Author name: oisinkelly

  Donegal County Council is to explore the idea of installing tracking devices on life rings in various parts of the county. It follows a number of instances, particularly in the Letterkenny area, where the lifesaving equipment was either removed or vandalised in recent months. It’s thought that the innovative technology would not only alert […]

Donegal County Council is being urged to build more social accomodation in the Inishowen peninsula, with Cllr Bernard Mc Guinness saying rural schools and other services are being threatened because people are not being allowed to build one off houses. Cllr Mc Guinness says restrictions on individual building projects are more stringent than ever before,

The DUP leader says she’s had a “useful” meeting with the British Prime Minister. Theresa May’s been holding talks with other parties to try to find a way forward on Brexit. Labour says it won’t take part unless Mrs May takes leaving without a deal off the table. The DUP’s Arlene Foster says the border

Almost 1000 litter and waste complaints were received by Donegal County Council last year. During the period January 1st to November 31st 2018, just over 392 tonnes of waste was collected across the county by 3 Mobile Litter Units. 975 litter and waste complaints were received by the Council while a total of 95 litter

The government has been accused of medical apartheid for not offering a catch up vaccination for meningitis B. A vaccine against it has been offered to children under a year old since October 2016 – but children born before that haven’t been protected against the B strain. Minister for Health Simon Harris has so far

The redevelopment of the old Thornhill College site in the Culmore area of Derry is set to proceed after the signing this week of a Section 76 legal agreement. That clears the way for plans to develop a retirement village on the site to proceed. The development will include a 65 bed nursing home facility

A TD for South Donegal believes nurses and midwives should receive the same treatment as Gardai in their row over pay a number of years back. Deputy Eamon Scanlon says nurses’ morale is at an all-time low ahead of a planned strike for January 30th. He says the 1,754 drop in staff nurses since 2008

  Donegal County Council has endeavored to identify a suitable site to facilitate a new soccer pitch in the Glencar area of Letterkenny. Due to hectic schedules of other local clubs, Glencar Celtic currently have to travel to Rathmullan to train because other facilities nearby are occupied. The local authority says that a new pitch

  People who have been through the legal system twelve years ago or more are being warned to check with their solicitor if their file is still intact. It’s been claimed that due to the recent data protection rules, a file that has had no activity can be disposed of or shredded after that timeframe.

Motorists who travel to Northern Ireland and Britain may in future have to present Green Cards to prove they have valid motor insurance. The measure is being rolled out by the Motor Insurers Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) as a contingency plan in the event of a no deal Brexit. Currently, all motorists travelling with an

  Almost €300,000 has been allocated to Donegal under the Sports Capital Programme. The applications were from 2018 and were previously deemed invalid but have subsequently been validated in recent days. Applications for the 2019 rounds are still being assessed. Among the major allocations include €95,400 for astro development at Cappry Rovers while Drumkeen United

Concern has been raised over shortcomings in relation to the CCTV system serving the Letterkenny area. Numerous black spots in the town have been highlighted while some of the current equipment has been deemed insufficient, with footage only recording on a 24 loop. A funding application is being prepared by the Letterkenny Chamber of Commerce

Senior council officials have been told there’s growing frustration in North Donegal that a long awaited coastal erosion survey in the vicinity of Lagg and Ballyliffin has not yet happened. At an Inishowen Municipal District meeting, Councillor Martin Mc Dermott said funding for the survey was announced in 2016, and consultants were appointed in June

The government must do more to address a shortage of apprentices in Donegal, according to Cllr Liam Doherty, who is tabling a motion calling for more investment in the apprenticeship system. The Finn Valley based Councillor was commenting following the publication of figures this week which show 590 people taking part in newly developed apprenticeship

The Tánaiste has denied the government is preparing for border infrastructure. It’s after he was overheard in a conversation with the Transport Minister saying there will have to be checks on goods in the event of a no deal Brexit. After the withdrawal deal was crushed in the House of Commons last night, Simon Coveney

Donegal Deputy Charlie McConalogue has hit out at the Taoiseach over his claims her was trying to reduce his carbon footprint by eating less meat. The Fianna Fail Agriculture Spokesperson says, Leo Varadkar’s ill-judged comments have angered beef farmers across the country. During a Dail exchange, Deputy McConalogue accused the Taoiseach of threatening the Irish

A motorist is said to be left badly shaken after his van was robbed while he was stopped in traffic in Derry yesterday. The incident happened at around 11am at the Meadowbank Avenue area of the city when the driver was approached by another man wearing a high vis jacket. A bag containing a large

The manager of the Local Link service in Donegal has said that since the service came under the auspices of the National Transport Authority, it has become more established in the community. Fiona O’Shea told a Municipal District meeting in Inishowen this week that last year, 250,000 passengers in Donegal were carried by 120 drivers,

  There are calls for Greenfield sites in the Letterkenny MD to be earmarked for educational use in the years ahead. Discussions are to take place between the Department of Education, Donegal County Council and principals of both secondary and primary schools in the area over future needs as part of the Local Area Plan.

Donegal County Council is being urged to explore all options with a view towards creating a small development where a vast amount of illegal dumping is taking place. The local authority has vowed to carry out an extensive clean up operation at the Council owned land at Windmill View in Letterkenny but it’s thought more

Minister Joe McHugh has announced vital works will be carried out in the coming months to guarantee supplies to homes, businesses and tourism firms in North West Donegal. As part of Irish Water’s €40 million investment in the county, the mains water supply at Marble Hill servicing Portnablagh is to be replaced. Minister McHugh says

Councillors in Inishowen say a shortage of planners is preventing them from representing their constituents. Cllr Rena Donaghey said it’s becoming impossible to secure site meetings, and that means potentially contentious issues are not bring addressed. Figures published this week show that in the first 11 months of last year, 1830 planning applications were received

  There is a serious need for a solution to the current system in place for returning emigrants in Ireland. That’s according to Councillor Marie Therese Gallagher who says it is near impossible for people to re-settle in the country. She says the difficulty in obtaining a driving licence or planning permission has left returning

  The appointment of a Gaeltacht Tourism Officer for Donegal has been widely welcomed. Donegal County Council in conjunction with Údarás na Gaeltachta announced today that Máire ní Fhearraigh will take up the role. The development of a marketing campaign to showcase the Gaeltacht areas within the county is now set to commence. However, while

Gardai are appealing for information following a break-in at St Bridget’s National School earlier this month in which computing equipment was taken. Sergeant Eunan Walsh says the break-in happened while the school was closed for the Christmas break…………