Author name: oisinkelly

There are calls on the government to appoint a full Minister to deal with Brexit. Fianna Fail TD Mark McSharry says the North West is already suffering as a result of the Brexit vote with the collapse of Sterling is sending shoppers across the Border. He says the lack of a tangible plan to deal […]

There are question marks over the future of the post office in Dunlewey. The Post Mistress is stepping down after over two decades of service – An Post has put the contract for the branch out to Public Consultation. While the fate of the branch in Dunlewey is uncertain there is no guarantee that the

  The IFA is accusing Transport Minister Shane Ross of using a sledgehammer to crack a nut in discussions on the development of greenways. There are a number of greenway proposals being considered across the country, including some in Donegal, and this week, Minister Ross said he believes compulsory purchase orders may be necessary. However,

A military parade will take place in Donegal Town on Monday ahead of the deployment of a number of Donegal based soldiers to serve with the 109th Infantry Batallion in South Lebanon. The 28th Infantry Batallion at Finner Camp will be the lead batallion in the UNIFIL deployment, which has a total of 336 troops

Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan says recent figures prove that mental health services in Northern Ireland have been criminally underfunded. Mr Durkan, the SDLP’s Health Spokesperson told the assembly this week that although mental health issues account for around 25% of healthcare cases, mental health services receive only 5.5% of the healthcare budget. Health Minister

Gardai have launched a crackdown on speeding to coincide with “Slow Down Day”, which got underway this morning. Inspector Michael Harrison of the Traffic Corps in Donegal says as well as a full complement of GoSafe vans, extra garda patrols are also being deployed today. Earlier this week, gardai say one man was detected doing

Garda sergeants and inspectors have started a work-to-rule, for the first time ever. It’s part of an historic campaign of industrial action over pay and conditions which includes 4 strike days next month. Thousands of middle ranking officers won’t use the PULSE computer system until 7pm this evening. It was agreed yesterday that custody sergeants

Parents are paying the price of the the Government’s failure to commit to a Minor Works Grant for schools. That’s according to Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher who claims the scheme has been consistently underfunded by the government in recent years, which has led to schools having to forgo essential maintenance work. The Grant is

Donegal County Council is advising farmers & growers who are experiencing problems with birds, that the use of crow bangers should be considered only as a last resort. The bangers have been tradiontally used to scare of birds affecting crops or grain storage areas but have been known to cause annoyance to those living close

Donegal County Council are advising motorists using the dual carriageway between Manorcunningham Roundabout and the Dry Arch Roundabout in Letterkenny that the Contractor doing this work on behalf of Transport Infrastructure Ireland has engaged additional resources to try and complete the works this evening. However, the new surfacing requires 5 hours before traffic can run

A three year collaborative project to address environmental issues facing seven northern European upland areas has been officially launched in Donegal today. Donegal County Council is leading the ASCENT project, which was launched today in Dunlewey, in the shadows of Errigal, one of the pilot sites chosen for this project. The ASCENT acronym stands for

A senior official with Derry and Strabane District Council says the Northern Ireland Economic Conference which took place yesterday in the City Hotel was a major success. It was the 21st year of the conference, and the first time it took place outside of Belfast. The council’s Head of Business Kevin O’Connor says the conference

        A man is recovering in Altnagelvin Hospital after he was shot in the leg in Dungiven, County Derry just befoe 8 o’clock last night. The BBC is reporting that Sean McGlinchey, a Dungiven Sinn Féin councillor, said he spoke to the victim who told him he was from Derry, and had

There’s positive news for the Donegal fishing industry with the news that the mackerel quota for Ireland next year will be 86,429 tonnes – an increase of over 10,500 tonnes from 2016. The news has been welcomed by Minister Joe McHugh who says the increase is worth over €10million directly to our catching sector with

There are reports of counterfeit 20 euro notes in circulation in Buncrana with the local Chamber of Commerce advising business owners and the general public to be vigilant. The notes are said to be of a good quality. Councillor Nicolas Crossan says this is a problem that raises its head from time to time –

Minister Michael Noonan is expected to announce wide scale changes to the help to buy scheme today. The plan aimed at helping first time buyers get on the property ladder has been met with criticism since it was announced in the budget last week. The mortgage percentage threshold and the value of property to which

Marine rescue services in Canada are among those praising the brave rescue of two people from a yacht which went aground on rocks at St Johns Point in the early hours of this morning. Killybegs Coastguard, the Arranmore RNLI and the Sligo based Rescue 118 helicopter were involved in the rescue of the two canadians

Secondary teachers have admitted they’re running out of time to avert next week’s strike. Thursday the 27th will mark the first of seven days that teachers will walk off the job in a row over pay for new staff. A meeting with the Department of Education today provided little progress. The two sides will meet

Detectives are appealing for information following the report of an attempted robbery at premises in the Academy Terrace area of Derry on Tuesday 18 October. At approximately 4pm a male entered the premises carrying a black holdall. He pulled an item out of the holdall which was wrapped in a plastic bag and pointed it

A garage owner in Strabane says he is shocked that a car which he had loaned to a Donegal woman whose car was being fixed was seized by Revenue officials last week. Campbell spoke on the Shaun Doherty Show today, outlining how the woman’s car is having extensive repair work done in his premises in

A Donegal TD has said he does not believe the new JobBridge programme as proposed by the government will be an improvement on the first scheme. Independent Thomas Pringle has welcomed the announcement of the closure of JobBridge to new applicants but has warned its replacement cannot simply be JobBridge Mark 2. Minister Leo Varadkar

The IDA has been challenged to focus on new investment in Donegal, and abandon its strategy of focusing all its attention on Letterkenny. Donegal Senator Pádraig Mac Lochlainn addressed senior officials from the development agency during an Oireachtas Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Committee meeting last evening. The Committee was dealing with the impact of Brexit

  It’s been confirmed that rheumatology clinics are to be reinstated at Letterkenny University Hospital. The services were removed in 2011 and since then patients in Donegal were having to travel to Manorhamilton for treatment. It’s understood the services will be up and running by months end. In a reply to a Dail question, it

Angling groups in Donegal are being invited to apply for a share in a €500,000 funding package to improve access and infrastructure for anglers. Inland Fisheries Ireland has announced the Capital Works Fund which is aimed at any group that is willing to provide car parks, create walkways or carry out other similar works. The

Public Consultations are taking place today on Flood Risk Management Plans for Donegal, one in Donegal Town, the other in Dungloe. Members of the public are being asked to express their views on measures being proposed to address known flood risks across the county. The consultation event in Donegal will cover areas Donegal Town, The

A dedicated space for Early Intervention & School Age Teams in the Public Services Building in Dungloe has been officially opened. The space consists of a number of clinic rooms which will be used for physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and psychology. The clinic room will also be used for team assessments, running

Over 20% of people in rural areas are more at risk at poverty now than at any other time over the past 20 years, according to Irish Rural Link, with that figure potentially highest in Donegal. The group has published a document today showing that lack of employment opportunities and poor transport infrastructure is contributing

Former taoiseach Bertie Ahern has dismissed a suggestion that Ireland could provide border control for the UK after Brexit. The idea’s been mooted as part of a scenario to avoid imposing a ‘hard’ border between the republic and Northern Ireland. He’s due to speak at the annual Northern Ireland economic conference in Derry’s City Hotel

  Derry City and Strabane District Council grounds staff have scooped top prize in their section at the Royal Horticultural Society’s “Britain in Bloom” awards. The latest recognition comes just weeks after the city picked up two prizes at the Translink Ulster in Bloom Competition last month. Representing Ulster, Derry was one of only seven

A Donegal County Councillor has revealed that a review is to take place on a national level with regard to the impact of the School Transport Scheme on the ability of students to attend certain schools. The news comes following renewed concerns about pupils from the Urris area of Inishowen having to travel to Buncrana

New online crime figures show £13 million was lost by people in Northern Ireland last year through fraud, including cybercrime. As a result Get Safe Online is running a public event this week in Derry to increase cyber awareness right across the community. Get Safe Online Day gets underway in Northern Ireland today and a

The Stormont Assembly has voted against a motion calling for ‘special status’ for Northern Ireland in the Brexit process. MLAs voted against the measure – which was proposed by the SDLP – by 47 votes to 46. The vote may make it harder for the British and Irish governments to have the North considered a