Author name: oisinkelly

Mr. Dennis McCarthy has been appointed to chair the expert panel that is being established to investigate the problems that have emerged in the concrete blockwork in houses in Donegal. Thousands of homeowners in the county are thought to be affected by the issue, where their homes are crumbling and described as worthless and increasingly […]

It’s been confirmed that two weapons have been seized following a security alert at the City Cemetery in Derry. Police say the firearms,m described as semi-automatic handguns, were found within the grounds of the City Cemetery and have been taken away for further examination. Searches have continued in the area, since yesterday, with some people

The Council will find out how much it will have to pay, if anything, from defending an unsuccessful challenge taken against it by Councillor Dessie Shiels. The case surrounded the co-option of Michael McBride onto Donegal County Council. Independent Councillor Dessie Shiels took a case against the Council over the co-option of Michael McBride onto

It’s reported this morning that a major review is being conducted into the murder of a man in Dungloe 11 years ago. On January 29th 2005, 36-year-old Shaun Duffy was found dead at his home at Meenacross near Dungloe. An inquest was told he died during a violent struggle where he suffered a deep gash to

A security operation is continuing this morning in Derry. Police went to the city cemetery at Lone Moor Road yesterday afternoon when it was reported a suspicious object was found. A weapon was subsequently recovered from a car. Searches have continued in the area, Sinn Fein MLA Raymond McCartney is condemning the incident:

A Donegal Councillor has hit out at some of his fellow Councillors for attacking him over walking out of the Donegal County Council this week. Both Councillor John Campbell and Cllr Michael Cholm Mac Giolla Easbuig left the meeting due to Cllr. John O’ Donnell being in attendance while also withdrawing from the Independent Grouping.

  Police are currently at the scene of a security alert in Derry.  The alert is happening close to the city cemetery at Lone Moor Road in Derry, where a suspicious object has been found. There are no further details at this stage.

Minister Joe Mc Hugh says the reference to the three hospitals being “replaced” in the government’s press release is not accurate, and they willplay a key role in the future organisation of services for the elderly in Donegal. Minister Mc Hugh spoke earlier on the Shaun Doherty Show………  

The HSE has fined the country’s acute hospitals over 3.7 million euro for breaching waiting list targets for the last five months of 2015. A report in the January edition of the Health Manager Journal says the fines have been levied on hospital groups, rather than individual hospitals. The largest cumulative fine for 2015 –

The HSE is expected to release a statement clarifying the future of St Joseph’s Hospital in Stranorlar, Lifford Hospital and the Ramelton Community Nursing Unit. A new €22 million Community Nursing Unit is to be built in Letterkenny under a Public Private Partnership. Minister Joe Mc Hugh said last evening that the facilities would not

Donegal County Council’s Whole System of Work was back on the Council’s agenda this week with the matter to now be referred to Value for Money Committee for examination. The controversial system was introduced at the tax payers expense at a cost of 4 million euro and was described as a framework with the aim

The RNLI has urged people to “respect the water” after the group’s 2015 report revealed that its lifeboats launched nearly 11 hundred rescue missions last year. The lifeboat organisation rescued over 12 hundred people last year. In Donegal, there were a total of 76 launches in 2015, with 61 people rescued. Aranmore Lifeboat was Donegal’s

A Donegal Deputy has raised further concern over the possible closure of three community hospitals in Donegal. Yesterday Minister Joe McHugh made the announcement that almost 30 million euro is to be spent on Community Hospitals in Donegal but the news has put the future of the facilities in Stranorlar, Ramelton and Lifford in the

Letterkenny University Hospital had the second highest number of hospital cancellations for elective surgical procedures across the entire Saolta Group over the past two years. Resoponding to a Dail question from Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty, Health Minister Leo Varadkar confirmed that a total of 351 scheduled procedures or non-urgent surgeries were cancelled by Letterkenny hospital

Donegal County Council is looking to go mobile, after committing to developing an app. It’s after a call from councillor Gary Doherty who says a council app for mobile devices would make it easier for the public to access information such as road closures and water outages. Councillor Doherty says it’s the way forward and

Almost 30 million euro is to be spent on Community Hospitals in Donegal. Money will be spent on the facilities in Carndonagh, Buncrana, Killybegs, Falcarragh and Dungloe. 17.4 million euro will be spent in Ballyshannon amalgamating its two hospitals onto one site. Money will also be spent on the hospitals in Stranorlar, Lifford and Ramelton.

A significant redevelopment of Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry has been given the green light. Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Planning Committee has unanimously endorsed full planning permission for the further redevelopment of Altnagelvin. The application, which was lodged last summer, provides for 144 single bedrooms to be developed in six new wards in a

The Government has allocated over €20 million for road improvement and maintenance works in County Donegal. The funding is part of a €298 million national investment programme for 2016 for regional and local roads and is in addition to the NRA allocation announced earlier this month. The spend in 2016 is up 3 million euro

A fire on a ship at Lisahally Port in Derry has been successfully extinguished. More than 50 firefighters dealt with the blaze which broke out in one of the cabins of the ship just before 7 o’clock this morning.

Three workers workers have been treated in hospital after an ammonia spil at a creamery in County Derry yesterday. It happened at Ballyrashane Creamery outside Coleraine, and led to local roads being closed for a time. Three engineers were taken to the accident and emergency department of the Causeway Hospital, one of them a creamery

There has been a widespread positive reaction to the news that a second breast surgeon is to be appointed to Letterkenny University Hospital. It was confirmed last evening by Minister Joe McHugh, who also said another general surgeon will be appointed to the hospital. Spokesperson for Co-operating for Cancer Care North West Noelle Duddy says it

The status of the independent group promised to examine the Mica issue in Dinegal is to be raised in the Dail today. The group was promised last year, but since then, there’s been no communication with the Mica Action Group, leading to questions about whether or not the group has actually been estabnlished. Hundreds of homes

The Council’s annual St Patrick’s Day trip to the United States has again been approved by the council. In a show of hands at this week’s meeting of the council the majority of those present voted in favour of the controversial trip. Sinn Fein however voted against, Councillor Marie Therese Gallagher says it is unnecessary

  It’s been confirmed a second surgeon is to be appointed to Letterkenny Univeristy Hospital for cancer services after almost year of campaigning. Another general surgeon is also to be appointed to the hospital and both posts are to be filled as soon as possible with a locum to be appointed in the interim. Minister

Councillor John O’Donnell has thanked councillors who backed a motion calling for him to be afforded due process. In wake of the RTE investigates programme, councillor Frank McBrearty proposed a motion calling on the under fire councillor to be removed from committees he serves on. But a counter motion was passed calling for due process

  A motion by councillor Frank McBrearty, calling on under fire councillor John O’Donnell to be removed from committees he serves on, has been blocked. His motion called on members to stand together to expel John O’Donnell from all committees he has been elected on to. He is the subject of an ethics registrar investigation

Irish Water says it will invest €2 million in improvements to the Letterkenny Regional Water Supply Scheme, a move which it says will remove Letterkenny, Churchill and Rathmullan Water Supply schemes from the Environmental Protection Agency Remedial Action List. As part of the process, Irish Water has now been granted planning permission for the construction

The Taoiseach Enda Kenny will meet with the British Prime Minister David Cameron in London later. The possibility of a British exit from the EU is expected to top the agenda. It comes after the UK Ambassador to Ireland Dominick Chilcott admitted that Ireland would be the country most affected by a UK exit from

Donegal County Council meets in Lifford this morning, the first full meeting of the authority since last month’s RTE Investigates TV programme, in which Cllr John O’Donnell was seen apparently agreeing to help a windfarm company obtain planning permission for a project in the county, in exchange for payment. It’s a claim he denies. There

Serious concern has been raised following the revelation that out of money spent on flood relief projects in Ireland, less than 1% was allocated to Donegal over the past 10 years. Figures obtained by Sinn Fein have revealed that between 2005 and 2015 Donegal received just over €2.4 million out of €319 million. The figures