Author name: oisinkelly

Sinn Fein Deputy and Donegal candidate Padraig Mac Lochlainn has backed a Donegal surgeon who hit out at the health minister this week Minister Leo Varadkar recently suggested that more hospital beds would ease the presure on doctors to discharge patients, a claim that Orthopedic Surgeon Peter O’Rourke tooki grave exception to this week. Mr […]

A Donegal County Councillor has expressed concern over a new tenant purchase scheme for council tenants, claiming it lacks fairness, and does not provide for access to all. Under the new scheme, council tenants are allowed to purchase their home at a discount of up to 60 per cent on the market price. This applies

The potential of job creation in the forestry and wood chip industry in Donegal needs to be explored according to a Donegal TD Independent Deputy and Election Candidate Thomas Pringle has published a policy document on the biomass sector in the county, in which he claims wind farming has not benefited the rural communities of

  Workers who answer 999 emergency calls have given notice of a 12 hour strike on the day before the general election. (Thurs 25th) The CWU – which represents the workers – says to protect the service – the work stoppage will take place only at the Navan 999 centre between 8am and 8pm. It

  Fianna Fáil’s justice spokesman has lashed out at Sinn Féin – saying it’s a cult and not a political party. Niall Collins was responding to Sinn Féin’s plans to scrap the Special Criminal Court if it’s elected. Fianna Fáil is proposing a new Serious and Organised Crime Unit which it says would go further

Enterprise Ireland says 13 new companies are starting in the border region over the next three years as a result of funding approved in 2015. Seven of the companies are being supported through Enterprise Ireland’s High Potential Start Up programme, the other six through the Competitive Start Fund. Nationally, 217 companies will create over 1,500

Last night’s TG4 Donegal Poll ahead of the General Election pours cold water on Sinn Fein’s chances of taking a third seat in Donegal, and conversely, suggests that outgoing Deputy Padraig Mac Lochlainn could be in difficulty as he fights for the  last seat. It’s been one of the of the main talking points in

Midlands North West MEP Marian Harkin has praised the Campaign for a Clean Estuary in Moville after the EU confirmed to the group that Ireland was non compliant in relation to granting planning permission for waste water treatment plants, and new legislation is now necessary. This impacts on the long running debate about the proposed

Calls have been made for proposed guidelines on wind farm development to be finalised once and for all following the latest turbine failure on Cark Mountain in Donegal. Sinn Fein tabled a recent Parliamentary Question to Minister Alan Kelly regarding the matter but he failed to give a date for when updated planning regulations would

It’s been claimed the issue of the future of the Ramelton Nursing Unit, Lifford Hospital and St Joseph’s Community Hospital is being used as a political football. Yesterday, Junior Health Minister Kathleen Lynch declined to meet with hospital campaigners in Donegal to discuss the downgrading of the hospitals in question due to a hectic schedule.

A new opinion poll carried out for TG4 shows that Fianna Fáil is poised to win two seats in Donegal and may well upset Sinn Féin’s plans to take three seats in that newly merged 5 seat constituency. Veteran  FF candidate Pat the Cope Gallagher looks set to make a comeback to Dáil Éireann and

    Workers at the 999 call centre in Ballyshannon have voted in favour of strike action. The call centre in south Donegal is one of three across the country who are calling for an end to disciplinary actions over issues such as the length of toilet breaks. Members of the Communications Workers’ Union want

  Junior Health Minister Kathleen Lynch has declined to meet with hospital campaigners in Donegal to discuss the future the Ramelton Nursing Unit, Lifford Hospital and St Joseph’s Community Hospital. Yesterday it was agreed that those against the transfer of long term beds from the three hospitals would unite to oppose any reduction in services

Donegal County Council has responded to claims from Cllr Frank Mc Brearty that a strike by water workers was narrowly averted in the county. Cllr Mc Brearty called on Chief Executive Seamus Neely to make a statement, after claiming that council water staff who are now contracted to Irish Water were on the verge of

  The Finn Valley Wind Action group is calling for a full investigation and report following a Turbine failure on Cark Mountain. It’s believed the blade disintegrated on a turbine and debris was subsequently dispersed into the surrounding area. The group now say it clearly this highlights safety concerns in terms of how close the

Police in Derry are appealing for information about an assault on a man in the city centre a week ago last Sunday. The incident happened at about 1 o’clock on the morning of January 31 outside a public house at Waterloo Street. The man, who is aged 27 and from Belfast, sustained an injury to

A GP in Moville says a recent communication from the EU Commission regarding Ireland’s non compliance with an Environmental Impact Assessment directive has significant implications for plans to local a sewage treatment plant at Carnagarve. Antoinette Long, an EU Commission official has confirmed to the Campauign for a Clean Estuary Group that Ireland was non

The Letterkenny to Lifford Road has been closed half a mile on the Letterkenny side of Rossgeir following a crash this morning. We understand a number of cars have gone off the road following an oil spill, and at least one person has been seriously injured. Emergency services are at the scene, and Donegal County

There’s been a house fire in the Bomany area of Letterkenny. The Fire Service says substantial damage was caused to the single story house. No injuries have been reported. We’ll have more details later.

Clonmany Festival has won the Best Medium Sized Festival category in the 2015 Irish Festival Awards. It beat off competition from other events across the country catering for between 5,000 and 30,000 people. The Stendhal Festival outside Limavady took the Best Small Festival award for the third year running. The overall winner was Electric Picnic.

Rents continue to rise in Donegal with a 4.1% increase in the final quarter of last year. The latest Daft.ie report shows the average advertised rent in the county is now €517, up 6% from their lowest point in 2013. Nationally rents rose by an average of 9.0% during 2015. Ronan Lyons, economist at Trinity

The North’s Justice Minister David Ford has said he intends closing the courthouse in Strabane. Mr Ford made the announcement in the Assembly yesterday. West Tyrone MLA Daniel McCrossan challenged the minister on the decision, saying his dogged determination to close Strabane Courthouse flies in the face of the needs of local people and the

Junior Health Minister Kathleen Lynch has been urged to meet with hospital campaigners in Donegal to discuss the future the Ramelton Nursing Unit, Lifford Hospital and St Joseph’s Community Hospital. Yesterday it was agreed that those against the transfer of long term beds from the three hospitals would unite to oppose any reduction in services

  The Moville road just outside Carndonagh has now been reopened following a two car collison at 10 o’clock this morning. It’s believed the person who was taken to hospital sustained no life threatening injuries.

Councillor Dessie Sheils has topped a weekend poll run on the Highland Radio website which asked the question, it the election were today – who would get your first preference. Over one thousand people took part in the poll which ran from Friday until Monday morning. The Independent General Election candidate topped the poll with

One person has been seriously injured in a two car collision outside Carndonagh. The crash happened close to the football pitches on the Moville Road before 10 o’cloc this morning. The road remains closed and local diversions are in place.

Donegal County Council is inviting the public to call in and have a say on what they think should be included in the Local Area Plan for seven towns in Donegal. The Council is currently preparing Local Area Plans for the Twin Towns, Ballyshannon, Bridgend, Carndonagh, Donegal Town, Dungloe and Killybegs, and is anxious to

It’s been claimed that Donegal County Council water staff who are now contracted to Irish Water wwre on the verge of strike action, but that action was averted at the last minute folllowing discussions between the council’s Chief Executive and the unions involved. We understand the key issue was fears among the staff that once

Diversions are in place following a collision on the outskirts on Carndonagh. It happened shortly before 10 o’clock close to the football pitches on the Moville Road. thje road is currently closed, and emergency services are at the scene. No further details are available.