Author name: oisinkelly

  Over crowding in the country’s Emergency Departments is costing lives and creating misery. The Irish Association for Emergency Medicine says 350 people are dying each year as a direct result. Dr Fergal Hickey – Consultant in Emergency Medicine at Sligo University Hospital – says the issue has been ignored for a decade – and […]

  It has been claimed that spending on agency staff at Letterkenny University Hospital has doubled over the last four years. Figures obtained by Sinn Fein have revealed that last year almost 10 million euro was spent on agency staff while in 2011 the figure was just over 4.5 million euro. Senator Padraig MacLochlainn has

  Figures obtained by Sinn Fein show that over 110 children on Donegal have been waiting over a year to access audiology services. Deputy Pearse Doherty says the figures are deeply concerning: Figures released by the HSE show that there are currently over 800 children on the audiology waiting list, 110 of whom have been

  The Save our Strands Group say they gratefully welcome the decision by Manus Bonner to withdraw his application for the granting of a license for an Oyster Farm at Keadue Strand. The group have expressed their gratitude to Mr Bonner for taking this decision for the reasons outlined by him on Highland Radio. They

Manus Bonner has withdrawn his application for a foreshore licence at Keadue Strand. The application, along with a completely separate license application for an Oyster Farm on Cruit Strand, had led to local objection. Mr Bonner, from Belcruit, says he made the decision to withdraw his application having taken on board the views of local

The Fire service has been praised for its quick response which prevented a fire in the Meadowbank area of Letterkenny from spreading to adjoining properties. The fire broke out this morning at the vacant property which was under going renovation. Gardai are investigating the cause of the fire. Councillor Gerry McMonagle is urging landlords to

  An information evening for bereaved parents in Donegal is taking place tomorrow night in Letterkenny. Anam Cara says the event will give parents an opportunity to hear a professional and experienced talk with an outline of various supports available to them. The event takes place from 7.30pm to 9.30pm tomorrow in the Mount Errigal

  Donegal Councillors who attended yesterday’s Letterkenny Municipal District meeting have backed a motion of no confidence in the HSE. The motion was put forward amid concerns about a number of local issues, including on-going difficulties facing the Our Children’s Voice Group and the ambulance service to the county. There have also been reports of

  A motion has been passed at the latest sitting of Letterkenny Municipal District Meeting calling for the Town Council to be reinstated. Representations are now to be made to the Department of Environment outlining the impact the absence of a Town Council has had to Letterkenny. Councillor James Pat McDaid put forward the motion;

  There are fears for jobs at Fujitsu in Derry after the firm announced a major restructuring plan across the UK. The firm said while the plan will enable it better to support customers, it will result in a reduction of up to 1,800 jobs across the UK. The company currently employs 250 people in

 Minister Joe McHugh says the roll out of a faster Rural Broadband Scheme may be worth the wait. He was responding to comments from the Communications Minister’s signaled a possible further delay in the roll out of rural broadband. Contracts were to be signed next summer, but may not now happen until 2018. Denis Naughten

  Donegal County Childcare has welcomed an additional investment of €35m to support parents with childcare costs though a package of both universal and targeted measures in Budget 2017. A universal measure will see all parents with children in childcare aged between six months and three years being entitled to up to €900 in State

    The HSE has reaffirmed its position that they will not be investing in the development of increased long stay bed services at three community hospitals in Donegal. The Executive said, it is still the case, that no future funding would be made available for either Stranorlar, Lifford or Ramelton until a new hospital is built

A Donegal woman who has cerebral palsy has settled for €6million her High Court action against the HSE over her care at the time of her birth. The settlement approved by Mr Justice Kevin Cross is without an admission of liability. 20 year-old Nadine Wilkin, Abbey Park, Manorcunningham had through her mother Judith Wilkin sued

The Communications Minister’s signalled a possible further delay in the rollout of rural broadband. Contracts were to be signed next summer, but may not now happen until 2018. Denis Naughten says it’s because he wants to see 1 gigabyte fibre broadband brought to as many homes as possible:

300 million euro in tax cuts, increases in social welfare payments and a subsidised childcare plan are just some of the main points in Budget 2017. Smokers have the most to lose, there’s to be a 50 cent hike per packet from midnight. Sinn Féin’s attacked Budget 2017 saying its a return to politics of

A protest takes place this Thursday morning calling for a new footpath to be put in place at Loch na Luír school in West Donegal. Concerns parents say that after road improvements, the existing footpath was effectively removed presenting a danger to students and their parents walking to school. The issue has been on the

Spending The minister announces a 1.9 billion euro increase in spending in 2017 Comprehensive spending review to be carried out in advance of Budget 2018 Nurses, Teachers and Gardai Almost 4,500 additional frontline staff – Gardaí nurses and teachers – in 2017 Health Total spending for health to reach 14.6 billion euro in 2017 All

The first budget of the minority Government is currently to be delivered. Tax cuts and spending increases costing over 1.2 billion euro will be unveiled by Michael Noonan and Paschal Donohoe in the next hour. Refresh to see how Budget 2017 will effect you: After 2018 Government will set aside up to € 1bn annualy

It has been claimed that HSE nursing homes in Co Donegal are being paid 80% more than their private and voluntary counterparts. Recent figures published by the HSE have revealed that the six HSE nursing homes operating in Co Donegal have an average fee payable of €1,394 per week, per resident. The HSE nursing home

  People are being warned that if they are found to be in possession of fireworks they could be prosecuted by Gardai. It’s understood that despite Halloween being three weeks away; there have been a number of incidents involving fireworks across the county. There have been a number of reports of elderly residents feeling vulnerable

  A Donegal County Councillor is welcoming further progress on new speed proposals around Illistrin National School near Letterkenny. New measures include periodic speed limits during peak times and they’re expected to be rolled out on a range of different schools across the country once they have been finalised. There have been on-going concerns in

  Gardai are appealing for information about a stolen vehicle in the Buncrana area. It’s understood the car was stolen at the weekend however it has not yet been recovered. A black BMW 520 was stolen from outside a property at Logans Close in Ludden on Saturday night and Gardai were alerted to the incident

  Taoiseach Enda Kenny says the Budget will contain a number of ‘Brexit-proofing’ measures. The Ministers for Finance and Public Expenditure will reveal the full details of the Budget in the Dail this afternoon. Key features will include a helping hand for first time buyers, higher welfare and pension payments and tax cuts. It’s also

  A public meeting takes place in the Osman Centre in Dunfanaghy tomorrow night with a view to establishing a text alert system for the area. Members of the Gardai will be in attendance as well as representatives from other areas were text alert systems have been established successfully. The meeting, which gets underway at

  Thousands of students from across the northwest will attend the award winning Donegal Road Safety Roadshow in Lettekenny over the course of the next two days. At the Aura leisure centre, almost 3,000 students from Donegal, Derry and Tyrone will hear the hard hitting message ‘Remember, the next time it could be you’. Short

  Gardai conducted a major search operation in the Killygordon area over the weekend in which a small quantity of drugs were uncovered.  It’s understood that Gardai assisted by the Regional Support Unit searched a house in Forest Park on Saturday Gardai say this was planned search following a surveillance operation. The drugs located at

  Efforts are continuing in a bid to overturn plans to close the residential units at three community hospitals in Donegal. In August it was revealed that no future funding would be made available for either Stranorlar, Lifford or Ramelton until the new hospital is built in Letterkenny by 2021. The HSE has been contacted

  Britain’s Northern Secretary has put forward a new idea on how to treat the border with Ireland after Brexit. James Brokenshire has told The Guardian that he wants to strengthen the combined UK and Ireland border. The idea is that Ireland’s air and seaports would also act as a border frontier for the UK

  It’s been confirmed that a counselor specialising in addiction issues for adolescents and children has been appointed to Donegal. The position had been vacant for some time with the issue being raised at a recent Regional health Forum meeting. Councillor Gerry McMonagle has since received a response from the HSE confirming the post will

People are being reminded to have their say on proposals for oyster farms on Cruit Island and Keadue Strand. Planning Permission has been requested for the Oyster farms however there has been growing opposition to the project between locals and political representatives. The deadline for submissions is next Monday for Cruit Island while this Thursday