Author name: oisinkelly

The new programme for Government is expected to address a number of headline issues in the agriculture sector. A new flagship environmental scheme is to be included. Donegal Deputy Charlie McConalogue who has been part of agriculture negotiations, is confident that farming will be protected into the future while also working towards meeting carbon emission

It’s expected a programme for government will be signed off on today by Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party. Talks between the leaders of the three parties concluded late last night with most of the major issues resolved. Leo Varadkar, Micheál Martin and Eamon Ryan will meet again this morning hoping to sign

A status yellow weather warning has been issued for Donegal today ahead of expected further thunder and lightening storms. Yesterday Met Eireann announced a Status Yellow thunder warning for 19 counties. The warning is in place until 10pm tonight. Deirdre Lowe from the Met Office says the stormy weather will spread from the west, which

A number of homes and businesses are without power in and around Ballyshannon this afternoon. ESB networks estimate power to be restored to most by 6pm. The ESB are also urging people to charge mobile phones and check torch batteries incase of power cuts this evening. Lightning strikes knocked out supply to thousands of homes

A Donegal County Councillor has welcomed news that upgrade works will begin on a Glenties housing estate in July. Clos Naomh Conaill in Glenties has been facing ongoing flooding problems for a number of years, with parts of the estates roads sinking and footpaths falling. Councillor Michael Cholm Mac Goilla Easbuig claims the council and

The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases at Letterkenny University Hospital has dropped to zero this weekend, while there are a number of suspected cases onsite. The number of confirmed cases in Donegal has risen by one to 470. Meanwhile, An infectious diseases expert says the health system’s extra Covid-19 testing capacity should be used to

New changes have been announced that’ll make it easier for victims of domestic violence to access Rent Supplement. They’ll now be given the support for three months based on referrals from Tusla services, Gardaí or the HSE. A further three month extension may also be provided subject to a means test. After six months, victims

A Donegal Councillor is calling on Minister McHugh to announce the winning tender for the new St Marys National School in Stranorlar. It comes as concerns grow that the planning permission will expire on the project with the risk of letting the planning expire for a second time. The new building will comprise of 24

The country’s largest teachers union says it would be “unacceptable” if any solution to reopen schools deviated from public health advice. A new report shows the current two-metre rule means primary school students only attending class one day a week, and secondary students twice a week. Yesterday the Education Minister said that would be a

A cross-border company with offices in Letterkenny and Derry has launched a COVID-19 ‘best practice’ kit. It includes optional antibody testing kits to help the public and private sectors in Ireland and the UK ‘Get Back to Work’ during the pandemic. The Conscia pack contains 50 surgical fluid repellent face masks, 100 pairs of disposable

The North’s Infrastructure Minister has confirmed her commitment to the delivery of a number of key road projects in the North West. Nichola Mallon says the delivery of the A2 Buncrana Road scheme and the A5 is part of her plan to aid economic recovery and community transformation. Michaela Clarke has more:

Primary school students may only return to school one day a week if the 2 metre social distancing rules are kept in place. It would also mean students in secondary could only attend school twice a week. If it was reduced to one metre primary school students could go to class 50 percent of the

A West Tyrone MLA has called for an all-island approach to the reopening of the economy to be adopted. Daniel McCrossan believes the reopening of businesses in the North should be done in tandem with the easing of restrictions in the Republic. He told the North’s Economy Minister that a situation where the hospitality sector

A Donegal County Councillor has reiterated calls for Council meetings to be streamed live online. Councillor Micheal Cholm MacGiolla Easbuig says in the interest of transparency streaming meetings online is a must, particularly with the number of people allowed in the Chamber limited as a result of Covid-19 While there has been some opposition to

  There are calls on the Education Minister to engage with the governing board of the LYIT to clarify the future of the Killybegs campus and to ensure that its future is safeguarded. This call comes amidst the backdrop of plans for the LYIT to move from a four school, to a three school, institution;

  All shops in Northern Ireland have been given the go-ahead to re-open today. It’s after a fall in the number of new Covid 19 cases, and no new deaths being recorded on four days this week. Stores in shopping centres are also allowed to re-open as part of the easing of lockdown measures. The

  The Chairman of Donegal Airport says the last few months have been a challenging time but the facility is emerging out the other side. All domestic flights at Donegal Airport are now reinstated with all adequate health and safety measures in place. An ambitious five year plan is also due to be announced by

  The Cathaoirleach of the Inishowen Municipal has hit out over what’s been described as serious shortcomings in the water supply on the peninsula. Areas in north Inishowen have experienced numerous bursts over the last few months while some areas in the south of the peninsula are notorious for frequent outages. Cllr Martin McDermott has

  The UK’s reportedly abandoning plans to introduce full border checks with the European Union after the transition period ends in January. Struggling businesses are demanding more time to adjust, especially as there’s been no agreement on trade post-Brexit. Sky’s political correspondent Tom Rayner says the UK government’s considering less strict border checks:

  Police in the North investigating the killing of Lyra McKee say they’ve found the murder weapon. The 29-year-old freelance journalist was shot and killed as she watched rioting in the Creggan area of Derry in April last year. The pistol was found in a dissident Republican arms cache last weekend in the nearby Graiguenamanagh

  A Donegal Deputy has appealed to the Health Minister to ensure investment would be made in the health service as the country emerges from the current pandemic. Deputy Padraig MacLochlainn told the Dail that even before the Covid-19 outbreak, the people of Donegal suffered significant shortcomings in terms of health provision with 1 in

Eight more people with Covid-19 have passed away in the Republic. The death toll from the disease since the beginning of the outbreak stands at 1,703. Eight new cases have also been detected, bringing the total to 25,248. There are no new confirmed cases in Donegal. Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Holohan has details on

Police in Derry have confirmed the handgun found in a dissident Republican weapons cache last weekend was used to murder Lyra McKee. The freelance journalist was shot dead while reporting on a riot in the Creggan area of the city in April last year. The New IRA later admitted responsibility for the shooting, saying its