Author name: oisinkelly

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

Up to 10 thousand people who are living in the Republic and driving on a Northern Irish or UK drivers licence have still not applied to exchange it. They are being reminded that their existing licence will not allow them to drive here after December 31st. More than 60 thousand of these drivers have applied

  Over €1 million is to be allocated to Donegal under the LEADER programme which will come into effect in April 2021. It’s the highest allocation nationwide. LEADER is a rural development programme co-funded by the EU which operates a locally-led approach to meeting the needs of local communities and businesses. The programme aims to

  Gardaí in Letterkenny are appealing for information following the theft of a white Citroën Berlingo van from the Newmills area yesterday. The vehicle with registration 131 DL 2867 was stolen from Glenkerragh at around 7.30am. It’s believed the van may then have travelled in the direction of Fintown/Brockagh. The owner of the van which

  An Inishowen mother who lost her entire family in a tragedy earlier this year is urging other families to realise how precious life is. On a stormy night on August 20th, Geraldine Mullan and her family were driving home to Moville when their car left the road and entered the waters of Lough Foyle

  The President of the European Commission says there is a narrow path to a Brexit agreement. Talks are continuing between the EU and UK with hopes agreement can be reached before the transition period finishes at the end of the month. It comes as British media is reporting that MPs are preparing to delay

  The Teachers Union of Ireland says the new public pay deal locks in “pay discrimination” — and it can’t endorse the agreement. The second-level teachers’ union says it would leave new teachers earning 15 percent less than their colleagues did when they were hired. The 302 million euro a year agreement would increase pay

    Tourism Ireland is predicting the level of international travel will start to increase between April and June of next year. There’s been an estimated 80 per cent decline in overseas visitors coming to Ireland this year compared to last. The organisation’s research shows young people will be the first to head abroad on

  It could be early 2022 before the majority of people in the Republic are vaccinated against Covid-19, according to an infectious disease expert. The three-stage rollout plan was announced yesterday, with nursing homes and large hospitals set to be the first to benefit. The Health Minister said it could start by the end of

  A Donegal Deputy has called for another treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. During a debate on the 50th anniversary of the treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, Deputy Thomas Pringle told the Dail that action needs to be taken to protect against human and environmental costs of access to nuclear weapons