Author name: oisinkelly

  Unmonitored self-isolation for people arriving into Ireland is undermining efforts of stopping the spread of Covid-19, according to Sinn Féin. The party is calling for a legally binding quarantine system, with Garda checks and fines. It’s Transport spokesperson Darren O’Rourke says Ireland could import an even more infectious strain over the next couple of […]

  An infectious diseases specialist says a single bad outbreak of Covid-19 at a nursing home could put the hospital system over the edge. 2,944 more people have tested positive for the virus, and thirteen more patients have died 112 of the new cases were in Donegal. 1,928 people are now being treated in hospital

  A local community health forum has issued a ‘thank you’ to it’s volunteers and local business that helped with their outreach project. Finn Valley Health Forum created and delivered over 100 care packages to various members of the elderly community. 50 packs were delivered in October to St.Joseph’s Hospital in Stranorlar and 35 to

Sinn Fein’s calling on the Education Minister to urgently engage with workers’ unions to ensure the reopening of special education. The party’s education spokesperson, Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, says press releases are getting in the way of discussion and agreement. The Department’s statement said special schools would reopen on Thursday, but the union, Forsa, says no

It will not be confirmed until Tuesday whether special needs children can return to school next week. The Department of Education wrote to principals last night to tell them to prepare for these schools to reopen on Thursday. It would allow 20,000 children in primary and special schools to go back to class ten days’

An intensive care consultant at University Hospital Limerick says hundreds of staff are out due to Covid-19 reasons. There are 141 patients with the virus in UHL – making it the second worst hit hospital in the country – and there’s only two critical care beds available in the facility. Cork University Hospital has the

It’s emerged Irish mortgage holders are paying the highest interest rates in the whole of the EU. Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty claims Irish people are paying €60,000 more in mortgage interest rates than any other European country. Figures from the Central Bank show the average mortgage interest rate for Irish borrowers in November was 2.79%,

A West Tyrone MP has welcomed a Supreme Court ruling which will force insurance companies pay small businesses for loss of earnings as a result of Covid-19. The significant ruling could see over £1 billion being paid out to tens of thousands of small businesses across Northern Ireland and Britain. Órfhlaith Begley who has described

A Donegal bus escort says while they want to see children with special needs return to school, serious safety concerns remain. The number on the school bus, no ventilation and no PPE are all said to be major issues. Disability and carers organisations will meet Department of Education officials to discuss plans for classes to

  There are calls for programmes to be put in place for children with additional needs following reports of major regression for some children while schools have been closed. The Education Minister announced yesterday that special needs students at primary level will be able to return to the classroom next Thursday. However, Donegal Deputy Thomas

  The Taoiseach says efforts are ongoing in a bid to solve the Brexit fall out issue affecting fishermen. For the last 14 days, fishermen in Donegal and the North have been prevented from landing their produce in their usual piers and harbours because their boat is registered Northern Ireland. They are only permitted to

  The Education Minister says the reopening of schools in February will depend on the general public’s behavior over the coming weeks. Norma Foley says considerable planning has gone into running this year’s Leaving Cert, with papers being adjusted to give students more choice. It comes as some students have expressed concern about how much

  The Tánaiste says he wants to fast-track the National Broadband Plan by up to two years. The aim is part of the country’s first National Remote Work Strategy, which also reveals employees will have a legal right to ask to work remotely by September. The 3 billion euro National Broadband Plan is due to

  Sinn Féin is calling for contingency plans to be urgently put in place in case the leaving cert exams can’t go ahead. There are fears these students won’t have in-person classes until after St Patrick’s Day. But the government says it still intends to have full, written exams for junior and leaving cert pupils

  A meeting is taking place this morning to finalise plans for special needs education to resume next Thursday. Department of Education officials will update disability, autism and carers’ organisations after an agreement was reached yesterday. Special needs students at primary level will be able to return to the classroom in six days’ time. Minister

  A West Donegal Councillor is opposing plans for a Primary Care Centre in Dungloe. Plans have been lodged with Donegal County County Council for the development on Carnmore Road which would include GP services and a pharmacy. Councillor Michael Cholm MacGiolla Easbuig, fears Dungloe Community Hospital will eventually be downgraded as a result. While

The roll out of the Covid-19 vaccine is continuing today in nursing homes across Donegal. Vaccination teams yesterday administered the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine to residents in Ramelton and Milford. 77 year old Elizabeth McLaughlin, a resident at Carndonagh Community Hospital became the first person in residential services for Older People in Inishowen to receive the

Over 77,000 people have been vaccinated for Covid-19 as of yesterday. 4,000 people have been trained to issue vaccines in anticipation of a further roll out of the vaccination programme. The Health Minister expects 700,000 people to be vaccinated between now and the end of March. HSE CEO Paul Reid outlines the breakdown of who

Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty has brought legislation before the Dail, which if passed, would ban dual pricing within the Irish insurance industry. A recent Central Bank report revealed that the majority of insurance companies are using dual pricing, resulting in customers being charged 35% more with around 70% of customers renewing policies with the same

Special schools and special needs students in primary schools will be able to return to classrooms from next week. Special students will be able to access in-person education on a phased basis from Thursday January 21st. This will also apply to children who are not in a special class but have significant additional needs. Discussions

  The Irish Second Level Students Unions has issued an open letter to the Education Minister, calling for the traditional state exams to be replaced with an alternative format for 2021. The union is currently engaging with students and plans to bring forward their views in due course. The details of a nationwide student survey

  There are urgent calls for more designated Irish ports for Donegal fishermen affected by the Brexit fallout issue. New regulations has seen rural Irish Fishermen and fishing vessels from Northern Ireland being unable to land fish or obtain marine fuel in all but two ports – one in Killybegs the other in Cork. Even

  A public health expert believes it’s very unlikely that schools will reopen in February. They are closed for this month to curb the spread of Covid 19. Government Ministers have repeatedly said they want them shut for the shortest time possible. But Professor Gabriel Scally doesn’t think they will reopen at the end of