Author name: oisinkelly

The number of people awaiting in-patient beds at Letterkenny University Hospital rose again this morning with 25 patients waiting, six of them on Emergency Department trollies. That’s up from yuesterday’s total of 16. Nationally, the INMO says there were 399 people waiting at acute hospitals, the largest number, 42, at University Hospital Galway.

A Ballyshannon minibus bus driver has been found not guilty of causing the death of a Letterkenny mother- of- three Sheena Stewart, by driving without due care and attention in the town on January 1 2015, following a legal submission, at Donegal Town Circuit Court. 55-year-old William McKee, Carricknahorna, Cashelard, Ballyshannon, County Donegal had pleaded

  Well-known Donegal Town man Pauric Kennedy has been elected as the town’s new Mayor. Kennedy succeeded the outgoing Mayor, Patricia Callaghan and it’s understood that more than 1,100 people from the town and surrounding area cast their vote yesterday. Speaking to Highland Radio News, Mr. Kennedy has been outlining what he hopes to achieve going

  The General Manager of Letterkenny University Hospital says he’s open to the suggestion of employing a text reminder service for outpatient appointments. It follows concern raised earlier this week on Highland Radio that over 100 people failed to turn up to their outpatient appointment last week alone. Figures from the DNA revealed that the

An action committee has been established in Killybegs with a view of revitalising the town centre and promoting activities and services to attract visitors to the town. The group was formed at a public meeting in the Bay View Hotel last night following local concerns that while 200,000 people visit Sliabh Liag and Glencolmcille each

  The Cathaoirleach of the Glenties Municipal District has called for more autonomy to be given to the districts so that councillors can decide how to spend money and raise funds in their own areas. Cllr Michael Cholm Mac Giolla Easbuig was speaking after Glenties councillors decided to reject the Municipal District Budget because of

  Members of the European Parliament voted this week to recommend phasing out glyphosate, used in the weedkiller Round-Up, within five years. The final decision will be up to the European Commission and member states. The weedkiller is widely used by Irish farmers, and most Irish MEPs voted against the five-year phase-out. Donegal IFA Chairman

  Local residents, business owners and community groups across West Donegal are urged to attend a meeting tomorrow evening to discuss the County Development Plan. Information of what is set out in the County Development Plan will be presented with interested parties also given a chance to voice their views in relation to local services.

A post-Brexit boom in population is expected to strain our health service. It’s predicted an extra 1-point-1 million people will live here by 2030 according to a new ESRI report. It says healthcare will also be stretched by the number of older people which will have doubled by then. Maev-Ann Wren, is a Senior Research

The government’s been accused of doing too little, too late for people affected by the tracker mortgage scandal. Yesterday, the Minister for Finance said the banks were promising to compensate more than 12,000 customers by Christmas. Paschal Donohue said their treatment by mortgage lenders was a disgrace. But in the Dáil last night, Sinn Féin

  The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine is considering introducing a Statutory Instrument to give effect to the Penalty Points System for fishermen. A decision heavily criticised by Leas-Cheann Comhairle Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher. The introduction of a Statutory Instrument will result in penalty points applying to fishermen, regardless of how they

A Donegal Senator has renewed calls for the creation of a Sentencing Council, which would see the judiciary meet regularly with politicians and other stakeholders to discuss appropriate sentences for people convicted of crimes. Senator Padraig Mac Lochlainn told the Seanad he attempted to move a bill establishing such a council when he was in

The 5 banks that met the Finance Minister over the tracker scandal have issued statements on what they plan to do next. Bank of Ireland says it will start a compensation process for 4,300 customers from 10 November. AIB says by year end it will have identified 3,416 customers – 12 of whom lost their

Main Evening News, Sport and Obituaries, Wednesday October 25th, 2017.

The driver of a minibus taxi who drove over a Letterkenny woman lying on the road in Ballyshannon on New Year’s Day 2015, thought he had been in contact with a “cardboard box” at first, a court was told. William McKee of Carricknahorna, Cashelard, Ballyshannon is pleading not guilty to a charge of driving without

  There were 16 patients awaiting admission to Letterkenny University Hospital according to the latest trolley watch report. 8 people were waiting on trolleys in its Emergency Department while a further 8 were on wards. University Hospital Galway was the most overcrowded this morning with 45 people waiting there. Nationally, there were 472 people waiting

There are calls for additional CCTV cameras to be installed within Strabane town centre following reports of anti-social behaviour. There are reports of incidents occurring in the Castle and Market Street areas where properties are being damaged at night. In addition, on Monday night last, glass bottles were smashed in the vicinty of Sigersons GAA

Donegal Senator Padraig Mac Lochlainn has pledged to keep on raising the lack of information on flood relief for groups in Inishowen in the floor of the Seanad until he gets some answers. This morning, he again raised the lack of response to funding applications relating to Swan Park in Buncrana, Glenevin Waterfall, and especially

The two and a half year jail sentence handed down to convicted paedophile, and ex journalist, Tom Humphries yesterday has been criticised by victims’ groups for being too lenient. The Judge has also come under fire for saying Mr Humphries’ guilty plea and loss of reputation were mitigating factors. Another charge of sexually assaulting a

  The fire service has brought a house fire under control at an unoccupied property in the Killylastin area of Letterkenny. The alarm was raised earlier this morning after smoke was noticed billowing from a semi-detached house – it’s understood that both houses were significantly damaged during the blaze. Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council Cllr.

  A Donegal County Councillor is seeking an urgent meeting between road safety authorities and An Garda Síochána to discuss the apparent increase in the number of road collisions over recent months caused by oil spillages. Cllr John Seamus Ó Fearraigh has written to Donegal County Council, the RSA and local Gardaí requesting the meeting

  The European Commission will be taking Ireland to the European Court of Justice for its failure to remedy deficiencies in Donegal water treatment plants and others throughout the country. That’s according to Midlands North West MEP Marian Harkin who believes that a bad planning system by Government has resulted in Donegal featuring as one

  An Inishowen Cllr says he’s disappointed at Minister Boxer Moran’s response to calls for work to be carried out on rivers in Donegal. Cllr Martin McDermott believes one of the key contributors to the extent of flooding in August was the amount of debris in the county’s rivers and met with the Minister in

  Emergency services are currently attending the scene of a crash on the main Ballybofey to Letterkenny road.  The crash happened just after 7.30 this morning just before the Kilross t-junction. Motorists are advised to expect severe delays if traveling in and around the area this morning with reports of traffic backed up to nearly

  A Stranorlar Municipal District Councillor has welcomed what he called a constructive meeting between local representatives, community groups and Minister Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran to discuss flood prevention measures in the Finn Valley. The meeting was held at the CPI Complex in Castelfinn, which was itself badly damaged by flooding two years ago. Cllr Gary

  It’s been confirmed that Government agencies have paid out more than €360,000 through its humanitarian assistance schemes since flooding hit the North West in August. In a statement Government Chief Whip and Donegal Minister Joe McHugh said that almost €180,000 of the funding has been paid by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social

It’s been confirmed that work on the upgrading of the Newbuildings to Strabane section of the A5 will get underway in January. West Tyrone MLA Declan Mc Aleer says vesting orders for the required land will be issued in November, and a timeline has been put in place to have all the outstanding statutory processes

Concerns have been raised over social housing provision in the Stranorlar Municipal District. Donegal County Council has advised that 28 houses across the areas of Lifford, St Johnston and Raphoe will be made available for families on the Housing Waiting List. However, Cllr Gerry Crawford says this is unsatisfactory, as there is a net housing

  It’s hoped that there will be a significant increase in Canadian visitors to Donegal after a delegation of group tour specialists visited the county. The delegation, all of whom are responsible for making the travel arrangements for a diverse range of large groups attended a Failte Ireland ‘Canadian Expo’ workshop in Cavan, before spending

Police in Derry have confirmed that the body of a man was recovered from the River Foyle at around 10.30am this morning. The body was recovered close to the pontoon. A post mortem is due to be carried, but police have indicated the death is not being treated as suspicious at this time. It is

A 19-year-old man has been charged with grievous bodily harm with intent and is expected to appear at Derry Magistrates Court on 15 November. The charges follow an assault in Newmarket Street in Derry during the early hours of Sunday 22 October. An 18-year-old woman also arrested in connection with the same incident was released

  The government says decisions will be made shortly about the allocation of flood relief funding to sports clubs and other community organisations impacted by August’s flooding in Inishowen and East Donegal. The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport says sports clubs unable to secure insurance were coveree under a Red Cross administered scheme announced