Author name: oisinkelly

NPHET has warned the government against any significant easing of Covid restrictions over the next few weeks. Public health officials gave a sobering presentation to a group of senior cabinet Ministers last night, warning of a fourth wave. The measures planned for easing in April are still on the table as the cabinet meets this […]

The North’s Infrastructure Minister Nicola Mallon is to be invited to attend a meeting of Donegal County Council to discuss the further delay to the expansion of the A5 between Derry and Aughnacloy. Cllr Gary Doherty moved an emergency motion at yesterday’s online council meeting, saying there are questions to be answered by her department

Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue believes the “Our Rural Future” plan announced this afternoon will prove an effective way of implementing government policy in terms of balanced regional development………….. The full document can be accessed HERE    

400 remote working hubs are to be set up across the country to encourage people to leave cities to live in towns and villages. Relocation grants and tax incentives for remote working are also being considered by Government. The ‘Our Rural Future’ plan will also offer grants to publicans to convert their pub into a

  It’s hoped that Donegal people in their early 70s will get the nod for their Covid-19 vaccine in a fortnight’s time. More than 114,000 Covid-19 vaccines were administered nationwide in the week up to Friday. In total, 567,000 people have been given the first dose of an injection, while 219,000 have been given a

  A new housing development has been given the green light for Letterkenny. The project will see the construction of eleven new social housing units in the Killylastins area of the town. The estate will consist of six 2-bedroom apartments, three 2-bedroom houses and two 3-bed houses. The scheme is set to provide high quality

    Letterkenny is to receive the biggest allocation of the €5.3 million funding for Active Travel routes in Donegal. The Cathedral one way project is getting €1M of the overall allocation to the county. The project which will create a one way system linking the convent road -college Row /Sentry hill road accompanied with

  Calls for hair salons to be allowed re-open for fully vaccinated people has been labelled ‘ridiculous’ and a move that would discriminate against those who have yet to receive the jab. The Irish Hairdressers Federation says it would provide a big boost for elderly people and healthcare workers who’ve received both jabs. Local Healthcare

  Homeowners affected by Mica are being encouraged to take part in a project to raise awareness of the issue. ‘Mica , The Bigger Picture Project 2021’ aims to create a pictorial account of homes showing the real effects of mica with a view towards getting the current redress scheme improved. The closing date for

  It’s thought that introducing wildflower gardens in Council owned estates in Donegal would have many benefits. A lot of estates across the county have vast green areas which largely go unused. There are calls on Donegal County Council to explore the idea of establishing biodiversity gardens which it’s thought would benefit both nature and

  The five-day moving average of Covid-19 cases has grown by five percent in the past week to 620. 604 new cases of the virus were announced yesterday as well as 13 more deaths – 45 of the new cases were in Donegal. In public hospitals overnight there were 328 patients with the disease, which

  The Rural Affairs Minister has said there’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change how people live and work in Ireland. The government is to launch a plan this afternoon that will examine financial incentives for people to work at home. There will be a big focus on people returning to rural-Ireland to work – including

  The Vice President of the Garda Representative Association believes that the legislation on Covid-19 restrictions is too vague and Gardai haven’t been properly trained to enforce it. It comes as GSOC revealed it has received more than 450 complaints about Garda enforcement of restrictions. Donegal based Garda Brendan O’Connor feels Gardai are very much

  Donegal County Council is being urged to launch an extensive water safety campaign ahead of a projected busy summer season. It’s thought that the campaign would be similar to the Councils highly successful annual Road Safety Campaign. The initiative would focus on the importance of wearing life jackets and highlighting that in and around

  There are calls for the free travel scheme to be extended to include those with epilepsy. It’s estimated that around 40,000 thousand people in Ireland have the condition however in a small number of cases have to use public transport because they are fearful of driving or may have had their licence temporarily revoked.

  The country’s biggest cinema chain hopes to offer vaccine-only screenings if restrictions are eased. Omniplex, which has 33 branches in Ireland says it could offer one screening with social distancing for those yet to receive a Covid jab. Company director Mark Anderson, says it would be a good move for business, aswell as a

  The Government could allow outdoor dining and non essential retail to return as soon as mid May. Details of a re-opening strategy are set to be announced on Tuesday, following a NPHET meeting tomorrow. Minimal changes to Level 5 are expected in April, such as resuming home-building, restarting outdoor sports for children and widening

  Sinn Fein trail Fine Gael by just one per cent in the latest opinion poll – with backing for Fianna Fail continuing to decline. Fine Gael has the top spot on 30 percent, with Sinn Fein in second on 29 percent. But the Taoiseach’s party Fianna Fail has slumped to just 11 percent in

  An infectious diseases expert says pressing ahead with the reopening of schools is likely to create “exponential growth” of Covid-19. 624 more people have tested positive for the virus, and two further deaths have been confirmed – 38 of the new cases were in Donegal. All primary and secondary students will return to class

  The UK Government is planning to offer 3.7 million vaccine doses to Ireland, in order to lift lockdown in the North sooner. Reports in the Sunday Times suggest it’s also ‘a poke in the eye’ for EU leaders, as the vaccination rollout in the bloc is significantly behind the UK. Earlier this week European

Lynas Foods is to open an outlet in Strabane in May with the creation of 10 jobs. West Tyrone MLA Maolíosa McHugh is welcoming the news, saying he’s had confirmation from the wholesale company that they are to open an outlet at the retail park on the Dublin Road. Mr Mc Hugh says the facility

  There are calls for hair salons to be allowed re-open for fully vaccinated people. The Irish Hairdressers Federation says it would provide a big boost for elderly people and healthcare workers who’ve received both jabs. Vice President Lisa Eccles doesn’t think it’ll happen from April 5th – but wants the government to consider it

  The average number of new cases of Covid-19 has increased by nearly 11 per cent over the past 10 days. The five-day average now stands at 552 – compared to 499 at the beginning of last week. But the number of Covid patients in ICU fell to 66 last night – the lowest since

    The ASTI says there’s concern among teachers over the return of students in large numbers to schools. It’s calling for adequate measures to be put in place when all pupils go back to school on April 12th. It includes first to fourth years in secondary schools, who’ll be back for in-class learning after

The North’s Infrastructure Minister has announced a number of measures to improve pedestrian access in Derry City Centre. They include the introduction of a one way system from Carlisle Road, through Ferryquay Gate into The Diamond; removal of the existing parking area outside the former Austin’s department store, a new foo0tway at Shipquay Gate and