Author name: oisinkelly

It’s been confirmed that a mobile Covid 19 testing unit will be based in Strabane from today. Following a spoke in recent days in the number of cases in Strabane town and surrounding areas, the Public Health Agency confirmed a mobile testing unit will be located at Melvin Leisure Centre car park from today. West

Garda checkpoints are in place across Donegal with the county now under Level 3 coronavirus restrictions. It has the highest rate of Covid 19 in the country – and people are being urged not to leave their county for the next 3 weeks. The tighter measures mean indoor dining in pubs and restaurants is banned

Tanaiste Simon Coveney has indicated he does not believe a hard border will be in place, whatever the outcome Brexit negotiations. Mr Coveney made his comments during an online meeting with representatives of the Letterkenny and Derry Chambers, during which he was urged to ensure the Irish Government do everything it can to support the

  A Lifford GP says the majority of Covid-19 cases in his area are among people between the age of 20 and 40. About 60% of the confirmed cases are in that age bracket while a number of teens and over 40s have also tested positive. The alarming number of confirmed cases in the Lifford

  There are calls on the Government to fund Donegal County Council in place of commercial rates this year. Restaurants and bars in the county have been told to close their dining rooms from midnight tonight. They may only serve up to 15 people at a time outdoors. It’s estimated that 5,000 jobs will be

  The Finance Minister says people who were paid through the wage subsidy scheme won’t have to repay any tax the owe until 2022. Over 660 thousand workers were paid through the scheme at the height of lockdown, but weren’t taxed at the time. People can pay whatever they owe in a lump sum or

  The Taoiseach has confirmed that he has been speaking with the First and Deputy First Ministers in relation to a cross border approach to Covid-19. Donegal will become the second county to enter level 3 restrictions from midnight tonight. Neighbouring Derry City and Strabane District Council now has the highest incidence rate of the

  One area of Donegal has the highest Covid-19 incidence rate in the country. The rate in Lifford and Stranorlar over 14-days is 336 cases per 100,000 of the population. Dr Martin Coyne, a GP in Lifford, has had 54 patients test positive for the virus in the past two weeks alone. He says while

  There’s huge concern over children with disabilities in Donegal and the lack of supports currently available to them and their parents. It’s thought that families in the county are being forgotten about during the pandemic with vital outlets now closed to them and no one to ones on offer. The HSE is being urged

  Minister Charlie McConalogue says the large number of cases in bordering Northern counties has had a knock-on effect on Donegal. The incidence rate in the Derry City and Strabane District Council area is the highest in the island of Ireland. While the rate in Stranorlar is 336 per 100,000 population, which the Taoiseach says

  A Donegal Deputy says two million euro in grant aid for Donegal businesses is nowhere near enough. Affected Businesses who have a 25 per cent fall in their turnover can get a 30 per cent top up in the Restart Grant Plus. This means they’ll be entitled to grants of up to 32,500 euro.

  Business owners in Donegal say they were just starting to get back on track when the additional restrictions were announced. Restaurants, pubs and cafes will have to shut their indoor seating areas from midnight tonight. Owner of Farren’s Bar in Malin Head Hugh Farren says outdoor dining isn’t really an option here.   A

  Donegal will enter level three Covid-19 restrictions from midnight tonight. Businesses in the county were given a little more than 24 hours to prepare for the change. It will be the same restrictions as are in Dublin – including a ban on indoor dining. However, pubs that don’t serve food will be allowed to

  5,000 jobs will be lost in Donegal as a result of the new restrictions, according to the Restaurants Association of Ireland. Chief executive Adrian Cummins says hundreds of restaurants, hotels, cafes and pubs will close. But Agriculture Minister and Donegal TD Charlie McConalogue says the measures are necessary: A Donegal restaurateur says making money

  The Minister of Foreign Affairs has been urged to engage robustly with the British Government on the ownership of Lough Foyle. Jurisdiction over the Lough has long been disputed and Donegal Deputy Padraig MacLochlainn has appealed now to Minister Simon Coveney and Minister Charlie McConalogue to urgently draw up joint legislation to give powers

Donegal has been placed on level three restrictions for three weeks following a spike in Coronavirus cases. There’s been more cases per 100,000 in Donegal than any other county over the last week. The restrictions will be the exact same as are currently in place in Dublin – but pubs that don’t serve food will

A financial analyst believes KBC Bank needs to act on its apology after it was fined 18.3 million euro for it’s role in the tracker mortgage scandal. 66 homes were lost, 11 of them family homes after overcharging mortgage holders, according to the Central Bank. The report found KBC Bank had a proactive strategy to

Plans for a new housing development in Strabane have been revealed. 78 new social homes are to be built by McGettigan Homes Ltd in association with Clanmil Housing Association on the site of the former Our Lady of Mercy school. The site has been laying vacant for quite a number of years, attracting anti-social behaviour.

The Foreign Affairs Minister has said the EU is unlikely to ratify any Brexit deal if the UK is still making threats. Simon Coveney has warned not nearly enough progress has been made so far in the negotiations. He’s also criticised the legislation being brought by Boris Johnson that would undermine parts of the already

  900 additional acute beds are to be provided across the hospital system to help deal with demand over the winter. A 600 million euro plan launched today aims to support the country through what will be one of the most challenging flu seasons on record. The main focus of the plan is to build

  There are major fears over the future of the mental health day centre in Letterkenny after the HSE failed to give a date for its reopening. The centre closed in mid-March due to Covid-19 with the HSE saying that it’s to remain closed as the safety and welfare of all users is a priority.

    A defibrillator which was stolen from Oldtown in Letterkenny has been recovered. A number of residents carried out a search of the area yesterday with the lifesaving equipment found some time later discarded in a field. It’s not yet known if the defibrillator will work properly as it’s currently being dried out before

  Gardai in Donegal are anxious that people don’t lose sight in the fight against Covid-19. Gardai in the county have received a number of calls in relation to house parties or large social gatherings over the past number of weeks but say that the majority of people are compliant. At the beginning of lockdown,

  The National Public Health Emergency Team is meeting this morning to discuss the rising number of Covid cases across the country. Dublin has been on Level 3 plus for almost a week, while Donegal and Louth now has a 14-day incidence rate of more than 100, according to the latest report from the Health

  The North’s Deputy First Minister’s calling on Simon Coveney to ‘stand up’ for the Good Friday Agreement in the Brexit controversy. Michelle O’Neill and the other three pro-remain parties from the North will have a meeting with the Foreign Affairs Minister in Dublin this morning. It follows his meeting with EU leaders in Brussels

  The HSE will launch a 600 million euro Winter Plan for the health service today. It will aim to boost capacity in hospitals and the community, against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic. The plan will also include an expanded flu vaccination programme. Dr Denis McCauley is the chair of the Irish Medical Organisation’s

  Saolta has confirmed that an ongoing recruitment drive is focusing particularly on Letterkenny University Hospital. It follows confirmation that there are currently 67 vacant posts at the hospital with an additional 54 positions being filled by agency staff. There are significant vacancies in the likes of nursing and midwifery, Health and Social Care and