Author name: oisinkelly

  A Garda Sergeant in Donegal is warning that Gardai’s efforts to encourage people to follow restrictions will only work if there’s a buy in from the general public and if those restrictions are mirrored in the North. Operation Fanacht is underway right across the country however checkpoints have already been ramped up across Donegal

  Brindley Manor Nursing home is actively ensuring that all appropriate measures are put in place to contain the outbreak of Covid-19 at the facility. 30 cases of the virus have been confirmed among residents and staff at the nursing home after a a planned testing process, however it’s understood that the majority are displaying

  The rest of the country is now under Level 3 Covid-19 restrictions along with Donegal and Dublin for three weeks. People are asked not to travel outside their county, and eating inside restaurants and cafes is banned. Last night, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar told the Fine Gael Parliamentary party that a short ‘circuit-break’ lockdown, like

  Traffic jams are to be used by Gardaí from this morning to discourage people making unnecessary journeys. Operation Fanacht came into force at midnight across the country with 132 checkpoints a day on main roads, while there will be thousands more in towns and villages. Gardaí will not have enforcement powers but if compliance

  The Dáil will today hear renewed calls for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment to be restored to its previous rate. People now get between 203 and 300 euro a week if they lose their job due to the Covid crisis. This week alone saw an extra 2,000 Donegal people get the payment after being put

  A West Tyrone MLA is calling on for the location of a mobile Covid-19 Testing Unit is located in Omagh. Catherine Kelly says apart from a brief period at the end of May, there has been no testing facility located in Tyrone’s main population centre. She says Omagh has a disproportionately high number of

  Agriculture and Marine Minister Charlie McConalogue says a no-deal Brexit will have consequences for Irish agri food businesses which export to or import from Great Britain. In a presentation to the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and the Marine, Minister McConalogue said the Department has been working for several years to prepare for all contingencies.

  With Donegal Connect 2020 taking place tomorrow, Donegal County Council says there’s been a huge interest from virtual audiences across the globe. Last year’s inaugural event saw a concerted effort to bring members of the diaspora home on holiday, with a view towards possible relocation. Tomorrow’s online event will focus on key themes including

  The shocking events which unfolded in Donegal on Sunday prove once again the very real need for a dedicated armed response unit for the North West region. That’s the view of GRA Donegal representative Brendan O’Connor. He was reacting to a series of incidents in the county on Sunday which included a car chase,

  An appeal has been re-issued for information in relation to missing man Cian Langelaan. The 27 year old who has been reported missing from the Falcarragh area was last seen on Sunday September 27th in the Hornhead area where searches are being conducted. Cian is 5 ft 8 inches tall and of medium build.

  A Donegal GP says he knows a “tsunami” of Covid-19 infections in his practice will result in people dying. Dr Martin Coyne is based in Lifford which has the highest 14-day incidence rate than any local electoral area in the country. There have been 87 cases in Lifford in the space of three weeks.

    Donegal still remains the county with the highest incidence rate nationwide. The latest stats today show that the county has an incidence rate of 273.3 per 100,000 population. That’s almost two and half times the national average. Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue says the only way to get the number of cases is down

  Gardai in Donegal are reminding people to increase safety measures in a bid to prevent burglaries. Operation Thor is underway in earnest with the initiative successfully reducing the rate of winter burglaries since its introduction in 2015. Due to Covid-19, there has been a big reduction in burglaries in the county due to people

  The general manager of McElhinney’s department store in Ballybofey says it’s a ‘sigh of relief’ that the government didn’t proceed to level 5. The government has rejected proposals to put the country in a second lockdown but all counties will move to level three restrictions from midnight along with Donegal and Dublin. Martin McElhinney

  The Health Minister has played down any rift between NPHET and the government over implementing Covid restrictions. That’s despite Tánaiste Leo Varadkar saying the proposals from Dr Tony Holohan were “not thought through”. Every county in Ireland will enter level three restrictions along with Donegal and Dublin from midnight tonight. However, they rejected the

    Údarás na Gaeltachta has launched a video campaign to highlight the quality of life and the opportunities offered in the Donegal Gaeltacht, with an emphasis on the gteic business hub in Gaoth Dobhair. The unit, which is currently being substantially expanded, offers hot desk and shared space facilities for remote workers, as well

  A Foyle MLA is calling for a major focus on air quality in Derry and Strabane ahead of International Clean Air Day later this week. Sinead Mclaughlin has launched a campaign to improve air quality in the district, which has been shown to have the worst air pollution in Northern Ireland. Ms McLaughlin says

A group of Independent Oireachtas members has said it’s vital that if there is to be a Level 5 lockdown, it must be on an All-Island bases. Deputies Thomas Pringle, Joan Collins and Catherine Connolly, along with Donegal Senator Eileen Flynn argue such a measure is necessary to prevent recurring lockdowns in the future. They

    It’s been confirmed that three incidents in separate areas of Donegal were connected and ultimately led to the abduction of a man in Convoy yesterday. A number of people have been arrested in Castlederg in connection with the incidents following a cross border operation between the Gardai and the PSNI. Gardai first encountered

  The Clinical Lead of the Covid hub in Letterkenny says Donegal is creeping into a danger area of Covid-19. Doctor Paul Armstrong who is also a GP in Lifford, the area which has seen the biggest spike in the virus nationwide, says early trends show that the rate of Covid-19 is coming down slightly.