Author name: oisinkelly

The Irish Hotels Federation says hotels and guesthouses in Donegal are facing their harshest ever start to a new year due to a collapse in bookings. Figures published today show that in the Border region, booking levels for hotel rooms are at 7% for January and 6% for February. This follows already historically low occupancy

  The Tanaiste has pledged to raise funding concerns over Sligo Airport with the Transport Minister. The airport houses The Coast Guard Service, which covers the west coast, Donegal and the Ulster coastline but there are fears over the future of the facility as there are no plans by Government to provide funding to it

  The details of Northern Ireland’s six week lockdown have been revealed – with stricter limits on retail than it’s seen before. It’s coming into effect on St Stephen’s Day Homeware won’t be considered essential, click and collect won’t be allowed and pubs and restaurants can only operate as takeaways. Health minister Robin Swann says

  The Good Friday agreement will be protected and a hard border on the island of Ireland will be avoided regardless of whether a Brexit trade deal is secured. That’s the message this morning from the European Commissioner during an address to the European Parliament. Mr Sefcovic is the co chair of the EU-UK Joint

  The Irish Hotels Federation says there will be significant job losses if the new restrictions get the go-ahead. Only 25 per cent of hotel rooms have been occupied this month, and the sector was hoping for a much-needed boost over the ‘Christmas window’. IHF president Elaina Fitzgerald-Kane says if that’s shortened, hotels will face

  NPHET has recommended the closure of restaurants and gastropubs before the New Year as part of efforts to deal with rising rates of Covid-19. From today, people can travel outside their county and three different households can meet indoors. The measures were due to stay in place until January 6th – but NPHET wants

  It’s emerged that it will be some time before the National Broadband Plan will be fully rolled out in Donegal. Figures received by Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty show that over 32,000 premises in Donegal are currently awaiting high speed broadband and it will be 4 years at least, before the service is delivered to

  Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern says he believes there will be a post-Brexit trade deal by the end of the weekend. British and EU negotiators will resume talks this morning, after the British Prime Minister and the European Commission president spoke by phone last night. Ursula Von Der Leyen says “big differences remain” and that

  Northern Ireland’s entering a six-week lockdown from St Stephen’s Day. The Stormont Executive has decided to close non-essential shops, and restrict the hospitality sector to takeaway only. In the first week of the lockdown, households won’t be allowed mix and people won’t be able to leave their homes after 8pm. The North’s deputy first

  The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform is being urged to sanction funding for the completion of the new Finn Harps stadium in the Appropriation Bill 2020. €1.2 million has already been spent on the now shovel-ready project but it has been laying idle since 2014. Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty called on Minister Michael

A six week long covid-19 lockdown is being proposed for Northern Ireland by its Health Minister. The Northern Executive is meeting this afternoon to consider introducing tighter Coronavirus restrictions after Christmas. Hospitality, retail and leisure facilities could all be shut under plans being proposed by Minister Robin Swann. It comes as a further 12 covid

There are further calls on both the HSE and Government to sanction the necessary funding to restore respite services for people with intellectual disabilities in Inishowen. It emerged in recent weeks that there’s only one designated respite bed available in Riverwalk Respite House, Carndonagh, despite there being 46 service users on the peninsula.. A motion

    A family setting, involving a large gathering of people has been cited as the reason for the recent spike in Covid-19 cases in Donegal. 53 new infections were reported in the county yesterday with the 14 day incidence rate also increasing to 245.6. The Director of Public Health in the North West Dr

    EU Council of Fisheries Ministers in Brussels have agreed to set quotas for fish stocks for the first three months of 2021. They’ve agreed to set interim Total Allowable Catches and quotas for the first quarter of next year based on a “rollover” of 25% of the 2020 TAC levels for the majority

  The Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council has revealed she has reservations about getting the Covid-19 vaccine. The European Medicines Agency will meet on Monday to consider whether to give the Pfizer shot the go-ahead. Cllr Rena Donaghey says it has been her disposition to limit taking any form of medication and for that reason

  It’s understood that the Government is finalising a Brexit support package worth in the region of €400m for farmers. A meeting between Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue and Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath is due to take place today to hammer out the final details of the support for farmers. The €400m package is

  Pressure is mounting on the HSE to give a definitive date for when the St. Conal’s Mental Health Day Centre will reopen. The facility, which had been catering to 50 service users, has been closed since beginning of the first lockdown on March 19th. Cllr Gerry McMonagle who’s also a member of the Regional

  Seven dead sheep and an array of veterinary products have been discovered dumped near the Donegal border. The animals were found in recent days in a forestry area at Meenagoland, Killygordon, close to where a similar discovery was made a number of months ago. Local Councillor Patrick McGowan says there are serious concerns over

  Professor Gabriel Scally is calling for Northern Ireland to go back into lockdown. Health minister Robin Swann will bring a number of new proposals to the Stormont Executive today, to limit the spread of Covid-19. Deputy first minister Michelle O’Neill says there’s ‘no doubt’ intervention is needed. Hospitals are operating at 105 per cent

  Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty has asked the Government to review the waiting times for operations for children suffering from Spina Bifida. In the Dail last evening, Deputy Doherty raised the case of 6 year old Oisin, a relation of his wife’s who has been waiting almost 3 years for life-changing surgery. He urged Minister

A Brexit trade deal can be agreed in the coming days, according to a former Taoiseach. Talks are continuing in Brussels as both sides try to find a solution on issues like fishing and the so-called ‘level playing field’. Yesterday the European Commission President, Ursula Von der Leyen, said there’s now a ‘narrow’ path to