Author name: oisinkelly

  Donegal County Council has so far received 163 applications for the Mica Redress Scheme to date. The majority of application have been from the Inishowen MD with 131 applications while there have been 22 form the Letterkenny/Milford area and 10 from Lifford Stranorlar. 67 of these applications have been approved, 76 are under assessment […]

  The Taoiseach has heard concerns over families in Donegal struggling to get on the social housing waiting list. Donegal Deputy Thomas Pringle told the Dail that as it stands a married couple with two children earning more than €28,000 a year cannot applying for social housing due to maximum net income limits set out

  There are calls for Donegal County Council to deploy additional resources to ‘ramp up’ the fight against illegal dumping and littering across the county. Last year, 128 litter fines were issued by Donegal County Council, 60% of which have yet to be paid. Meanwhile, 1 person was prosecuted and fined €250 and costs of

Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty has tabled an amendment that calls on the Government to change the qualifying criteria of the Covid Restriction Support Scheme to ensure affected businesses such as suppliers are no longer excluded from the scheme. The Sinn Fein Finance Spokesperson brought the amendment before the Dail during discussions on the proposed approval

Donegal County Council has agreed to explore the idea of the county twinning with a rural area of Palestine. Councillor Gerry McMonagle brought a motion before Council calling for the local authority to enter into a twinning arrangement with Bani Ziad after receiving correspondence from the region’s mayor. The arrangement would involve the sharing of

  The Dublin Government does not run the Northern Executive. The words of the Taoiseach as the Dail heard further claims From Donegal Deputy Thomas Pringle this afternoon that there’s been no communication from the Irish Government with their Northern Ireland and UK counterparts over a Zero Covid strategy. The Taoiseach has defended the Governments

  The Donegal Enterprise Board has been praised for its work in helping local businesses succeed. As part of the Business Matters Podcast this week, Journalist Ciaran O’Donnell has been speaking to Denis Sheridan, Director of DS Environmental Services based in Kilmacrennan. Mr. Sheridan worked in various countries before settling back in Donegal where he

  A former Education Minister says it’s imperative that a call is made on the Leaving Cert within the week. The Government is remaining hopeful that the exams can go ahead this year. Second-level teachers’ union and student representatives are due to resume talks on alternative options to the Leaving Cert today. Donegal Deputy Joe

  Mid-ranking Gardaí have serious concerns on the force’s requirements to follow up on mandatory quarantining of international travellers into the country. The AGSI is worried about the health implications of members going into homes or hotels to ensure people are self-isolating. The group say it has got no communication or consultation from Government on

  There is public support on both sides of the border for increasing measures to stop the spread of Covid-19, according to a public health expert. As part of new laws here, a mandatory two week quarantine will apply to anyone arriving into Ireland without a negative PCR test it won’t apply to those may

    A study, examining the unique challenges that Donegal faces as a result of Brexit is said to be nearing completion. Economic consultants Grant Thornton have undertaken the study which will reflect in some detail the effect it will have on particular sectors in the county and make recommendations to mitigate the worst impact

  The Tánaiste says international travel at significant rates might not return by Christmas. It comes as the government has extended level five restrictions until March 5th – with no guarantee they’ll end then. New laws are on the way to enforce mandatory quarantine for a limited number of people arriving into Ireland. But opposition

A number of initiatives are in the pipeline for the 2021 tourism season in Donegal. Donegal County Council plans to deliver a range of activities in the months ahead including a new 500,000 innovative tourism related minor works scheme while funding has been secured for a number of other projects geared towards enhancing the over

  €1bn will be delivered to border counties including Donegal between 2021-2027 under the PEACE PLUS North South cooperation programme. The programme will combine the existing PEACE and INTERREG EU funding into one cohesive cross-border programme to support peace and prosperity with a particular focus on Northern Ireland and border counties. The scheme will be

Donegal Deputy Thomas Pringle is to bring forward a bill to the Dail tomorrow morning that if passed, would lead to a referendum on constitutional protections for Economic, Social and Cultural rights. Deputy Pringle says the bill would be an anchor for the rights to housing, health and education to be provided for on the

Cabinet Ministers have approved an extension of the lockdown until the 5th of March. The majority of construction sites are expected to stay closed until March with some hope special needs education can resume next month. New travel restrictions have also been confirmed with mandatory quarantine required for anyone arriving into Ireland without a negative

An independent investigation will be held into historical mother and baby homes in Northern Ireland. First Minister Arlene Foster says the voices of survivors will be heard “loudly and clearly” in the inquiry, which will conclude within 6 months. The full details of a research report into the institutions, which looked at the day-to-day running’s

  An Garda Síochána, the HSE and The Department of Health would like to advise members of the public to be aware of potential scams relating to the Covid-19 vaccine. In recent days, An Garda Síochána have been made aware of members of the public having received fraudulent text messages and calls regarding Covid vaccination.

Some staff at Letterkenny University Hospital are said to be worried over the vaccination process. While a significant number of staff at the hospital have received the Covid-19 vaccine, many of them still waiting with fears that it could be until the end of March until they get the jab. With the increase in the

  There are calls for a clear and resourced plan for An Garda Siochana if they’re expected to enforce strict travel restrictions. As part of plans being considered by Cabinet today, mandatory self-isolation for all passengers travelling into the Republic will become a legal requirement, with spot checks and fines by gardaí. There will be

There are further calls for Donegal’s current gritting programme to be reviewed as a matter of urgency. Councillor Ciaran Brogan brought a motion before Donegal County Council this week calling for the council to engage with private contractors and farming operators to assist in gritting local roads. The Council have agreed to hold a workshop

  The Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council has paid tribute to frontline workers in Donegal for their work thus far in dealing with Covid-19. Councillor Rena Donaghey says as the number of patients being treated in hospital remains high, it’s vital people across the county continue to adhere to public health guidelines. Speaking in the

  A West Donegal County Councillor has expressed disappointment after Donegal County Council refused to add additional services to bring banks across the county to allow for the recycling of paper and plastic. Councillor Micheal Cholm MacGiolla Easbuig brought the motion before the yesterday’s sitting of Donegal County Council. The local authority in response, says