Author name: oisinkelly

Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan says that there are no plans to reimpose restrictions. However, NPHET says they are worried about the recent surge in covid cases and hospitalisations. 1,631 new virus cases were reported today, while 503 Covid patients are currently in hospitals. The 7-day average of new cases has almost doubled in three

The Health Minister says the Government has gone ‘quite far’ in the measures it’s taken to reopen hospitality and the night time economy. People going to nightclubs and late night events will need to book a ticket at least an hour in advance under new covid regulations set to come into effect later this week.

  The oncology clinic at Letterkenny University Hospital has been cancelled for two weeks in a row. It’s understood that nursing shortages may be the root of the problem. Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty has contacted management at the hospital, requesting urgent clarification. Deputy Doherty, who has been contacted by those affected, says both patients and

  A Donegal Senator is encouraging people to get involved in the All-Island Strategic Rail Review. Public consultations are getting underway this year and people will get the opportunity to voice their concerns over a lack of rail services in the North West. Senator Niall Blaney says the review is real progress towards rail connectivity

  It’s emerged that St. Conals Day Services in Letterkenny has been closed since March of last year due to a lack of resources. At the beginning of the pandemic the service shut its doors with clients being given some home support. Despite an easing of restrictions, the service has yet to resume and it’s

  Families affected by a lack of provision of day services in North Inishowen say they feel deeply let down by both the HSE and the Government. A number of services have been compromised in the area due to a range of issues including a Covid outbreak and the redeployment of staff. There are currently

  The Transport Minister says he doesn’t believe further restrictions will be introduced this Christmas. It follows a stark warning to the Cabinet Sub Committee on Covid last night. Senior ministers were told the peak of the wave could see between 4 and 5000 cases a day and up to 200 ICU admissions. Eamon Ryan

  The chief medical officer says the health service is under ‘significant pressure’, due to the worsening Covid situation. Latest figures show that there were 13 infectious Covid cases in Letterkenny University Hospital. Dr Tony Holohan says he’s ‘increasingly worried’ about the rise in cases across the country. The five-day moving average now stands at

  A Sinn Féin TD says a gun threat to his office shows how ‘careful’ politicians need to be about their security. Someone called South Donegal Deputy Martin Kenny’s office in Leinster House yesterday, and made threats against gardai and TDs. It comes two years after an arson attack on his car in Co Leitrim

  There has been a call for the government to rethink its policy on new rules for the reopening of nightclubs. One of the rules will see those wanting to attend a club having to purchase their tickets online at least one hour in advance of turning up at the door. Nightclub owner Ian Redmond

  A Donegal County Councillor has criticised the fact that the authority’s Disability Committee hasn’t met since the current council was elected in 2019. Cllr Michael Cholm Mac Giolla Easbuig says he sought a place on the committee because there are a number of issues he wants to pursue, including better footpaths, increased access, and

  There are calls for urgent action on flooding issues on the main Letterkenny to Stranorlar road as the winter season begins. Councillor Gary Doherty says that a number of properties and businesses along the road have been consistently flooded during periods of heavy rainfall. He raised the issue at yesterday’s meeting of the Lifford

The number of patients in hospitals here with Covid-19 has reached its highest level in more than seven months. The amount of virus in-patients rose from 497 yesterday to 513 today, which is higher than at any point since early March. 97 patients are also currently receiving intensive care treatment. Professor of Immunology at Maynooth

  The renowned MacGill Summer School gets underway tomorrow. The event, normally held in Glenties every year, will be held online due to the pandemic. The theme of this years event is ‘A threatened Planet: Recovery from the Pandemic Must be Built on new values and a new vision’. Director Joe Mullholland says Covid has

  A Donegal Deputy says Gardai have not yet contacted the whistleblower as part of their investigation into sexual abuse at Ard Greine Court and Sean O’Hare Unit at St.Josephs hospital in Stranorlar. Parts of the report that have been leaked to the public revealed that over 100 instances of “sustained sexual abuse” occurred over

Questions are being asked as to why supports for children with intellectual disabilities are still suspended in Carndonagh, months after a Covid-19 outbreak in the area. The outbreak happened in August with families and service users having to remain at home while staff were redeployed. Local Cllr Albert Doherty says this latest issue is further

Talks between Government officials and groups representing nightclubs and late-night venues will take place this morning. They’ll try to finalise plans for how the late-night sector will operate over the next few months. One of the main issues to be resolved is the need for tickets, where people won’t be seated, to allow for contact

  12 thousand jobs are at risk in the forestry sector due to the backlog in granting afforestation and felling licences. Thats according to the Social Economic, Environmental Forestry Association of Ireland. They are staging a series of social media protests today targeting Government TD’s in an effort to highlight the crisis in the sector.

  A Donegal Deputy believes that there is “no valid reason” why the report into sexual abuse at a HSE facility in Stranorlar should not be released in full. Parts of the report that have been leaked to the public revealed that over 100 instances of “sustained sexual abuse” occurred at the Ard Greine Court

  There’s been a broad welcome to engineering proposals which are aimed at solving the flooding issue at Pearse Gardens and the Ballycolman Estate in Strabane. The area has been flooded multiple times in recent years, most recently this August when torrential rains once again caused flooding at Pearse Gardens. West Tyrone MLA Maolíosa McHugh