Author name: oisinkelly

  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

  Gardai in Letterkenny have detained a vehicle for no tax, NCT or insurance.  It’s understood that the traffic unit stopped the car during a routine checkpoint yesterday. Court proceedings are to follow.

  There were 29 people waiting for a bed at Letterkenny University Hospital this morning according to the INMO. 6 people were on trolleys in its Emergency Department while a further 23 were waiting on wards. University Hospital Limerick was the most overcrowded this morning with 58 people waiting there. Nationally, there were 542 people

There are fears among the Garda Representative Association over the lack of policing resources that would be available to police a hard border as a result of Brexit. It is understood that historically low numbers of Gardaí in Donegal would make policing the vast rural areas surrounding the border virtually impossible. Brendan O’Connor is the

  Serious concern has been raised over figures which show that last week alone, over 100 people in Donegal did not attend their outpatient appointment in Letterkenny. It’s understood that the figures vary from week to week and can range from between 79 to 179. The issue has been branded as a huge waste of

  Funding has been approved for a detailed study of flood mitigation works and coastal protection measures at Portnoo in Co. Donegal. The announcement, which was made during the first day of the Minister Kevin Boxer Moran’s visit to Donegal, will see funding of €76,500 be made available by the OPW for a survey to

  Minister Kevin Boxer Moran is embarking on the second day of his two day visit to Donegal. Later today, the Minister for Flood Relief is due to visit the Finn Valley area and Inishowen. One of the outstanding issues that’s set to be raised with the Minister is the lack of a flood relief

  Untreated sewage is still being pumped into water at 44 locations – with Donegal and Cork accounting for nearly half of these areas.  A new Environmental Protection Agency report found wastewater treatment in over a quarter of Ireland’s large towns and cities is below public health standards. The report says 50 major towns and

  An incident room has been set up at Letterkenny Garda station with certain lines of enquiry being followed after a spate of burglaries at retail premises throughout Donegal. Superintendent David Kelly has told the County Donegal Joint Policing Committee that those carrying out the burglaries are not professional but opportunistic. An incident room has

  Buncrana based Cllr. Rena Donaghey has been elected as Chairperson of the Donegal Education and Training Board, with Cllr. Niamh Kennedy elected as Deputy Chair. The ETB is the leading education and training provider in Donegal, managing fifteen out of the twenty-seven post-primary schools in the county. The board is also the largest provider

Donegal County Council has been told that some of the money being collected in larger towns within Donegal should be spent on areas being overlooked within the County Development Plan. Cllr Paul Canning is calling for investment in smaller towns, to ensure there is development in those areas that do not gather as much revenue

  Lawyers for Tusla and Garda officers have told the Charleton tribunal that their clients have no case to answer in relation to complaints by whistleblower Garda Keith Harrison. The lawyers were making their submissions at the end of the current module which is looking at contacts between gardaí and the HSE/Tusla relating to Gda Harrison.

  The Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation has signed a declaration that European coastal communities that they won’t accept being left behind or sacrificed when Britain leaves the EU. The Santiago de Compostela declaration was signed in the Spanish city after an alliance of EU fishing organisations attended a conference discussing the potential impact of Brexit onm

Detectives from PSNI’s Serious Crime Branch investigating a serious assault at Newmarket Street in Derry during the early hours of yesterday morning have arrested an 18 year old woman and a 19 year old man. They are currently assisting police with their enquiries.

The Charleton tribunal has heard details of threats made against the life of whistleblower Garda Keith Harrison in October 2013. In a statement to the tribunal, Donegal division Chief Supt McGinn outlined how information about threats made against Garda Harrison had been received from two anonymous 999 calls on 4 October and 5 October 2013.

Donegal County Council has been criticised for the selection process used for Local Improvement Scheme applications, with Councillor James Pat McDaid calling on senior management to clarify the situation. Councillors have been told that a total LIS application was submitted to the Department of Rural and Community Development to the value of almost €23 million,

A Councillor claims that other members of the local authority purposely bring motions before the council that even if passed, could never be acted upon. Earlier this month Independent Councillor John O’Donnell described the lack of action on motions that councillors bring to the Letterkenny Municipal District as “embarrassing”. Speaking generally, Councillor Liam Blaney said

  The council has been urged to send a cross party delegation to Government to put forward a case in a bid to secure funding for flood-hit sporting, community and tourist facilities in Inishowen. Cathaoirleach of the Inishowen Municipal District, Councillor Jack Murray says initial funding was promised however, two months on no action has

A toddler has been hospitalised after a canister of bath foam branded with the name of popular children’s television show “Paw Patrol” exploded while he was being bathed. The three year old is said to be in a critical condition, having sustained injuries both externally and internally, and is understood to be in an induced

  There were 25 people waiting for a bed at Letterkenny University Hospital this morning according to the INMO. 6 people were on trolleys in its Emergency Department while a further 19 were waiting on wards. University Hospital LImerick was the most overcrowded this morning with 61 people waiting there. Nationally, there were 434 people

  It’s been claimed that the lack of a political solution at Stormont is the stumbling block in awarding emergency funding to protect the agricultural sector in the North. While August’s flooding caused significant devastation to the farming communities in Derry and Tyrone, the Permanent Secretary was unable to initiate an emergency fund due to

Gardai in Letterkenny are continuing to appeal for information after numerous reports of bogus callers in the Finn Valley area. It’s understood that an individual impersonating a Department of Health official has been calling to homes and probing residents. People are being asked to remain on high alert and report any such instances to Gardai.

  The Minister for Foreign Affairs says the “first big win” of the Brexit negotiations will be the retention of the Common Travel Area between Britain and Ireland. Simon Coveney has expressed confidence that any deal done between Britain and the EU will allow for continued free movement between the two islands. The comments come

  It’s been revealed that over the last eight years, €1.6M collectively has been stripped from the annual HSE budget at Seaview House in Mountcharles. It follows confirmation from the HSE that the facility is only operating on a three night basis due to staff shortages. The facility provides respite for children and adults with

  Ireland has been found to have failed to provide adequate housing conditions on local authority estates. The Landmark ruling by the European Committee of Social Rights has been published today. The complaint was brought by the International Federation for Human Rights against Ireland on behalf of the Tenants Collective Action. It’s estimated close to

  The SDLP has called an urgent meeting with the PSNI in Derry following a serious assault in the city during the early hours of yesterday morning. A man in his 30’s sustained serious injuries to his head after he was assaulted by a number of men on Newmarket Street. SDLP Councillor John Boyle says

Minister Kevin Boxer Moran is due to visit Donegal today. This is the Minister’s second trip to the county after he previously visited Inishowen following the unprecedented flooding in August. During his two day visit the Minister with special responsibility for the OPW and Flood Relief will meet with deputations in the Finn Valley and