Author name: oisinkelly

  The Health Minister hasn’t ruled out regional restrictions going forward. Stephen Donnelly also says a more targeted approach is being considered to tackle the Covid surge in South Inishowen. This could mean introducing walk-in PCR testing and providing more information on the ground to the local community. South Inishowen now has the second highest

  A Glenties Councillor says there are fears over a repeat of high Covid cases and deaths like the aftermath of Christmas, if restrictions are eased in the coming weeks. The Glenties Local Electoral Area has for the most part, bucked the county trend of rising Covid case numbers and currently has one of the

The majority of services at Letterkenny University Hospital have now resumed. Over the last three weeks, services at the hospital resumed on a staggered basis, while inpatient surgery resumed with normal schedule on Monday of last week. All Outpatients clinics have resumed but at a reduced level and will return to full capacity over the

  The deputy Chief Medical Officer says it will be a ‘challenge’ to get below 500 Covid cases per day. Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said yesterday it will be very hard to see numbers going below this level because of the more transmissible UK variant. It comes as 606 new cases have been confirmed, with 3

The Dail has been told there were more council homes delivered in Donegal in 2002 than in all of the last 11 years. Speaking during a debate on the Residential Tenancies Bill, Deputy Padraig MacLochlainn said 560 council homes were built or acquired across Donegal in 2002, while from the start of 2010 to the

  A Senior Dietician is to be appointed in Donegal to support children and adults with Eating Disorders. At a Regional Health Forum Meeting this week, Cllr Gerry Crawford was told each county in the region would get one senior dietician, with specialist therapists being appointed to the Mental Health Services in Sligo/Leitrim and Cavan/Monaghan.

  A Donegal teachers’ representative says teachers and students would like to see more information made available about Covid outbreaks in schools. The TUI had issued a scathing reaction earlier this week to indications that the wearing of masks would not be mandatory at Leaving Cert oral exams. That has now been reversed, but Brendan

The Hot School Meals programme is set to be significantly expanded this year. Some 35,000 students across 189 schools will benefit from hot meals – an almost 5 fold increase on the number last year. Research from the Department of Social Protection suggests the scheme has impacted positively on school attendance and the mental well-being

The HSE says the country remains on course to receive around a million doses of Covid-19 vaccines between now and the end of April. It’s planning to administer between 95 and 105 thousand doses next week – mostly to people over the age of 70. The HSE is also hoping to begin the rollout to

  A Donegal Deputy is calling for an independent review into revelations that the Department of Health has been building secret dossiers on children with autism. It’s emerged that the Department has been using information from private doctor consultations to build and maintain dossiers on children with autism who were involved in legal actions against

  Plans to construct one thousand houses in Letterkenny area are a step closer after Irish Water granted approval for water and sewerage facilities to service the project in the Leck area. The initial phase will be to seek planning for 300 new dwellings with permission to be sought for further houses and other amenities

  A community in North Inishowen has been left reeling after their local football pitch was vandalised in recent days. The playing grounds of Moville Celtic were discovered damaged on Wednesday with goalposts torn down and an area outside the changing rooms also destroyed. Litter was also strewn across the grounds. It’s believed that a

  First Holy Communions have been postponed in the Derry Diocese over fears that it could lead to gatherings and parties. The sacrament is usually celebrated during April and May when children are between the ages of seven and eight. While public worship at Catholic Churches is due to resume in the North tomorrow First

  A Stranorlar GP says the situation with Covid-19 in Donegal is worrying. 68 new cases were recorded in the county last night with the 14 day incidence rate at 246.9 – well above the national average. Dr Denis McCauley, from the Irish Medical Organisation, says there’s a slight problem on both sides of the

  There are urgent calls for more drug and alcohol addiction facilities in Donegal with the amount of in-patient detox beds available in the county deemed inadequate. As of December 2020 there were 10 residential beds available at the White Oaks rehabilitation centre. But Cllr Gerry McMonagle is concerned that ten is insufficient to cope

  Rural TDs in Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are revolting against the 5km exercise limit – insisting it must be lifted on April 5th. They expressed frustration at the lockdown measure during parliamentary party meetings last night. Speaking to his party, the Taoiseach acknowledged people are “fed up” but said the country’s progress remains

    The North’s Deputy First Minister says private developers will be offered the chance to buy land at the old Ebrington Army Base in Derry, on which there is planning permission for a second office block. Answering questions in the Assembly from Foyle MLA Martina Anderson, Michelle O’Neill said it’s hoped to invite expressions

  A Donegal TD has told the Dail that changes to family leave provisions are belated, but welcome. Deputy Thomas Pringle was speaking in support of the Family Leave Bill 2001, which replaces the term ‘adoptive mother’ with the term ‘adoptive parent’, paving the way for same sex couples to avail parental leave. Deputy Pringle

  It will be 2023 at the earliest when unemployment rates in Ireland drop to pre-pandemic levels. It’s one of the findings of the latest economic commentary from the ESRI, which predicts GDP to increase up by around 4 per cent this year. It’s predicting the economy will bounce back in the second half of

  The HSE has confirmed that negotiations are continuing with the Friends of JCM in Carndonagh with regards to the future use Milltown House, but the future of the hydrotherapy pool there remains uncertain. Councillor Albert Doherty asked the Regional Health Forum this week about Dunshenny House, which is being developed as a residential centre

There is unlikely to be a recovery in the numbers of international travellers arriving in Ireland until the second half of the year. That’s the view of Tourism Ireland, which has been looking at the impact the covid pandemic is having on Ireland’s tourism markets. CEO Niall Gibbons says the vaccination roll out is being

The Taoiseach has reaffirmed the government’s support for the North West Regional Strategy. Michael Martin was speaking following the publication of a report backing the creation of a Dublin Belfast Economic Corridor. Mr Martin told TDs that both cross border strategies are in line with what the Shared Ireland Initiative is intended to achieve…………..

    Ryanair says it expects people from the Republic to use flights from Northern Ireland to go on holiday this summer. The airline’s launching new routes from Britain to some European destinations – including 8 from Belfast – starting in May. And boss Michael O’Leary thinks people here might take advantage:

  A Donegal Senator says the Good Friday Agreement isn’t complete yet and more work is needed to resolve outstanding issues. It comes as The Good Friday Agreement Committee met yesterday as the discussion for a United Ireland continues. It has been suggested that discussions need to start on preparing for the possibility of a

  The HSE has confirmed that two Consultant Psychiatrists have been recruited for the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service in Donegal, which will allow an extra team to be formed in the county. Cllr Ciaran Brogan was told at a Regional Health Forum meeting that the third team will service Inishowen, which is being

  Donegal County Council is to establish a year-round collection of waste paints at recycling centres. As part of the move, the Council is also set to introduce a paint reuse scheme. Previously, there been a service in place at recycling centres a couple of days a week but this has not been in operation