal information about patients IS now being shared online. The Financial Times says it’s seen screenshots and files, following the cyber attack by hackers on the HSE. The records available online include internal health files, minutes of meetings, equipment purchase details, and correspondence with patients. Head of the HSE, Paul Reid,

The government’s plans to tackle the influence of investment funds have been savaged by the opposition for not going far enough. From midnight tonight stamp duty of 10% will apply to the purchase of 10 or more residential houses – but apartments are exempt from this. While local authorities will be instructed by a circular

A Fianna Fáil MEP is dismissing the incoming DUP leader’s call for the Northern Ireland Protocol to be scrapped. Edwin Poots said yesterday the Irish Sea border arrangement had been hugely damaging to the North. He urged the Irish government to remove its support for the agreement, which involves more checks on goods that arrive

The head of the HSE is describing the ransomware attack as ‘unfair, unjust and incomprehensible’. Paul Reid says he’s ‘gutted and angry’ after what the country’s been through with Covid-19. The executive says the ransomware attack has had an ‘disabling effect’ on the health service, and will take several weeks to resolve. It’s led to

The Covid-19 vaccine portal has opened for 49 year olds to register. High risk patients and frontline healthcare workers who have yet to receive an appointment can also register. People can sign up by phone or online, and will be given Pfizer or Moderna when vaccinations start later this month. However it’s expected Johnson and

A Donegal Deputy has asked the Taoiseach if he is is doing stand up comedy now. The interjection came during a discussion on when TDs should return to Leinster House. Deputy Padraig MacLochlainn, the Sinn Fein Whip, was one of a number of TDs who argued that the time is right to return to the

The Taoiseach has told the Dail that Housing Minister Minister Darragh O’Brien is considering proposals from Mica affected homeowners in Donegal, and will meet with them online later this week. Michael Martin was responding to Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald, who urged the government to to deliver a 100% Mica Redress Scheme similar to

A Donegal senator has claimed the media is not reporting on important issues relating to Sinn Fein, particularly in terms of the standing down of senior figures in Derry. Referring to what he called the Martin McGuinness machine, Senator Niall Blaney told the Seanad the lack of coverage on what has been happening in Derry

The General Manager of Letterkenny University Hospital says work is ongoing to diagnose the extent of the HSE’s cyber attack. Dialysis services and vaccination clinics are operating as normal at the hospital. As is hematology and oncology clinics, unless contacted by the hospital to advise otherwise. All other services at Letterkenny University Hospital have been

Gardai are investigating a number of ‘Money Muling’ incidents in Donegal. They are urging parents to educate their children on the issue and for people to never send or receive money on behalf of someone else. Gardai say criminals are using messaging services like Whatsapp to recruit ‘mules’ and students, minors, the unemployed and newcomers

The Sinn Fein leader is to lobby the Taoiseach in the Dail this afternoon to deliver a 100% Mica Redress Scheme. Two protests are being held in Donegal this weekend as affected homeowners say they are at the end of their tethers with the amount of money required to apply for the long awaited scheme

It’s claimed cats may be being poisoned in the Ballybofey area. It follows a number of incidents where cats have been found having seizures and have had to be put down as a result. Doreen Russell from the Twin Towns Lost and Found Dog Rescue Group told the Nine til Noon Show that at this

It’s only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or worse unless action is taken to address speeding issues at Liscooley on the main Ballybofey to Lifford Road. That’s according to Councillor Patrick McGowan who says the installation of one single flashing speed sign in the area is just tokenism. Minor traffic calming

City and county councillors are in line for a 47% pay rise in six weeks’ time. They’re set to be paid €25,000 a year from the 1st of July – compared to €17,000 at the moment. Cabinet ministers are expected to approve of the increase when they meet this morning. Independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice says councillors

A One Way System designed to improve traffic flow around four of Letterkenny’s busiest schools could be operational by this time next year. An allocation of €1 million was received from the National Transport Authority earlier this year for the project as part of the Active travel scheme. The designs and other documentation should be

New cases of Covid-19 have decreased by 2% over the past week. 2,870 have been reported in the past seven days, 61 fewer than the previous week. That’s despite the ban on inter-county travel being lifted last Monday, along with several other measures. 360 new cases were reported yesterday. But public health expert, Professor Gabriel

The Health Minister says it may take weeks to get all of the HSE’s systems back operating following last week’s cyber attack. But Stephen Donnelly says steady progress is being made, as work to rebuild it with back-up data continues. Diagnostics and lab services are among the areas worst impacted, with thousands of patients affected.