Author name: oisinkelly

The Department of Health is reporting 3,138 new cases of Covid-19. 643 people are in hospital with the virus, with 118 in ICU. The country’s 14-day incidence rate now stands at 1,217 cases per 100,000 people – with Leitrim, Westmeath and Carlow having the highest rates. Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Ronan Glynn, says the

The Downings-Carrigart Greenway has been given the green light. An Bord Pleanala has today approved plans for the project to proceed to the next stage. Following the successful submission by Donegal County Council, a funding application will now be made to progress the greenway. Donegal Deputy Joe McHugh says once it comes to fruition, the

British Minister Michael Gove has said he’s confident progress can be made on the Northern Ireland protocol without triggering Article 16. He was speaking following a meeting of the British Irish Council in Wales this morning. Taoiseach Micheál Martin said there was a need for the UK and EU to turn a corner in its

  There are calls for people who assault emergency workers to face tougher sanctions. Fianna Fail Senator Robbie Gallagher has put forward his Criminal Justice Bill 2019 which is proposing harsher penalties. If passed into law, it would see a minimum prison sentence of five years introduced for the crime. Donegal born Senator Gallagher says

  Sinn Feins Health Spokesperson says there’s a difference between supporting public health measures and supporting the Government. Deputy David Cullinane is in Donegal today to join Deputies Pádraig Mac Lochlainn and Pearse Doherty for a number of meetings with those in the health sector in the county. They are due to meet with the

  Cases of Covid-19 among children have nearly doubled in the past two weeks. There were over 15,000 cases in the fortnight that ended on Wednesday. That’s 82 per cent higher than the 8,435 in the previous two weeks. But Education Minister Norma Foley insists schools remain safe places for children:

  Irish Water is being urged to give more reassurances regarding planned work in the Twin Towns. More than 100m of old cast iron water mains along the Stranorlar Bridge Crossing is to be replaced with a view towards reducing the high level of leakage and bursts in the area. The work is to get

  A former Garda Inspector in Donegal has revealed that Gardai wouldn’t get official legislation from Government on enforcing Covid restrictions until two days after they were announced. It comes as bars, restaurants and nightclubs have to shut from midnight with Gardai to monitor premises to ensure compliance. However, at the beginning of the pandemic,

  A South Donegal Deputy and former Fianna Fail TD says Ireland has gone the scenic route on a number of issues in relation to the pandemic. Deputy Marc McSharry says he is also against any further talk of another lockdown. People are being asked to revert to working from home from today, unless it’s

  The HSE boss says the health service is looking to extend the use of private hospitals to deal with the covid surge. Paul Reid says there are discussions going on right now and the current agreement with them continues until the year end. It comes as 4,650 new cases of Covid-19 have been recorded,

    People are being asked to revert to working from home from today, unless it’s necessary. It’s a complete reversal of the rules that were relaxed in September. But the Government’s being warned it may not have the desired effect on Covid-19 case numbers. Neil McDonnell, Chief Executive of ISME, says the economy could

  There are calls for an urgent meeting in relation to flooding issues along the Foyle and Letterkenny Roads in Derry. It’s understood that there have been regular flooding issues there for many years with residents demanding remedial measures be carried out. The problematic areas are adjacent to the River Foyle – Cllr Patricia Logue

19 per cent of Covid hospitalisations are requiring ICU treatment – compared with around 10 per cent in January. The HSE says the virus is currently having a higher impact on the health system than at any other time during the pandemic. 38 per cent of admissions to ICU due to Covid-19 have been fully

The CEO of OCO Global says they chose to establish a strategic base gteic in Gweedore because of the facilities Udaras na Gaeltachta were able to offer and the commitment of the people in the area. However, Mark O’Connell says while the decision was made for business reasons, the fact that he has had a

  The Green Party Leader has been further accused of cronyism in appointing his former adviser and a former party activist to the National Climate Change Advisory Council. The Government has been forced to defend the two appointments to the CAAC since it emerged that they were hand-picked. There were tense scenes on the issue

  The family of a young Donegal man who lost his life in a car crash are hosting an event this weekend to raise funds for charity in his honour. Jamie Bonner when he was killed in a two-car collision between Creeslough and Portnablagh on September 1st last year. The 19 year old was the

    The Donegal Chair of the Irish Hotels Federation is calling for the continuation of Government supports in the wake of new restrictions for the hospitality sector. It comes as hotels in Donegal are reporting cancellations of Christmas functions in recent weeks over what’s been described as a nervousness among some customers on attending

  The Covid-19 testing centre in Letterkenny is reporting a busy stream of people attending the clinic, particularly later in the day. It’s believed that the trend of booking same day appointments could be the result of people taking antigen tests at home. People are being urged that if they have symptoms to book an