Author name: oisinkelly

A Sinn Féin MLA has called on the Irish government to provide financial assistance to workers who live in the north but work in the south who lose their jobs as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. The Irish Government has launched a ‘COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment’ for people who have lost their jobs but […]

Three more people diagnosed with COVID-19 in Ireland have died. One of them in the north-west and two women in the east. There have now been 22 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland. There have also been 302 new confirmed cases of Coronavirus, bringing it to a total of 2,121.

The Communications Minister has announced funding of 2 and a half million euro for the commercial independent radio sector. Richard Bruton says local and independent radio stations have a crucial role to play in responding to the Covid 19 pandemic. It’s after he announced earlier this week the Broadcasting Levy payable by the radio sector

Three more people have died in the North due to the coronavirus, bringing the total there to 13. The Public Health Agency says 34 more people have tested positive for the virus, a total of 275. These latest figures have led to calls from Belfast GPs for a complete lockdown to try to manage the

A COVID-19 test centre has opened today at O’Donnell Park in Letterkenny. The centre will operate on a drive through basis. In the interim St Conal’s Hospital, Letterkenny will continue to operate as a test centre. The HSE has also confirmed that the Lakeside Centre, Ballyshannon is being developed as a drive through test centre

Just 8 patients are waiting on hospital trolleys in the country’s emergency departments. 4 of them are in University Hospital Kerry, according to the figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation. There are no patients waiting on a bed at Letterkenny University Hospital today. It’s the lowest figure recorded since the INMO started compiling

A man has been charged with two counts of attempted grievous bodily harm with intent after coughing in the direction of two police officers in Derry after previously stating that he was experiencing symptoms of Covid-19. The 33 year old was initially arrested following a crash in the city yesterday evening. Police investigating a road

Two men are due in court this morning in connection with the detection of a cannabis grow house in Co Sligo. One of the men, an 18 year old, is also charged in connection with 12 thefts from cars dating back to February. Gardaí searched a house in Ballymote yesterday and discovered a grow house

A number of new vehicles have been received by Gardai in Donegal as part of measures announced to help assist the community during the COVID-19 outbreak. Gardaí from Letterkenny and Buncrana collected the vehicles yesterday which they say will enable them to help more people. People are being reminded in the case of needing assistance

Local Link Donegal Sligo Leitrim evening services on door-to-door routes are being suspended with immediate effect. These resources will instead be redeployed, where practical, to the delivery of community support services for passengers who need medical and food supplies within rural areas, in particular the elderly, the vulnerable, and the sick. In a statement the

Field hospitals are to be created in Northern Ireland to cope with an expected surge in coronavirus cases. According to The Irish News, leisure centres, the former Maize prison and Belfast’s Titanic area are potential sites. There are 241 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the North, including ten deaths.

Department of Health figures published tonight show that there have now been 19 deaths in Ireland due to Coronavirus, with 255 new cases confirmed today. One of the new cases confirmed is in Donegal, with 12 cases confirmed in the county as of midnight on Tuesday. Nationally, there have been 1,819 cases confirmed across the

  Student nurses will be paid for the duration of the Covid-19 crisis. The Health Minister has confirmed that all 4000 student nurses and midwives will be offered a contract as a Healthcare Assistant and will be paid accordingly. This will allow students to complete their placement in a HCA role and continue to complete

  Three more people have died from Coronavirus in the North , bringing the total there to 10. 32 new positives cases were reported, the total number of cases in Northern Ireland now stands at 241. Belfast has the most number of cases according to Public Health Agency figures.

  The Dáil will also stop all business at 8pm this evening to applaud healthcare workers across the country. A debate on emergency measures will be paused to recognise what health workers are doing. The measure was proposed by People Before Profit TD Brid Smith.

  The government’s moved to clarify that only caravan parks related to tourism need to close as part of Covid-19 emergency measures. It’s after a number of local authorities contacted the housing department over concerns about people who live in caravan parks. The owners of those parks are asked to ensure people residing permanently are

  The availability of Personal Protective Equipment for workers has been raised by a number of public representatives on both sides of the border. It follows claims that in some instances, workers are not being protected. Yesterday, a number of staff left their posts at Moy Park in Portadown, claiming that the workplace was unsafe

    The Dáil meets today to pass emergency laws to deal with the impact of the coronavirus. All stages of the omnibus bill are expected to pass during a 10-hour sitting with reduced attendance. It includes a 3.7 billion euro social welfare package, and a temporary ban on evictions and rent increases. The Dáil

The Donegal Road Safety Working Group is urging walkers and motorists to be aware on footpaths and roads, particularly as Social Distancing is practiced by people walking. Road Safety Officer Brian O’Donnell says this means at times, people are stepping onto the road unexpectedly:  

    The Donegal Volunteer Centre has urged any local voluntary groups facing an increased demand for their services to make contact with them. Centre Manager John Curran says over 6,000 people have signed up to the national volunteering database at www.i-vol.ie to offer their help during the COVID-19 crisis. Mr Curran says in light

  The full meeting of Donegal County Council scheduled for next Monday is not going ahead as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The council says arrangements for holding meetings are currently being reviewed in light of the new measures announced to deal with COVID-19 that are to remain in place until 19th April, 2020.

There were two more deaths from Covid-19 confirmed in the Republic tonight, with a total of 235 new cases. That brings the total number of confirmed cases to 1,564, 11 of them in Donegal. ***************************** Department of Health statement in full – The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been informed that two patients diagnosed

Donegal County Council has confirmed the closure of Lisfannon Beach near Buncrana, and says other beaches and public walkways may have to be closed. In as statement this evening, the council says the issue of large crowds congregating in public places such as beaches, parks, and walking trails has been well highlighted over the past

Fianna Fáil Party Leader Micheál Martin TD has expressed his sadness at the passing of former Fianna Fáil TD for Donegal Hugh Conaghan. Deputy Martin said, “It is with great sadness I learned of the passing of Hugh Conaghan. Hugh was a truly great TD and proud Donegal man who represented his constituencies of Donegal

Seven people have now died from Coronavirus in Northern Ireland. That’s an increase of two since yesterday. There’s now a total of 209 positive cases of the disease in the region.