Author name: oisinkelly

  A number of children and a bus driver have had a close escape when a large wooden plank from a passing van plummeted through the front windscreen of their bus. The accident occurred at Garshooey, between Killea and Carrigans, at around 3 pm yesterday afternoon. The bus was stopped at the time letting a

  The Government has suffered two more losses in the Dáil this afternoon. It’s after Fianna Fáil refused to support the Government position on two votes, dealing with fossil fuels and tracker mortgages. TDs instead passed a bill from Donegal Deputy Thomas Pringle, who wants the State to sell all of its stakes in fossil

Today’s figures from the Irish Nurser and Midwives Association show that 35 sick people are without a bed at Letterkenny University Hospital. 12 people are on trolleys and 23 are ‘on wards’. The overcrowding is the third worse in the country behind the University hospitals in Limerick and Galway. Across the country 494 people are

It’s emerged that some members of the Defence Forces are still being paid a “border allowance” – despite being nowhere near the border. The allowance was paid to soldiers who were based near the border during the Troubles. It was scrapped in 2009 for new entrants, but could not be taken off the soldiers who

A Derry MLA is claiming that some NHS workers in the city are dependent on food banks to feed their families. People Before Profit’s Eamon Mc Cann says considering the vital importance of the NHS to every other family, this is outrageous. He was speaking after attending a protest outside Altnagelvin Hospital. Mr Mc Cann

A group which represents residents in and around Carrickfin opposed to new shellfish farms in the Braade – Gweedore Bay has called on those behind them to withdraw their plans. A local environmental group says that was the view that came from two public meetings held in the area earlier this month and in December.

Concern has been raised that there is still no funding in place for the Bonagee Link in Letterkenny. Transport Minister Shane Ross has confirmed that no provision for the project will be in place for a number of years at least. Senator Padraig Mac Lochlainn is calling on the Transport Minister to urgently amend the

The Minister for School Transport John Halligan has agreed to further consider the Urris school transport issue. Minister Halligan met with Donegal Deputy Charlie McConalogue and Senator Padraig MacLochlainn yesterday and a commitment was given that the issue would be further examined. Some children in the Urris area wishing to attend the secondary school in

A Donegal Deputy is calling for increased investment in the third level education sector, including an option for the introduction of ‘income-contingent’ student loans. The call comes following the publication of the Casell’s Report which has made makes various recommendations for increased invesment but Deputy Thomas Pringle believes it doesn’t go far enough. He says

A Councillor says 21 new homes planned for Inishowen are essential in addressing the huge waiting list in Buncrana and all across Inishowen for social housing. The development would be situated in Rockytown, Buncrana and would comprise of thirteen houses and eight apartments and will be discussed at next Monday’s sitting of Donegal County Council.

  A man is to appear in Letterkenny District Court next month charged with a number of offences after failing to stop at a routine Garda checkpoint in the Dromore area. The incident happened  at approximately 3am this morning. Gardai then pursued the vehicle and it subsequently crashed into a garden not far from where

  The owner of the Donegal private bus operator Bus Feda has rejected claims that his Donegal – Galway service has affected Bus Eireann’s Expressway service. 8 million Euro worth of losses were sustained at Bus Éireann last year with the Expressway service cited at the core of the issue. Unions have pledged to resist

  A Donegal artist who sexually exploited a 15-year-old girl he met on a youth mental health website will be sentenced next month. The court heard the accused watched the victim’s favourite film, Frozen, with her before trying to have sex with her. The 36-year-old Donegal man, described by the defence as a “vulnerable” person

The number of patients awaiting admission to Letterkenny University Hospital rose by eight to 22 this morning, 10 of them on Emergency Department trolleys. Nationally, the INMO says, the figure has fallen to 493, down from 520 yesterday.

The Government’s new Action Plan for Rural Ireland has been dismissed as a “rebranding of lost opportunities” by Leas Cheann Comhairle and Donegal TD Pat the Cope Gallagher. He says far from a blueprint for the realisation of rural potential, the 71 page report is a cut and paste of every department’s failure over the

Police in Derry have pledged to continue operations on the Strand Road to tackle what’s been described as serious anti social behaviour by some drivers. In a joint study, the PSNI traffic section and the DVA identified over 100 incidents in and around the Strand Road and City Centre, as well as logging police actions

The Irish Nurses and Midwives organisation says it’s likely to give the go ahead for industrial action unless there’s a ‘radical change’ in the management approach to staffing. Talks at the Workplace Relations Commission adjourned without agreement last night. The INMO says its Executive Council will meet on Monday next week to consider the situation.

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the SS Laurentic, which hit German mines just north of Fanad Head after leaving Buncrana. The ship, which was traveling from Liverpool to Canada, was carrying 43 tones of gold bars which was being used to purchase supplies and munitions for use in the First World

  Donegal County Council has confirmed that extensive graffiti at Buncrana’s Swan Park will be removed in the coming days. A significant amount of damage was caused to a number of areas in the park last week using spray paint which sparked outrage among the local community there. Gardai have also confirmed that they are

Approximately €4 million worth of funding under the European Union’s PEACE IV Programme has been offered to Donegal County Council. The funding will be used to support a number of locally-based projects and initiatives that will promote positive relations between people from different communities and backgrounds. The aim of the programme is to increase cultural

A Derry and Strabane District Councillor is calling on communities to be on the alert and look out for their neighbours after two elderly people had their heating oil stolen in Sion Mills earlier this month. It’s understood that extensive damage was caused to both oil tanks during the incident which took place on the night

  Over 20 million euro has been allocated to Donegal County Council for the upkeep of regional and local roads in 2017. The biggest single allocation in the county is nearly 1.5 million for upgrade works to Cockhill Bridge in Buncrana. The funding is part of €324 million allocation nationally which has been announced this

  Harvey’s Point Hotel, Lough Eske, Donegal has been named ‘No 1 Hotel in Ireland’ by worldwide hotel review website Trip Advisor for the fifth successive year in its 2017 ‘Travellers Choice’ Awards. The hotel was also ranked ‘10th Best Hotel in Europe in the Trip Advisor European Awards , three places higher than its

  A Donegal Councillor is calling for action to tackle driving test waiting times in Inishowen. He says it is now a 20 week wait in Inishowen, and he has been in contact with TDs and Senators in a bid to have the issue addressed. At present, the Buncrana centre operates on a temporary basis,

  Management at Letterkenny University Hospital have responded to claims made the hospital has suspended chemotherapy referrals. They have confirmed that a new Locum Consultant Medical Oncologist is to be instated at the beginning of March and until then, new patients will not be starting chemotherapy regimes at the Hospital. The letter in full to

The Donegal Education and Training Board is hosting its 13 Further Education and Training Fair in Letterkenny’s Mount Errigal Hotel tomorrow, with an emphasis on adults who want to improve or change their careers. The ETB combines the old VEC with training agencies such as FAS. Crona Gallagher is the Further Education and Training Officer

There’s been a slight fall in the number of people awaiting admission at Letterkenny University Hospital today. There were 14 patients without beds this morning according to the INMO, four of them on Emergency Department trolleys. That compares to 17 without beds yesterday. Nationally, the number without bedsd has risen to 520, with over 50

It’s been claimed this morning that new referrals for patients requiring chemotherapy treatments at Letterkenny University Hospital have been suspended, due to what is being claimed as the hospital’s oncology unity having now reached full capacity. Deputy Pearse Doherty says he’s spoken to a number of relatives of cancer patients in Donegal, who say their

Options are currently being explored for the preservation of sand dunes at Lagg beach in Malin. The dunes are among the highest in Europe, and council representatives have been meeting to discuss ideas for a dune protection system in the area. The importance of conserving the dunes has been raised on numerous occasions by local

Donegal County Council is again urging householders in Letterkenny to comply with the ban on smokey coal. Since May 2013, the council says most householders in Letterkenny have played their part by only using smokeless fuels, but claims were made before Christmas that some residents in the town were continuing to use smokey coal despite

  A number of homes were without power in Letterkenny for several hours last night, with claims that residents received no prior warning from the ESB. Some homes in Ard Na Rí Esate in the Long Lane area of the town were left without power until almost midnight, with Councillor Gerry McMonagle saying many young

  A former director of Anglo Irish Bank has been handed a two and a half year jail term to be served alongside a sentence he’s already serving. Willie McAteer of Greenrath, Co. Tipperary and native of Rathmullen pleaded guilty to fraudulent trading in relation to an 8 million euro loan he received from the

  A Donegal Deputy has branded the Rural Plan as insincere as no provision has been made for post offices or other services. The 273-point Action Plan for Rural Development includes a promise to revitalise 600 towns and villages, and support 135,000 new jobs within four years. However Deputy Thomas Pringle says the plan does

  Michelle O’Neill has been announced as the new leader of Sinn Féin in Northern Ireland. The MLA is to take over from Martin McGuinness after he stood down due to poor health.

The National Treatment Purchase Fund is to be extended to help counteract the impact of the hospital overcrowding crisis on waiting lists. Deputy Charlie Mc Conalogue says offers will be issued through hospitals in April, and he’s urging people to avail of them. It comes as the INMO confirm there were 17 patients awaiting admission