Author name: oisinkelly

  Donegal Minister Joe McHugh has welcomed additional funding of €3M for the Town and Village Renewal Scheme which directly benefits local communities. Earlier this month Minister McHugh announced the Donegal allocation of €1.15M to 13 key projects in the county. And the Donegal Fine Gael TD is now urging other communities to begin their […]

A lorry has overturned at Barnesmore Gap. The incident happened just before 4pm this afternoon on the main Donegal Town to Ballybofey road. Emergency services are currently attending the scene although it’s believed that nobody has been seriously injured. While the road remains open motorists are advised to expect delays.

  A Donegal Senator says Budget 2018 effectively ignores the health crisis in Donegal. The government has delivered modest income tax cuts and marked increases in spending on health and housing as part of the announcements yesterday but has been met with criticism by some opposition parties. Senator Padraig MacLochlainn says nearly one in eight

  There are growing calls for a by-pass of Buncrana following a major traffic counting project on the access roads into the town, and the Main Street itself. Cllr Nicholas Crossan is to raise the issue of a by-pass with fellow members of the Inishowen Municipal District, saying he believes that if traffic which does

A book to help post primary teachers work with students on heritage and habitats is being launched this evening at the Education Centre in Donegal Town. The ‘Heritage & Habitat in Your Community Guide’ was written by Billy Flynn & Éanna Ní Lamhna, after a number of workshops with students and their teachers in Magh

There were 15 people awaiting admission at Letterkenny University Hospital this morning, three of them on Emergency Department trollies. That’s down five on yesterday’s total of 20. The INMO’s Trolley and Ward Watch today shows that Cork University Hospital was the most overcrowded in the country, with 52 people waiting there. Nationally, there were 549

Minister Joe Mc Hugh says it will be more than five years before it goes to construction. He was speaking after a meeting with Transport Minister Shane Ross, at which Minister Ross said the project can go to design stage. However, it will be 2019 before Compulsory Purchase Orders are ready, and Minister Mc Hugh

The Tanaiste and Enterprise Minister says when it comes to supporting Donegal and the border counties in the face of Brexit, the most important thing the government can do is prepare for all eventualities, while supporting businesses in the region. Minister Fitzgerald told Highland Radio News there are certain criteria upon which the government will

It’s been confirmed that work on the second phase of a temporary footpath at Aghilly in Buncrana is getting underway in the coming days. There were concerns locally over safety risks in the area with work on part of the footpath already complete. Local Cllr Rena Donaghy says while it will make a difference in

Donegal County Council is being urged to seek funding to provide proper a bus shelter in Letterkenny. Councillor Ciaran Brogan says thousands of people each day use the bus stop near the station roundabout but there isn’t proper seating, shelter or facilities for people with a disability. He says a new shelter is required in

Farmers in Donegal who are concerned about breaching regulations concerning the spreading of slurry are being asked to contact the Nitrates Section of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. They are being urged to submit queries by Saturday 14 October, at the latest, to avail of some flexibility with regards to the spreading

A Councillor says there are genuine safety fears over a stretch of road between Glen and Milford which is regularly used by school buses. Councillor Adrian Glackin says people who use the road are concerned over a dangerous corner which has no safety barriers leaving a significant drop off unprotected. He says that while there

The Letterkenny Inner Relief Road, better known as the Bonagee Link, is being progressed to design stage according to Minister Joe Mc Hugh. Earlier this year, Transport Infrastructure Ireland provided €1M to Donegal County Council for planning work on the TEN-T road network in Donegal, of which the link is a part. Now, Minister Mc

Stamp duty relief has been retained for farmers. The tax remains at the low rate of 1 percent to allow intergenerational farmers to benefit from the relief: Donegal IFA Chairman Micheal Chance has been giving his reaction:

The government has delivered modest income tax cuts and marked increases in spending on health and housing in Budget 2018. It’s a first budget for Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Finance Minister Pascal Donohoe and sees those at work and on welfare better off to the tune of about 5 euro per week. Government Chief Whip

  Government Chief Whip and Donegal Minister Joe McHugh says he is pleased that the reconstruction of bridges and roads destroyed in the freak storm in north Donegal in August is to be paid for by Government. “A commitment from Government to support Donegal County Council financially is included in today’s Budget,” said Minister McHugh.

Sinn Fein’s Finance Spokesperson says at the centre of the budget is a lie. Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty says it’s a lie that you can fix the health service and the housing crisis while at the same time cutting people’s taxes. He says that the government doesn’t get it:

  The council says work is being done in Letterkenny to reduce the potential of any future floods in the town. Councillor Gerry McMonagle raised the issue at today’s Letterkenny municipal district meeting calling on the local authority to clean all drains in estates which are blocked with leaves and other debris. Councillor McMonagle was

Cllr. Micheal Cholm Mac Giolla Easbuig has been elected Chairperson of Donegal County Council Island’s Committee. He was elected earlier today at the latest sitting of the Islands AGM and replaces Cllr Marie Therese Gallagher who held the role for the year previous. Cllr Mac Giolla Easbuig says it’s a huge honour and has been outlining

  The Finance Minister says the economy will grow by 4.3 percent this year and 3.5 percent next year. Outlining budget 2018 in the Dail, Paschal Donohoe says that unemployment is to fall to 5.7% in 2018. You can scroll down for more key points: BUDGET 2018 TOTAL The budget will amount to € 60.9

The Secretary General of the Irish Red Cross has confirmd that the first tranche of funding has been paid to businesses and community groups who qualified for funding under the government scheme announced after the August 22nd floods in Inishowen. As well as the government funding administered by the Red Cross nationally, the local Donegal

  There were 20 people awaiting in-patient beds at Letterkenny University Hospital this morning according to the INMO, three of them on Emergency Department trollies. That’s down on yesterday’s total of 31. Cork University Hospital was the most overcrowded in the country this morning, with 47 people waiting there. Nationally, there were 514 people waiting

Phone company Eircom has been fined €10,500 after it admitted overcharging a number of customers including one in County Donegal Eircom Ltd, trading as Eir, pleaded guilty at Dublin District Court to offences under the Communications Regulation Act 2002. The prosecution was in connection with complaints by five people who went industry watchdog ComReg after

HIQA says Letterkenny University Hospital must improve the way medication is handled following an unannounced inspection in August. The inspection team found that the hospital’s Drugs and Therapeutics Committee had been suspended over a sustained period of time, and that had led to a potentially dangerous lack of leadership and governance. The hospital also acknowledged

The Taoiseach and Finance Minister have pledged that today’s Budget will include a focus on investment in public services and infrastructure. Increases in some social welfare payments, a cut in the USC, the retention of the Help to Buy scheme and changes in income tax bands are among the measures expected to be announced by

  A senior garda who referred whistle-blower, Garda Keith Harrison to the Garda Ombudsman over a domestic dispute complaint has told the Charleton Tribunal that she has no malice towards the officer. In October 2013 Marissa Simms, the partner of garda Harrison, made a statement to gardaí allegeing that she had received threats from Garda

Over 3000 young people from across Donegal, Derry and Tyrone are expected to attend the Road Safe Show this week at Aura Centre, Letterkenny. The hard-hitting show, hosted by Donegal County Council in association with the Donegal Road Safety Working Group aims to educate young people on the consequences of poor driving behaviour on Irish

World Mental Health Day is being marked today with people being encouraged to talk openly about their mental wellbeing. A number of events are taking place across Donegal and further afield encouraging more communication. Suicide and self-harm charity Pieta House has launched the “Time to Talk” campaign, on foot of rersearh suggesting that nearly half

The Northern Ireland Secretary says some progress has been made on language and culture issues in power sharing talks at Stormont. But in an update to Britain’s Parliament, James Brokenshire has confirmed “clear differences” remain between the Democratic Unionists and Sinn Féin. The parties have been engaged in talks aimed at restoring the Northern Ireland

There is widespread condemnation in Greencastle, Co Tyrone, after a statue of Our Lady was desecrated. It’s believed that on Saturday night last, an individual or group of individuals targeted the religious statue, brandishing it with red paint and graffic langauge. West Tyrone MLA Daniel McCrossan, says the statue was a place where the local

A Ramelton-born scientist is to be honoured for his contribution to Irish communities abroad. Donegal Nobel Prize winner Professor Bill Campbell is to receive the Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad 2017. He is due to be bestowed the honour later this year by President Michael D Higgins in recognition of his impact

Members of the Irish-speaking community from Donegal met with local representatives this week to voice their concerns around Irish language and Gaeltacht funding at Clinic Na Gaeilge in Dublin. Local representatives from across Ireland travelled to the capital in a bid to secure funding of €5.3 million for the plan in Budget 2018. The ten-hour

Works to repair damage caused by coastal erosion has begun today in West Donegal. €80,000 in funding was secured to carry out reinforcement works at Curransport. Councillor Micheal Cholm MacGiolla Easbuig has welcomed the commencement of the works. However, he says coastal erosion is an issue affecting many roads along Donegal’s Coast and the Government

  The mother of the schoolgirl who was stuck by a car in St. Johnston this morning says she initially thought the worst had happened. It’s understood that the girl was on the way to get the school bus when the incident occurred. She was taken to hospital for treatment but has since been released.

Donegal County Council is being asked to consider the installation of a traffic light system on approach to the Polestar Roundabout in Letterkenny. The council has been urged to take measures to reduce traffic congestion on the roundabout. Councillor Dessie Sheils is to raise the topic at tomorrow’s meeting of Letterkenny Municipal District. He says