Author name: oisinkelly

Strong opposition to water charges looks set to continue in Donegal following the agreement on the report from the Water Committee. The regime brought in by the last Government will be effectively ended later today with no further bills for households. But those who excessively use water will still face the possibility of charges. The […]

The HSE has confirmed that it intends to invest more than €4 million in upgrading works to retain and enhance community hospital services in Stranorlar and Ramelton. The confirmation follows a meeting between Minister Joe McHugh and HSE Area Manager John Hayes. It’s understood that a report from the HSE on services in Lifford is

The Health Minister is being urged to outline his plans to address what’s been described as the on-going crisis in diabetes care in Donegal. Last week it was revealed that the HSE has not advertised for a replacement Paediatric Endocrinologist at Sligo University Hospital which also caters to the Donegal region – leading to fears

A Donegal Deputy is calling on the Government to step in and address a serious decline of rural services in Donegal. The call comes following the announcement of Ulster Bank closures in Raphoe and Ardara and the potential future closures of post offices by An Post. Deputy Thomas Pringle raised the issue in the Dail

Ahead of the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, the Donegal Road Safety Working Group is urging all road users to act responsibly when travelling on the roads during the holiday period. Over the Easter holiday period many people will set out to visit family and friends, some making long journeys. Remember that everyone is in the

  A Donegal County Councillor has been charged with drink driving, six months after being given a motoring ban for a similar type offence. Councillor Ciaran Brogan’s case was mentioned at Mondays sitting of Letterkenny District Court. He has been charged with drink driving at Treanbeg, Trentagh in the early hours of April 1st. It’s

  A Donegal Road Safety group has welcomed the move that from tomorrow, Gardai will be able to test drivers for drugs on the roadside. They’ll be testing for cannabis, cocaine, opiates and benzos. If you’re found over the limit you could lose your licence for between one and four years. Figures suggest that one

Midlands North West MEP Mairead McGuinness says she’s been assurred by the EU Fisheries Commissioner that he will look at crab-pot losses off the Donegal coast, but only after the Irish authorities are present the details. The presence of large trawlers is being looked at as a possible cause of the losses.; The Commissioner told

Minister for Tourism, Patrick O’ Donovan has agreed to meet a cross party delegation from Donegal County Council to discuss the funding of the Rathmullan to Buncrana and the Greencastle to Magilligan ferries. It follows concern raised that Donegal County Council is funding the two ferries without any support from central government. Due to the

DNA testing and paint markings have been used to trace stolen sheep back to their original owners in Donegal, after they were sold at Dowra mart in Cavan. The Irish Farmers Journal is reporting that the mart knew nothing about the history of the sheep, and the farmers who bought them had acted in good

Pressure is mounting on political parties in the North ahead of a deadline to form a power sharing Executive. The Secretary of State James Brokenshire previously indicated negotiations won’t be permitted to continue past Easter. Issues such as legacy and an Irish Language Act appear to remain the major sticking points in the talks. The

There were 12 patients awaiting admission at Letterkenny University Hospital this morning, 4 of them on Emergency Department trolleys. That’s down slightly on yesterday’s figure of 14. The INMO says nationally, there were 409 people awaiting beds this morning. Cork University Hospital was the worst affected with a total of 31.

A civil legal tussle is looming between hill farmers and leisure walkers in Glencolmcille. This was revealed at Dungloe District Court yesterday, when sheep farmer Cathal Haughey of Ballard, Glencolmcille was convicted and fined for assaulting a walking tour leader. In court, Judge Deirdre Gearty observed that although much was presented in evidence about rights of

A new report claims Ireland performs well compared to the UK in terms of productivity, the ease of starting a business and the quality of higher education and training. However the UK has the edge in its quality of infrastructure, labour market efficiency and technological development. That’s according to the National Competitiveness Council. Chairperson Peter

A second vigil is to take place outside Letterkenny University Hospital calling for an end to lengthy waiting lists and cancelled procedures. The Donegal Vigil is one of sixteen taking place across the country and follows a previous vigil held outside the hospital some weeks ago. Organisers are urging people in the county to attend

Serious concern has been raised that homes and businesses in Donegal which have been affected by flooding will not be considered a priority in a new scheme signed off on by Government. The 2 million euro voluntary relocation scheme will cover people whose homes were left uninhabitable following flooding between the 4th of December 2015

The Dáil will debate the final report of the Water Services Committee in just one hour and twenty minutes this evening. A formal vote to end the current charging regime will take place tomorrow, with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil set to carry it comfortably. Fianna Fáil’s Barry Cowen is adamant his party has delivered

  The HSE has confirmed that a pilot project will be set-up at Dungloe Community Hospital which will see the rollout of community based Ultrasound services. It’s understood that this will be as part of planned upgrades to the radiology department at the hospital. The pilot service will operate in tandem with the soon to

Donegal County Council has recently launched a new campaign promoting greater awareness among their drivers of how they can improve energy performance in their fleet. This campaign is being launched as part of the Councils drive to improve energy efficiency in line with their ISO 50001 accredited energy management system. “In our Energy Policy we

A man in his 50s who was arrested at the weekend as part of the investigation into the murder of Andrew Allen in Buncrana five years ago has been released without charge. He was arrested on Saturday and had been held in Letterkenny Garda Station for questioning under Section 30 of the Offences Against the

  It’s unreasonable to expect people living on some of Donegal’s islands to provide toilet facilities for tourists. That was the claim at this month’s meeting of the islands committee. It was told that three of Donegal’s smaller islands have seen a big increase in tourists as they include discovery points on the Wild Atlantic

Concern has been expressed over the quality and the condition of the new 230 thousand euro helipad on Tory Island. Despite having yet to be officially opened, its claimed the surface is falling apart, it’s becoming over grown with grass and paint is already starting to strip. At today’s island’s meeting, Councillor John Sheamais O

A Midlands North West MEP is warning that Brexit will compromise EU funding for the entire border region. Matt Carthy says that while guarantees have been given that Peace funding will continue, there are no guarantees that Interreg funding will be maintained, and that’s the programme which funds major infrastructural and development projects. Mr Carthy

A Derry Councillor is seeking a meeting with Transport NI to discuss the need for road improvements in Grangemore and Ardgrange. Cllr Colly Kelly says there major safety concerns, with hundreds of homes connected by one main access road, on which there is a serious speeding problem. At the very least, he says there needs

There’s bad news for passengers this morning after talks to resolve the Bus Eireann dispute broke down without a deal. The company says agreement was reached at the WRC on eliminating many work practise inefficiencies, but their offer aimed at addressing financial viability was rejected by the driver grade within the unions. The NBRU insists

Postmasters from Donegal are joining colleagues at a protest outside the Taoiseach’s constituency office in Castlebar today, demanding action to save 600 post offices around the country. The Irish Postmasters’ Union wants the government to enact the findings of a report by Bobby Kerr, which recommends closing only 80 offices to stem losses at An

Minister Leo Varadkar’s leadership ambitions are causing the government to drag its feet in addressing the financial plight of seasonal workers. Donegal Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher says changes to the welfare system means it is almost impossible for hundreds of seasonal workers to build up credits to claim social welfare, and in the case

Derry and Strabane Rural Partnership is advising local rural businesses and communities of new opportunities now available in the latest release of LEADER funding. The overall Rural Development Programme for Northern Ireland 2014-2020 has allocated a total of £7.54 million to the Derry City and Strabane District Council area over a four year period The

The Marine Institute’s ROV submarine carried out its last dive off Blackrock island today, and has left Blacksod bay on board the Irish Lights vessel the Granuaile. However Gardai say their Water Unit will conduct more dives on the crash site for Rescue 116 when weather allows. Coast Guard and Civil Defence volunteers have also

Letterkenny is in line for a jobs boost after food retailer Iceland pledged to create 270 new jobs in a €12 million investment in nine new stores in Ireland this year. A new store in Letterkenny will be opened in the coming months. This growth will see Iceland grow to an employee base of over