Author name: oisinkelly

Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty has said the hospital overcrowding crisis is a national scandal, with latest figures showing a total of 2,814 patients spent time on trolleys, chairs and additional beds at Letterkenny University Hospital during 2015 The health minister says his Department is to hold new talks with the INMO and HSE to try […]

Farmers who’ve lost fodder due to the severe flooding are being urged to apply quickly to the Government’s assistance fund. Two million euro has been set aside to help farmers replace lost feed for their animals in the coming days and weeks. Floodwaters have encroached on farmlands and sheds – destroying food that had been

  There is an ongoing security alert in the Southway area of Derry A number of cordons are in place and traffic movement will be affected. The alert began after police received a report earlier this afternoon of a suspicious object. A number of residents have been moved from homes overlooking Southway. A respite centre

  Failte Ireland have approved 1.8 million euro for Irish festivals in 2016. The St Patrick’s Festival gets the majority of the money, recieving one million euro. In Donegal, a total of 125,000 euro has been allocated to various festivals across the county. Sea Sessions in Bundoran and the Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival in Ballyshannon

Tributes have been paid today to Paddy Doherty, one of the founders of the Civil Rights Movement, affectionately known as “Paddy Bogside” in his native Derry. Mr Doherty was one of the key figures in the Civil Rights Movement, and was also centrally involved in the establishment of the Credit Union in Derry. Announcing the

Police in Derry are appealing for information after a woman was assaulted while out walking along the Skeoge Road at around 10pm on Sunday night last. The PSNI says the woman was attacked close to the entrance to Glenabbey by two men, one of whom demanded her phone. As she handed it over, they attacked

The National Association of General Practitioners says more investment is needed in GP services in rural areas. The association has set up the No Doctor No Village campaign – to highlight the lack of health services in small towns and villages right around the country. The latest in a series of meetings is to discuss

A number of Stormont ministers are meeting in County Tyrone today to discuss flooding in Northern Ireland. The agriculture, regional development and environment ministers will attend the meeting, along with council chief executives and senior representatives of NI Water, Transport NI and the Rivers Agency. However, Environment Minister Mark H Durkan says while todays meeting

A Donegal County Councillor is insisting that Donegal should not be forgotten about in flood protection plans which are being considered by Government. A taskforce responsible is to be established with the main focus set to be on areas worst affected in and around the River Shannon. Councillor Gary Doherty says a similar agency must

Independent Councillor Dessie Shiels has confirmed he will be seeking election to Dail Eireann in the forthcoming 2016 General Election. The Letterkenny based Councillor made the announcement last evening on the basis that he believes he will be able to deliver for all of Donegal. Cllr Shiels says people outside of Letterkenny town need a

It’s emerged that Letterkenny University Hospital is referring hundreds of patients to Dublin for out patient appointments, sometimes at very short notice. It’s part of a new outsourcing initiative to cut waiting lists. According to the Irish Times, the outsourcing of waiting lists from Letterkenny University Hospital to Dublin has angered local GPs, who say

  Police are appealing for information about an armed robbery at a bookmaker’s shop in Derry. Detective Sargent Brian Reid said that at around 7.30pm yesterday, a man wearing a balaclava and armed with a large knife entered the premises at Blucher Street. He demanded money and made off with an amount in cash from

    The BT Young Scientists Exhibition is opening this afternoon at the RDS in Dublin, involving more than 1 thousand students. More than 60 thousand people are expected to visit the exhibition – the largest of its kind in Europe – over the next four days. 5 hundred and 50 projects are competing for

The Minister for Health says he’s confident next week’s planned industrial action by nurses at seven Emergency Departments can be averted. Letterkenny University Hospital is not included in the initial action tomorrow week, but will feature in future actions if the issue isn’t resolved. The action was to have taken place last month, but was

Donegal had the second highest number of workplace deaths in the country last year, with six fatalities, second only to Cork, which had 10. Of the six people who died in workplace incidents in Donegal last year, three of the deaths were in the fisheries sector, with one each in agriculture, forestery and the motor

The Irish Farmers Association has revealed that elections for its new president will take place at the end of April. The IFA’s Executive Council is to assume the collective leadership of the IFA until the election of the new President. The deadline for nominations for President is 5.30pm today. The confirmation follows a meeting of

The first major anti water charges protest of 2016 is set to take place in Letterkenny on Saturday January 23rd, around about the time when the general election is likely to be called. Right2Water Chairperson Charlie Mc Dyer explains says this issue is not just about the current Government, it is a call for any

Concern has been raised over figures released by NAMA, which reveal that out of 118 properties offered by them to Donegal County Council last year, only 5 were delivered. Nationally, NAMA says it delivered two thousand houses and apartments across the country for social housing, meeting its end of year target. Of 118 properties offered

Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty has hit out over Government inaction to reinstate ante-natal and gynecology clinics at Dungloe Community Hospital. The services have not been in operation since November 2014 due inadequate staffing. Deputy Doherty’s has received correspondence from Letterkenny University Hospital management saying the reasons for the services still being suspended is the failure

The Northwest Region saw the lowest rate of job creation by Enterprise Ireland companies in 2015. The Government agency responsible for developing Irish business globally, has reported the creation of just over 21 thousand new jobs by client companies in 2015. This translates into a net increase of 10 thousand new jobs for for 2015,

Malin Head recorded its wettest day in December for any month for 60 years. According to Met Eireann 80.7 mm of rain fell at its station in Donegal on the 5th of December, the highest single day figure since 1955. Malin Head reported its wettest December since 1885 with 273.0 mm well above the long

  A Derry and Strabane councillor says the social housing crisis in Derry City means it’s crucial that the potential of the H2 site close to the Donegal border is realised. Tony Hassan, the Sinn Fein Housing Spokesman says over 13 years ago, the site was earmarked for one of the most ambitious urban developments

A Donegal Councillor has questioned why Pat the Cope Gallagher has omitted Fianna Fail branding from at least some of his election leaflets. Cllr Michael Colm Mac Giolla Easbuig, who is backing Independent Thomas Pringle in the General Election, has suggested Pat The Cope may be distancing himself from Fianna Fail given their ‘poor’ record

It’s expected that a meeting of the IFA’s executive council later today, will lead to full elections for the organisation’s board in the coming months. A protest by IFA members is expected ahead of the meeting. Yesterday, senior members of the association’s board indicated that they would step down and allow for full elections to