Author name: oisinkelly

Level 5 restrictions will be extended until April 5th this afternoon with home building remaining shut for another month. While more than 300,000 students will return to the classroom next Monday. Last night the cabinet sub-committee on COVID agreed to extend Level 5 restrictions until at least April 5th when there will be a review.

Enterprise Ireland doubled its investment in start-ups in 2020. The state agency gave 48 million euro throughout the year with 125 companies supported. Agri-tect, cybersecurity and digital health were among the sectors which benefitted with funding, while 30 percent of the companies were ran by women. In 2019 around 24 million euro was given to

The Glenshane Road which had been closed due to an earlier two vehicle crash, has now reopened. A passenger in one of the vehicles was taken to hospital for treatment while the two drivers reported no injuries.

A man has been hospitalised following a crash between a cyclist and a car in the Glenswilly area this evening. Gardaí and emergency services are currently at the scene of the collision which occurred at around 5:40pm. The man has been taken to Letterkenny University Hospital for treatment to non-life threatening injuries.

The Glenshane Road in Derry is been closed following a serious road traffic collision. Police say the crash happened at 4.25pm this afternoon. The road was closed earlier also following an early morning fatal collision. Diversions are in place for Belfast bound traffic at the Glenshane Road junction with the Tirbracken Road while Derry bound

The total cost of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment to date has topped €6 billion. There is a slight decrease this week in the numbers in receipt of the payment, they are down by just over 4,200. 16,178 people in Donegal will receive the payment this week, down from 16,355 last week. In total more than

There have been a further 4 covid related deaths in the North. 187 people have tested positive for the virus in the last 24 hours. There are 386 patients being treated in hospitals for the disease in Northern Ireland, with 51 in ICU.

A man has died following an early morning crash in Derry. The man in his 40s died after his motorcycle was struck by a vehicle on the Glenshane Road shortly after 5.30am. The road is closed in both directions at Altnagelvin hospital and will remain closed for some time. Local diversions are in place and

  The Irish National Teachers Organisation is calling for a review into fees currently being charged for online Gaeltacht courses. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, traditional courses cannot take place in the Gaeltacht. Concern has been expressed among some student teachers that the online versions are effectively costing the same as attending the traditional courses. Initially,

  Two men have been arrested following a report of an aggravated burglary in Strabane yesterday evening. Just before 7pm, two men forced their way into a house Ballycolman Estate and assaulted the two male occupants with a hammer before stealing their vehicle. Police located the stolen vehicle a short time later and arrested two

There’s been a serious collision in Derry this morning.  The Glenshane Road in Derry has been closed in both directions at Altnagelvin Hospital following the crash. Local diversions are in place but delays are expected in the area. Motorists are advised to seek an alternative route if possible.

A disqualified driver was detected at an Operation Fanacht checkpoint in south Donegal.  The motorist who had been disqualified for for an accumulation of penalty points was caught by Gardai in the Ballyshannon area yesterday with the help of the mobility app. The driver was arrested and a court appearance will follow.

  Health certs are now required for importing certain items from Britain to Northern Ireland. Sausages, mince and pate-type products made in Britain are currently only allowed in under the terms of a six-month grace period. The rule will expire at the end of June with a deal possible before then between the EU and

  TDs’ salaries are expected to rise above 100,000 euro a year with a pay increase in the next couple of months. The Irish Independent reports a pay rise is expected for top civil servant before July. Currently members of the Dáil are paid a basic salary of over 98,000 euro.

  A status yellow wind warning for 14 counties comes into effect from tonight. It will be in place for Munster, Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Sligo, Mayo, Galway and Donegal from 9pm until 6am tomorrow morning. Winds could reach gusts of up to 110 kilometers per hour according to Met Eireann.

  The Agriculture Minister has issued a call for proposals for Food Waste Reduction Initiatives under the 2021 Rural Innovation and Development Fund. Minister Charlie McConalogue said the funding will enhance the work previously funded to identify, target and address the issue, while Ireland generates over 1 million tonnes of food waste each year. The

679 new cases of covid 19 have been confirmed and 1 more patient with the virus has died. 230 of the new infections are in Dublin, with 59 in Limerick, 48 in Galway, 47 in Kildare and 29 in Tipperary. 26 new cases were confirmed in Donegal this evening. The country’s 14 day incidence rate

The North’s First Minister Arlene Foster and other unionists are threatening legal action over the Northern Ireland Protocol. They argue the Brexit settlement agreed for Northern Ireland is not compatible with the Act of Union of 1801, which set up a customs union between Britain and Ireland. Tomorrow the House of Commons will debate a

Due to the overwhelming number of responses to their recruitment drive, Donegal Mountain Rescue have closed their expression in interest link. The Donegal Mountain Rescue Team provides an emergency response, remote environment and extreme terrain, search and rescue service for Donegal. The team is comprised completely of volunteers who are on 24 hour call. The

Gardai in Co Monaghan are questioning a man over the discovery of a cannabis growhouse. It was found after officers searched a property in Carrickmacross last night. 300 cannabis plants worth 250,000 euro were seized. A man in his 30s was arrested – he’s being held at Carrickmacross Garda Station.

Catholic church leaders have requested that public worship be allowed to take place through Lent. At a meeting with the Taoiseach yesterday, Archbishops Eamon Martin, Dermot Farrell, Kieran O’Reilly and Michael Neary emphasised its spiritual importance, particularly through Holy Week and Easter. They also requested the number of people allowed to attend funerals be increased.

A South Donegal Deputy has hit out at what she says is the Government’s cynical disregard of its ‘commitment’ to a policy of Balanced Regional Development. It’s after a fund to support the development of outdoor dining infrastructure was announced for eight cities and towns across the country. Deputy Marian Harkin however, has described the

Over 250 families in Derry and Strabane are rolling up their sleeves and getting ready to embark on the journey towards self-sustainability. The ‘I Can Grow’ Project is a new environmental project encouraging more people to grow their own produce. The initiative, led by the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland supported by the National Lottery

The Skeoge Link Road in Derry has reopened following a search operation in the area. A search operation was initiated following a report that a device has been left in the Racecourse Road area of the city earlier today. Police however, have confirmed that nothing untoward was found during the searches.

286 fines have been handed out by Gardai in Donegal to people in breach of Covid regulations, that’s up 65 on last week’s figure. A total of 6,297 fines have been handed out nationwide for non-essential travel. Gardai have issued 638 fines for non-essential journeys to the airport, which is in breach of Covid regulations.

An additional 28 Covid related deaths have been confirmed this evening. 763 new cases have also been reported, 26 of them in Donegal. 754 people are currently being treated in hospital for the virus, 151 of which are in ICU.