Author name: oisinkelly

The Taoiseach says a decision on reopening pubs that don’t serve food will be made at the end of August as planned. Micheal Martin says new restrictions announced yesterday evening will not impact on the current plans to review Phase 4. He says pubs will continue to be kept under review……………

  The government has warned the country is at a ‘tipping point’ as new restrictions come into effect to tackle the spread of Covid-19. Public transport should now be avoided where possible and those over 70 are being asked to restrict their social circles. Visitors into homes are now limited to six people from three

There’s a warning about rain and powerful winds for 48 hours, starting tonight. There are yellow alerts for unseasonably wet weather and strong winds across the country. On-shore winds, high tides and a strong sea swell mean coastal flooding is a real risk too. Met Éireann forecaster Matthew Martin says the warnings may have to

One Covid-19 related death and 190 more cases have been confirmed this evening. It means the number of people who’ve contracted the virus here stands at 27,499, while the death toll now stands at 1,775. None of today’s new cases are in Donegal. We’re being warned to be “extra careful” about social distancing, even if

Letterkenny Institute of Technology says the new facilities to be built on the campus will support government policy to enhance capacity in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths, and provide the Institute with the physical infrastructure to support students in a modern, purpose-built environment. Construction is set to begin in the first quarter of next year.

Concerns have been raised over the clearing out of keeper’s cottages on Inishtrahull Island. Its reported a number of items of furniture were burnt on the island off Malin Head under the direction of The Commissioners of Irish Lights. Danny McLaughlin is administrator of a private Facebook group dedicated to the island, he says many

A Donegal woman has lost a substantial amount of money after falling victim to a smishing scam. Gardai in Milford are investigating the incident which occurred on Saturday between 4pm and 7:30pm. The woman received an SMS informing her that her bank account had been frozen. She subsequently received a phone call instructing her to

Gardai are appealing for information after two vehicles were set on fire outside a business premises in Bridgend on Wednesday last. Its believed an accelerant was used to start the fire at around 11:30pm at the Tyre Centre. Sergeant Charlene Anderson is urging anyone with any information to come forward:

A leading public health professor believes there is still not enough North South Co-operation in the battle against Covid-19. Dr Gabriel Scally, Professor of Health at the University of Bristol also believes significant investment is needed in the reopening of schools. He told today’s Nine til Noon Show that while more clarity on the Government’s

The country’s test and trace system for Covid 19 is now taking almost four days to complete. The time it takes from a person being referred for a test to their close contacts being traced was 3 days at the start of the month. It’s now increased to 3.8 days, as demand for testing rises.

The seventh round of Brexit negotiations begin today in Brussels. Officials from the European Commission and UK will kick things off with a dinner between chief negotiators Michel Barnier and David Frost. Last month, the EU warned progress wasn’t being made on key issues, but the British government says it’s still confident a deal can

There are calls for a cross border approach to be taken to tackle rural crime. A recent report revealed that rural crime has risen by 18% in the North at a cost of £3.3 million. Foyle MLA Martina Anderson says as well as the implications of Covid-19 and Brexit, rural crime will leave those in

The North’s Education Minister has announced a u-turn on the controversial grading of A-Levels. Thousands of students across the region were marked down due to an algorithm used by the exams regulator, with some missing out on a University place. Peter Weir has now confirmed that students will be awarded the higher of the grade

A man involved in a rescue on Falcarragh beach on Saturday says a tragedy could have easily developed, were it not for the actions of a number of people on the beach. Mark Dobson was on the beach with a group of family and friends when two people got into difficulty while paddling in the

Foyle MLA Karen Mullan has welcomed the Education Minister Peter Weir’s announcement that grading of GCSE exams will be based solely on teacher assessments, and has urged him to bring forward solutions to the A-Level grading crisis. Ms Mullan, a member of the Stormont Education Committee says the professional judgment of teachers should be respected

The mother of missing Scottish man Michael Paul Ridge says he may have travelled to Donegal. The 32 year old, who has connections in Creeslough, was last seen attending an appointment in Rutherglen, Scotland on Monday. He is described as 5ft 10in in height, of a stocky build and clean shaven. Michael’s mother Bernadette Ridge

It may be necessary to postpone the reopening of schools in areas that have seen a significant rise in cases of Covid-19. That’s the view of the World Health Organisation, which says Ireland needs to keep on top of the virus. The WHO’s Special Envoy on Covid-19, David Nabarro says local decisions will have to

Concerns have been raised that plans for a new Lidl superstore in Strabane could come at the expense of over 50 jobs. Plans have been submitted for the development which includes the creation of 10 new jobs to replace four existing retail units at Strabane Shopping Park where in total, over 50 people are employed.

Its emerged that the Bunbeg Coast Guard was delayed in launching over the weekend due to access to the pier being blocked. On Saturday afternoon its believed two people got into difficulty off the coast of West Donegal however, when tasked to the scene the Bunbeg Coast Guard had to wait 5 minutes before launching

The Department of Education is being urged to rethink the plan for predictive grading that’s replacing the leaving cert this year. Green Party TD Patrick Costello says Ireland needs to learn from the mistakes made in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. 280-thousand students there had their A-levels reduced by one grade or more from predicted

The National Public Health Emergency Team will meet later to discuss what further measures may be needed to control the spread of Covid-19. It’s after 66 further cases were recorded yesterday – with two weeks or less until most schools are due back. Professor Patrick Mallon is a consultant in Infectious Diseases at St Vincent’s