Author name: oisinkelly

The government’s Brexit contingency plans don’t spell out how a hard border with Northern Ireland will be avoided. The document published last night says the government is committed to avoiding a hard border but it doesn’t say how that will be done. Earlier, European Affairs Minister Helen Mc Entee suggested the government will not plan

Some cancer patients are being threatened with legal action for not being able to pay for their treatment. Patients without a medical card or health insurance face inpatient charges of up to 800 euro a year. The HSE refers any unpaid bills to a debt collector after 47 days. Donal Buggy Head of Services and

The Seanad has been told that 2019 must be the year in which a workable redress scheme is introduced for people whose homes have been affected by Mica. Speaking during the Commencement Debate in the Seanad this morning, Senator Padraig Mac Lochlainn said he had expected the cabinet to discuss the redress scheme this week,

  There has been an increase in burglaries in the county in recent days, with thieves said to be targeting the Finn Valley, Convoy, Manor, Killea and other border areas. As a result, Gardai in Donegal are urging home and business owners to be on alert and to take all precautions over the festive season.

Concern is growing among hoteliers in Donegal over a potential no deal Brexit and its implications. According to the latest data from the Irish Hotels Federation business sentiment among hotels in the county has dropped significantly. This is despite reports of a good year in terms of growth in the industry reported for 2018. Paul

  The government will not plan for a hard border with Northern Ireland under any circumstances. Ministers have said preparing for that scenario means it’s more likely to happen. It comes as the government published contingency plans for a no-deal Brexit last night that warn of a sobering impact on Ireland if the UK crashes

A number of homes in South Inishowen remain without water this morning after a pipe burst occurred last night. The issue is said to be confined to the Crislamore area, near Fahan, with crews tasked to carry out repair works today. It’s expected that the supply will be fully restored to the area later this

  The HSE has published its operating hours for its NoWDOC service ahead of the festive period. The service is designed to provide urgent GP care to patients however, in the case of a medical emergency people are asked to contact the National Ambulance Ambulance Service. People are also being advised to ensure prescriptions and

  It’s been claimed that civil servants in Northern Ireland are applying different rules East and West of the Bann. Following the release of a £1.1 million emergency fund for Belfast City Centre in the wake of the Primark fire, West Tyrone MLA Daniel McCrossan says that the victims of last year’s flooding in rural

Main Evening News, Sport and Obituaries Wednesday December 19th:

Despite the Minister for Social Protection committing to resolving issues with the Illness Benefit System, Donegal Deputy Thomas Pringle claims delays still persist. In the Dail today, Deputy Pringle confronted Minister Regina Doherty on the continued delays affecting many people arising from a technological upgrade of the Illness Benefit system Deputy Pringle says many people

The European Commission has started implementing its “no deal” Contingency Brexit plan today – 100 days before the UK is due to leave the EU. It includes 14 measures in areas where a “no-deal” would create major disruption – including financial services, aviation, customs, and climate policy. The Commission says the measures will not –

  Incoming General Secretary of the Irish National Teachers Organisation John Boyle says he’s looking forward to the challenges ahead. The Donegal man replaces the current General Secretary Sheila Nunan next year. 18,147 members of the union cast a ballot in the election with John winning 52.6% of the vote on the first count. Mr.

Following long negotiations which ended in the early hours of this morning an increase in quotas has been secured for operators in Donegal. There will be an overall increase of 30% in whitefish quota for the North West, including a near doubling of the quota for offshore haddock. However, negotiations have resulted in a reduction

  A Roscommon family who were evicted from their home last week has criticised the Taoiseach for remarks he made during a heated Dail debate on the issue. Leo Varadkar told Sinn Fein’s Pearse Doherty that it doesn’t take long for his Balaclava to slip when it comes to condemning violence. In a statement the

  The European Commission will today unveil its latest plans for dealing with a no deal Brexit. It’s expected to warn of long border queues and scaled back flight schedules as part of preparations for the UK leaving without a deal. Brussels will set out 14 contingency plans aimed at avoiding the worst effects of

  The Inishowen Municipal District has been told that if the council takes action on the Carndonagh riverwalk damaged in last year’s floods, then the HSE will work towards restoring a footbridge at the community hospital which is currently closed. Cllr Albert Doherty also says Donagh Park should be taken over by the council as

  Crucial Irish Water pipe replacement works are to start in the Finn Valley next month, with one of the longest outstanding projects in the county included. Work on the stretch from Cross, Killygordon to Meenglass Crossroads in Ballybofey will be done in two phases, with the Killygordon works starting on January 21st and the

A massive row has broken out in the Dáil over the assault at a house repossession near Strokestown in Roscommon. During a raid on the repossessed property 8 security men were injured, at least 6 vehicles were burnt out and a dog was killed. Donegal TD Pearse Doherty hit out at the government after a

The British Cabinet is believed to have discussed plans to ramp-up preparations for a no-deal Brexit. They met for more than two hours this morning. The preparations follow Prime Minister Theresa May’s failure to convince MPs to back her EU withdrawal agreement. Leader of the Commons, Andrea Leadsom, admits a no-deal exit from the EU

A Donegal Deputy has hit out at the Government over the high level of families remaining in emergency accommodation this Christmas. In the wake of the confidence and supply arrangement remaining in place until 2020, Deputy Pearse Doherty has accused both Fine Gael and Fianna Fail of doing little to address high rents and homelessness.

  Gardaí believe motorists with dashcam footage may be able to assist with their investigation into an arson attack in Kilmacrennan. Inquiries are on-going into what Gardai are treating as a serious incident of criminal damage at a new build house in the area in the early hours of Sunday morning. Four units of the

A man who died in a workplace accident in Carrigans has been named locally as Mervyn Orr. The incident occurred shortly after 8.30am yesterday morning at a local garage in the area. It’s understood that the 77 year old suffered fatal injuries and died at the scene. Two separate investigations by An Garda Siochana and