Author name: oisinkelly

  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

    4 million people could be vaccinated in Ireland against Covid 19 by the end of September. The Health Minister has sent updated projections saying 7.5 million doses should arrive between April and the end of September. Stephen Donnelly already said 700,000 people should be vaccinated by the end of March. Local Dr. Denis

  The Health Minister has been asked to establish whether additional capacity at St Joseph’s Community Hospital, Stranorlar could be used alleviate pressure at Letterkenny University Hospital. Latest figures show that over 100 people with Covid-19 were being treated at Letterkenny University Hospital yesterday. The pressures facing the hospital were evident on Sunday when patients

  Last night’s Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting heard calls for this summer’s Leaving Cert to be scrapped. Some TDs and Senators argued the exams should be replaced with predictive grades once again. Schools are closed for the rest of the month, but Education Minister and Fianna Fáil TD Norma Foley says the written Leaving

  The Government has been accused of gaslighting the Irish people when it comes to dealing with Covid-19. Donegal Deputy Thomas Pringle told the Dail last evening that people are fed up with spin from Government and claims people are correcting information falsely being put forward by Government. He says the Government is also refusing

A South Donegal TD has called on the Health Minister to do a side-deal to get greater quantities of the COVID vaccine. It’s after Germany broke out of the EU’s combined purchase effort to get more doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Ireland is getting 1.1 per cent of an agreed group order from the European

Main Evening News, Sport and Obituaries Wednesday January 13th:

Donegal Deputy Thomas Pringle has called on the Taoiseach to amend the Commission of Investigation Records Act 2020 to allow survivors and victims of Mother and Baby Homes access to personal data. Deputy Pringle says the right to identity must be respected for the survivors and victims. In October, a bill came before the Dail

The Taoiseach has made a formal state apology to the victims and survivors of Mother and Baby Homes. Micheál Martin told the Dáil that basic kindness was not shown to vulnerable women by either church or state. The Commission of Investigation revealed that 339 children born in or admitted to Stranorlar County Home died. The

A 77 year old man has become the first person in residential services for older people in Donegal to receive the Covid-19 vaccine. Nicky Hanlon from Ramelton received the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine today. Meanwhile, Judie Cabanero CNMI was the first ‘staff’ member to be vaccinated at Ramelton Nursing Unit. Philomena Gallagher, Director of Nursing, St

  The Bishop of Raphoe says there’s no doubt the Catholic Church had far too much influence on society over the time in which Mother and Baby Homes were in operation, and an abject apology must be issued to survivors. The Commission of Investigation looked at the Stranorlar County Home where records suggest 339 children

  Ireland’s set to receive over 1 billion euro from the European Union this year to help it deal with Brexit. Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney says it’s proposed the country gets a quarter of this year’s Brexit Adjustment Reserve, which is 4.2 billion euro. The agri-food and fisheries sectors are likely to benefit significantly,

    The Government is facing further criticism over whats been described as a failure to secure Covid-19 payment break extensions for mortgage holders and SMEs. In December, the European Banking Authority reactivated its payment break guidelines to provide support relief for borrowers. Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty earlier this month contacted the Tanaiste, the Finance

  Serious concern has been raised following claims fire cover in Derry has been compromised due to a number of Covid related staff shortages. On Monday, its believed that the service’s Northland Road base only had enough crew to staff one fire engine while all other appliances were unavailable as there weren’t any staff on

A five-year investigation into mother and baby homes has found an “appalling” level of infant mortality among children born there. Out of the 18 homes examined by the Commission of Investigation, including one in Stranorlar and The Castle, Newtowncunningham, 9 thousand children died. 56 thousand unmarried mothers – ranging in age from 12 years old

  A former Garda Inspector in Donegal has described the Road Traffic Act as a ‘basket case’. There has been on-going concern surrounding a loophole in the law whereby if someone who is disqualified does not present their licence in court then it’s not recorded. It’s estimated that almost 90% of disqualified drivers do not

  A Lifford GP says very small changes in the number of Covid-19 cases at Letterkenny University Hospital has a big impact on the pressures facing the facility. Dr. Paul Armstrong says the hospital never had enough ICU beds to begin with, making it easy for the service to become overwhelmed. Speaking on today’s Nine

  A Donegal Garda is urging the public to comply with the Covid travel limit and restrictions which are in place. Officers can now issue €100 on-the-spot fines to those breaching Covid laws. Exercising within your 5kn zone and going shopping for food and other essential items are deemed a reasonable excuse. Where breaches of