Author name: oisinkelly

    The Full Capacity Protocol has been implemented at Letterkenny University Hospital today with significant numbers continuing to await admission to its Emergency Department. It comes following the release of today’s INMO figures which revealed that there were 30 patients awaiting admission to the hospital this morning, eight of them on Emergency Department trolleys.

There were 30 patients awaiting admission at Letterkenny University Hospital this morning, eight of them on Emergency Department trolleys. That’s a fall of five on yesterday INMO figure. Nationally, there were 445 patients awaiting beds this morning, with Letterkenny’s overcrowding the fourth worst in the country, behind Limerick, Cork ande Galway.

A judge has ruled after a number of adjournments that Ireland’s longest-serving serving politician is far too ill to give evidence in a case where a former town councillor is accused of assaulting a garda. At a special sitting of Ballyshannon District Court today, Judge Paul Kelly fixed February 24 for final submissions in the

It’s emerged that €235,000 was spent on refurbishing Clonmany Garda Station in 2010, and now the station is only open for a handful of hours each week. Senator Padraig Mac Lochlainn says this reflects the 25% reduction in garda numbers in Inishowen, and highlights the need for more gardai to be deployed in Donegal. At

Roadside drug-testing will begin in March. The Transport Department has confirmed that Gardai are being equipped with a portable device to carry out random checks on motorists for cannabis, cocaine and heroin. They will also test for prescription drugs, however drivers are being reassured that they will not be penalised if they are taking medicines

There are genuine fears that the current crisis at Bus Eireann could severely impact rural communities Donegal, according to a Killybegs based councillor. The future of the Expressway service at Bus Eireann remains uncertain due to the colossal losses the company suffered last year. Councillor Niamh Kennedy is calling on the Government to guarantee the

Telephone company EIR has confirmed that maintenance work will be carried out today in Ardara, where a number of homes have been left without a landline service since before Christmas. It’s understood the issue is primarily confined to the Tullymore area with EIR stating that the service will be fully restored to all its customers

Donegal County Council is being urged to carry out much needed repairs to a pathway linking Buncrana Pier to an adjacent beach. It’s understood that the pathway was extensively damaged before Christmas due to adverse weather. Councillor Nicholas Crossan says the pathway provides vital access from the pier to the beach, and he wants work

  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,