Author name: oisinkelly

Ireland’s medical supply chains could deteriorate if there’s a no deal Brexit at the end of the year. It’s one of a number of stark warnings in the government’s new Brexit readiness action plan which will be published later. It warns businesses of delays to supply chains, possible closures and job losses as well as […]

A Donegal Councillor is urging Island Minister Heather Humphreys to visit Donegal for discussions on how best to develop the islands in a way that meets the aspirations of the islanders. Donegal County Council’s Island’s Committee was told this week that both Minister Humphreys and Gaeltacht Minister Catherine Martin have a role in ensuring that

Parents are responding to advice to get their children checked quickly if they are ill. There’s been a surge in the numbers of children being assessed for Covid 19, according to doctors. Each GP is seeing between 5 and ten patients with respiratory issues in the last few days, according to the Irish Medical Organisation.

  The government has agreed to re-open pubs from September 21st. Cabinet Ministers are meeting at the moment to discuss the impact of opening pubs in two weeks time. It will be subject to any local restrictions or lockdowns that might be in place. There’s particular concern over the spread of the virus in Dublin

  Two men are wanted in connection with a bogus caller incident in Lifford. These men took a substantial amount of cash from an elderly man in exchange for tarring his driveway. There was genuine work being carried out in the area on the roads around the time and the two males in question gave

  An investigation has been launched into an early morning burglary in Letterkenny. One occupant of a house in Sylvan Park was in bed when he heard someone coming up the stairs. Nothing was taken from the house but a number of drawers had been opened and checked through. The incident happened between 4am and

  The Infrastructure Minister has given reassurances that the A5 remains a top priority for her. The A5 project, which has faced a decade of delays, has long been regarded as a critical piece of infrastructure that would help deliver local jobs, increase connectivity and effectively save lives. West Tyrone MLA Daniel McCrossan had an

  Mairead McGuinness has been selected as Ireland’s new EU Commissioner. The MEP for Ireland North West will take over the Financial Services portfolio, in a shake-up of commissioner duties. She replaces Phil Hogan, following his resignation after golf gate last month. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made the announcement after interviewing both of

  The school transport portal has reopened. Parents who had been unable to get a school bus ticket for their child due to a system failure last month are being urged to access the portal and reapply. A review of all school bus routes is also underway following the implementation of new social distancing guidelines.

  The British Prime Minister will tell EU leaders today that the Brexit divorce deal must be rewritten to protect the Union. It’s understood Boris Johnson will say the agreement never made any sense and is ‘contradictory’ on Northern Ireland. British and EU negotiators will begin three days of talks in London this afternoon,. They’ve

  An estimated 5,500 jobs are at risk in the hospitality sector in Donegal. That’s according to the latest survey from the Irish Hotels Federation which has revealed the enormous challenges facing hotels and guesthouses in Donegal and across the country as demand continues to plummet as a result of the Covid crisis. Bookings for

  Donegal County Council in partnership with Spraoi agus Spórt is proposing a Town Centre Regeneration Project in Carndonagh. The key aims of the project are to address both physical and social regeneration targets in the town. This will be done through repurposing vacant or derelict buildings to create a new central ‘hub’ facilitating a

  A leading economist believes positive growth in the Irish economy is still possible this year. It follows news the country has officially entered recession, after a massive 6.1 percent drop in GDP between April and June this year. But Chief Economist with KBC Bank, Austin Hughes, believes it’s not all bad news:

    There’s been 102 new cases of COVID-19 identified in Ireland and no new deaths recorded by the Department of Health. Half of the new cases are in Dublin and the Department has said people in the capital in particular need to be incredibly careful over the next week. Dr Ronan Glynn also gave

  Businesses can now apply for loans covered by the Government’s 2 billion euro Covid-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme. Small and medium businesses who have been impacted by the pandemic can get a low-cost loan of up to 1 million euro. The loans will be 80 per cent guaranteed by the Government. Minister for Public Expenditure

  Hotels and guesthouses are reporting a 70 per cent drop in projected revenues for September, compared to this time last year. Occupancy rates for this month and next are expected to stand at just 24 per cent, according to the Irish Hotels Federation. In Dublin the figures are predicted to be half that. Paul

  There’s been a big uptake in those accessing mental health services in Donegal over the last few months. In June and July, there was 48% increase in referrals to services in the county with people coming forward with anxiety and other mental issues. The Covid-19 lockdown combined with a backlog in waiting lists is

Vintners representatives in Donegal have met with both Minister Charlie McConalogue and Deputy Joe McHugh today, as new draft guidelines are published for the reopening of pubs. No date has yet been confirmed, but Donegal Cllr Martin Harley, who is treasurer of the VFI in Donegal, says the guidelines are very much the same as

There’s been widespread criticism of a vandalism attack in the new section of Derry’s City Cemetery. The latest incident happened in the section of the cemetery overlooking Lonemoor Road. Local Cllr Patricia Logue says it’s not the first occasion in recent times that graves in that section have been targeted. She says this has deeply

An infectious disease expert’s warning further deaths from Covid-19 are ‘inevitable’ as case numbers continue to rise. A further 138 cases were recorded yesterday, at least one of them in Donegal. Saturday saw five more cases in the county There were no further deaths linked to the virus in the latest data, a trend that

Arranmore RNLI is appealing to businesses in the community to become RNLI local ambassadors by sharing key water safety advice to help keep people safe. On average, 175 people lose their life around the coast of Ireland and the UK each year. The RNLI say these deaths are accidental but along with the community they

Optometrists are calling for a roll out of the Sligo Post Cataract Scheme across the country. It’s because it only takes a year for cataract surgery in the North West, but people have to wait up to 5 years in the South West. They’re concerned that eye-care waiting lists have surged to 52 thousand during

Leaving Cert students have received record grades this year. Almost 60,000 will receive their results online this morning, almost 3,000 in Donegal. The new calculated grading system, introduced due to Covid-19, shows an increase of 4.4 percent on average across all subjects. The Education Minister says the decision to provide them with calculated grades was

The British Prime Minister is reportedly drawing up new legislation that will override the Brexit withdrawal agreement on Northern Ireland. The move could risk the collapse of talks with the EU over a free trade deal. Labour say it would be an act of ‘immense bad faith’. SDLP Leader Colum Eastwood says such a move