Author name: oisinkelly

The number of people awaiting in-patient beds at Letterkenny University Hospital fell to 27 this morning, with 14 of them on Emergency Department trolleys. That’s down on Wednesday and Thursday’s figure of 38, with 25 on ED trolleys. Nationally, the INMO says there were 466 people awaiting admission at acute hospitals, with the highest number, […]

Efforts will be made to secure more support and investment for flood hit communities in Donegal as Minister Kevin Boxer Moran visits the county next week. The Minister with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works and Flood Relief is to visit Donegal this Monday and Tuesday and will meet with various groups, including

The official opening of Pramerica’s new state-of-the-art campus is getting underway this morning. The premises located at Letterkenny Business & Technology Park is one of the county’s biggest employers. Government Chief Whip and Minister Joe McHugh says the new campus shows a firm commitment by the company to Donegal:

  It’s national Slow Down day, and motorists are warned of extra speed checks right across the county.  For 24 hours, the garda roads division is pulling out all the stops to detect speeding motorists. There’ll be garda vans and laser checks as well as 50 Go Safe vans in areas where speeding is common.

Communities along the west and south coasts are preparing for another potentially damaging storm. Met Eireann has issued a Status Orange wind warning from midnight, as Storm Brian approaches. Ahead of that, a Status Yellow Rainfall is coming into force this morning in all Atlantic coastal counties from Donegal to Waterford. Storm Brian’s arrival comes

  Education Minister Richard Bruton has been accused of showing a complete lack of respect to students, parents and teachers in Buncrana. When he was questioned in the Dail yesterday about the Three College Crana Campus plan, Mr Bruton said his department and Donegal County Council are still working on a site, and while that

An Independent Senator says the Defence Forces are not being given the resources to respond adequately to flooding and the effects of high winds. Earlier this week, Defence Minister Paul Keogh said the army was “ready, willing and able” to help local authorities deal with the effects of bad weather, with engineering capabilities in barracks

Four people will be presented with Tip O’Neill Irish Diaspora Awards at a ceremony in Buncrana next month. The four recipients are former Ireland and Celtic goalkeeper Packie Bonner, Fraser Doherty, founder of Super Jams in Scotland, Barbara Koster, Senior Vice-President of Pramerica and Marty Meehan, President of the University of Massachusetts, Boston. The award

Farmers are being urged to put safety first while dealing with the fallout from winter storms. IFA Deputy President Richard Kennedy says many farm families still have no electric power and are in a very stressful situation having to deal with farming operations, like milking. He’s urging farmers to look for help, and not take

There are reports of surface water on a number of roads in Donegal this evening, particularly in the vicinity of Creeslough, Carrigart, Cranford and Termon. Water is also being reported on the road from Kerrykeel to Fanad. It follows persistent rain this afternoon and evening, which Met Eireann says will ease off tonight. Meanwhile, Met Éireann

Education MInister Richard Bruton has indicated he does not intend meeting with the ETB in Donegal to discuss the three college campus in Buncrana. Mr Bruton told the Dail this afternoon that everything that can be done, is being done. He was asked about the issue in the Dail this afternoon by Deputy Charlie Mc

A Donegal Priest says a number of people have travelled to Knock from the county to find that the Apparition Chapel and Parish Church are both closed. Knock Shrine has confirmed that both churches are closed for renovations until April of next year, but Fr Padraig O’Baoill says he only became aware of that thias

An Bord Pleanala is being asked to decide if the closing of an entrance to the Pollet Great Arch requires planning permission. The was great anger in the summer when public access, to what is one of Fanad’s renowned attractions, was blocked. It was claimed there had been a right of way in place for

The Chief Constable of the PSNI is facing an investigation into alleged misconduct in public office. George Hamilton and two other senior officers are being investigated by the Police Ombudsman. The claims, from former senior officers, surround the way the PSNI handled an inquiry into contracts to supply vehicles for the force. Mr. Hamilton says

Questions are being asked over the general upkeep of the Market Square in Letterkenny. It follows the vicious assault of 18 year old Shanan Reid McDaid in the area in the early hours of Sunday morning. Gardai are examining CCTV but there are now fears that overgrown trees and foliage may have blocked some of

Letterkenny University Hospital was the second most overcrowded hospital in the country today with 38 people waiting for a bed. According to the latest trolley watch report 25 were on trolleys in its Emergency Department while a further 13 were waiting on wards. The hospital was the most overcrowded in the country yesterday returning the

A Donegal County Councillor is demanding urgent answers from the Council’s Roads Department following claims from some local representatives that they were briefed incorrectly on allocations for the LIS scheme in Donegal. It’s after revelations that the Donegal allocation falls far short of what was initially thought to have been earmarked for upgrading small access roads

  The fire service is currently attending the scene of what’s understood to be a small fire at Letterkenny University Hospital. The alarm was raised at around 10am this morning. An appliance rushed to the hospital and the fire crew is currently dealing with the incident on the orthopaedic ward. It’s understood that it has

It’s emerged that some homes in Inishowen which were damaged by August’s floods were already affected by Mica. Thousands of homeowners across Donegal are thought to be affected by the defective block issue but now those who were also victim to flood damage have no insurance to cover the cost. The issue is to be

  On his visit on Saturday last to the North West region Taoiseach Leo Varadkar confirmed his commitment to the region and to building on the positive work already underway. At his meeting in Derry with the North West Region Development Group, which is made up of elected members from Donegal County Council and Derry

  The trial of a Donegal man charged in relation to the theft of livestock from a Kilbeggan farm in 2015 began at Mullingar Circuit Court yesterday (Wednesday). According to a report in the Irish Farmers Journal today, Barry Carr (31) of Boeshill, Pettigo, Co Donegal, on Wednesday pleaded not guilty to taking livestock worth

  The Central Bank’s been urged to ‘up the ante’ over the tracker mortgage scandal. Governor Phillip Lane is due to face tough questioning at an Oireachtas hearing today on how the regulator handled the controversy. Mortgage lenders are accused of defrauding around 30-thousand customers who were taken off trackers. Sinn Fein’s Finance Spokesperson and

Plans for a carpark and other amenities in Dunfanaghy could be a step closer after Cllrs moved to support the proposals. A deputation from the Dunfanaghy Area Community Network attended the latest sitting of the Glenties Municipal District and raised growing concerns over parking issues in the town. It’s understood that the Network has already

Donegal Investment Group has announced that it is set to sell its 30% share in Monaghan Mushrooms for a figure of over 45 million euro. The company, which is quoted on the Irish Stock Exchange, has around 1,900 shareholders, with 1,200 of them being in Donegal – most of them farmers. News of the impending

The minister with responsibility for flooding says he will shortly announce a pilot programme for local authorities to prioritise the cleaning of channels and gullies. Minister Kevin Boxer Moran confirmed to the Seanad last evening that he will visit Donegal again on Monday and Tuesday of next week. He pledged ongoing government support, but said

  A team of Department of Agriculture inspectors has arrived in Donegal to assess over 300 applications for relief payments to farmers. The IFA met with the inspectors yesterday, with Donegal IFA Chair Michael Chance saying it was a productive meeting. He says IFA will continue to press for an extension of the scheme to

Gardai investigating the vicious assault of a young woman in Letterkenny at the weekend have released the description of a man suspected of the crime. 18 year old Shanan Reid McDaid was walking up by the Market Square area at around 3am on Sunday morning when a man approached her and proceeded to punch her

The Communications Regulator is warning the public about an international phone scam, that seems to be targetting Irish numbers. Thousands of people across Donegal and the country are recieving missed calls from numbers in Chad, Liberia and the east African island of Comoros. It’s thought the numbers operate on a premium rate that could end

Minister Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran has confirmed he will be returning to Donegal early next week to review the work being done after the floods in August. He told the Seanad he’s particularly anxious to meet the people of Inishowen again, and to have fresh discussions with officials and elected representatives…………..

Government Chief Whip Joe Mc Hugh says the start of the 70% advance of the Basic Payment Scheme will benefit over 7,400 farmers in Donegal. Over €700 million is being paid out nationally, almost €34 million of it being paid out locally. Minister McHugh said payments should start hitting bank account in the coming days.

  The Cabinet has changed a key element of the budget to allow family farms pass on without paying high tax. Last week Commercial Stamp Duty was raised from 2% to 6% in Budget 2018. However family farms can be passed on by farmers under 67-years-old at a stamp duty rate of just 1%. Now

The Seanad has been told that efforts must be increased to secure extra funding from Europe to restore facilities and amentities damaged in the August 22nd floods in Inishowen. Senator Padraig Mac Lochlainn said efforts must also be redoubled to fasttrack flood defence measures and ensure the devastation is not repeated. Speaking to Minister Kevin