Author name: oisinkelly

Donegal Deputy Joe McHugh says he was offered a junior ministry by Taoiseach Michael Martin, but made it clear he was interested in specific roles which are of importance to the North West. When they were not forthcoming, he says he declined the ioffer, believing that he can serve his constituents from the back benches.

Donegal TD Joe McHugh has reportedly turned down the offer of a junior ministry. It’s reported the Fine Gael TD and former Education Minister passed on a number of offered Ministries. It follows comments on Monday’s Nine til Noon Show with Greg Hughes……. Outgoing Ministers of State Brendan Griffin and Ciaran Cannon have also indicated

    A local driving instructor is calling for urgent clarity regarding how they can conduct lessons and tests in a safe and realistic manner going forward. There’s major concern over the health and safety for both instructors and learner drivers over how social distancing measures can be implemented while also maintaining safety on the

  A Donegal Deputy has written to the Finance Minister over concerns relating to the Wage Subsidy Scheme for workers in seasonal employment. Under the scheme, employers can make additional payments, but if those exceed employees’ net January/February pay by a certain amount, the wage subsidy is removed by the same figure. This could result

A Glenties area councillor says he will oppose a plan to close part of the road between Dungloe and the Doochary turnoff for nine months. The proposal has been made by the contractor which is carrying out the works at present. Diversions have been identified, but Cllr Michael Cholm Mac Giolla Easbuig says they are

  It’s been confirmed that three community housing units at Fair Hill in Dungloe which have been at the planning stage for years are to go to construction. It’s expected that the contractors will be on site within the next 4-6 weeks to commence the project, which will provide assisted living accommodation for 12 people

  The Government’s being called on to clarify its stance on foreign travel this summer, amid fears it could lead to a spike in imported coronavirus cases here. Senior health officials are urging anyone who has booked a holiday abroad to cancel it. A ‘safe list’ of countries people can visit, without having to quarantine

  It’s reported that Mulrines, the Ballybofey based juice and drinks manufacturer is to open a facility in Sion Mills as a response to Brexit. The company has not made any comment this week, but the Tyrone Herald is reporting that up to 200 jobs could be created by the development on part of the

  A Letterkenny based hotelier and former councillor says the Northern Ireland market is going to be more important than ever for the hospitality sector in Donegal. Terry Mc Eniff, owner of the Mount Errigal Hotel, says competition for the domestic market will be fiercer than ever because of the lack of foreign visitors, and

  Any last-minute changes to CAO forms have to be made before close of business today. The change-of-mind deadline is a quarter past five. Over half of applicants decided they wanted to make some alteration during the window last year.  

Thousands of tonnes of mud has destroyed acres of land in Co Leitrim. Landslides have forced two homes to be evacuated, and a bridge is now covered over with mud near Drumkeeran. Farmers are reporting that some animals are now missing, and there are fears more rain will make the situation worse. Chairperson of Leitrim

  The General Manager of Letterkenny University Hospital has given reassurances that the resumption of services is at an advanced stage. Outpatient appointments are largely reinstated at the hospital while technology is also being used for some consultations. General Manager Sean Murphy says there is a good system in place to bring those who need

  Ibec, the group that represents Irish business, has said that unless there is a dramatic intervention from Government a significant number of businesses will fail in 2020. The SME sector is said to have been the worst impacted by the enforced lockdown of business and consumers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ibec research shows

  There’s been a big uptake in the Mica Redress Scheme in Donegal already with a significant number of people using both the website and dedicated helpline. The long awaited scheme officially opened yesterday morning and with the majority of affected homeowners having completed preparatory work in advance, Donegal County Council has received a significant

  Speculation is mounting that there could be two Junior Ministers for Donegal as part of the announcement tomorrow. Fine Gael TD Joe McHugh and Fianna Fail TD Charlie McConalogue are widely tipped to receive junior minister portfolios. It follows serious concern raised locally and along the west coast that from Donegal to Limerick is

  Hotel owners say a massive cut to the VAT rate, rates waivers, bridging loans and continuing wage subsidies are needed to save up to 180-thousand jobs in tourism. Their trade group will speak to the Oireachtas Committee on Covid-19 Response this afternoon. The Irish Hotels Federation says business this year is going to be

  As accommodation, restaurants, cafes and attractions continue to reopen across the country, a Donegal Tourism officer has asked visitors to be patient. Following the recent release of approved guidelines for the hospitality industry, businesses have been busy preparing their premises to ensure that they reach the recommended safety standard. Bundoran Tourism Officer Shane Smyth

  The Chief Medical Officer is appealing to people with foreign holidays planned, to cancel them. The National Public Health Emergency Team is noticing a “worrying trend” of Covid-19 cases increasing, and new clusters emerging. One of the clusters was located in the north west and was linked with travel to Iraq. No new deaths

The Chief Medical Officer says rising case numbers and new clusters of infection in Ireland are a “worrying trend”. No new deaths linked to Covid-19 have been reported today – but 24 more people have tested positive for the virus in the Republic. It brings the total known to have been infected here to 25,462,