Author name: oisinkelly

A Donegal TD has told the Dail that fishing in Burtonport has already been decimated, and there’s a real risk other ports will suffer the same fate. Speaking during the resumed second stage debate on the Sea Fisheries Bill, Deputy Pringle said the only way of guaranteeing a sustainable fishing industry in Ireland is a […]

The Taoiseach says talks on the mica compensation scheme will be finished by the end of the month. Homeowners are meeting department officials today, with further talks with Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien in the coming days. Campaigners in Donegal and in other areas affected by mica want a 100 per cent redress scheme for those

The General Secretary of the INTO says he’s flabbergasted at the decision to stop contact tracing in primary schools from Monday. It also applies to childcare facilities. It means testing of asymptomatic close contacts will not take place and children aged 12 and under will not have to restrict their movements, unless advised by Public

  The number of Covid-19 cases linked to schools more than doubled in the last week. HPSC data shows 90 outbreaks in the week to last Saturday resulting in 412 new infections. That’s up from 40 outbreaks and 191 linked cases the previous week. There was one new outbreak in a university last week leading

The Dail has heard that the human toll of the Mica ordeal has been heartbreaking and has driven people to emotional breakdown and financial ruin. Donegal Deputy Padraig MacLocahlainn rowed in behind criticism of the Tanaiste’s comments that taxpayers will be the ones effectively paying for a 100% redress scheme. Responding, Public Expenditure Minister McGrath

A Donegal TD has called on the Government to give more authority on planning and oversight of construction of homes to local councils, to avoid a crisis like mica happening again. Deputy Thomas Pringle says that 100% redress alone is not enough for Mica homeowners – he says that local authorities such as councils should

The Tanaiste has clarified that he is not ruling out a 100% Mica redress scheme. When questioned if 100% redress would be sanctioned for Mica affected homeowners yesterday, Leo Varadkar said the Government cannot lose sight of the fact that it is ultimately taxpayers who will foot the bill. The PRO Mica Action Group has

The Tanaiste has agreed to an urgent meeting with Fine Gael TDs in counties affected by defective block issues following comments from him yesterday around the Mica redress scheme. When questioned if 100% redress would be sanctioned for homeowners, Leo Varadkar said the Government cannot lose sight of the fact that it is ultimately taxpayers

A Donegal TD has told the Dail the government learned nothing from the debacle over penalty points for fishermen. Deputy Padraig MacLochlainn, Sinn Fein’s Spokesperson on the Marine was speaking during a Second Stage debate Sea Fisheries Bill 2021. The previous Dail accepted a motion from then Donegal Deputy Pat The Cope Gallagher and annulled

The Dail has been told that the government is committed to investment in the West and North West, and will positively discriminate in favour of the region when making funding decisions. Tanaiste and Enterprise Minister Leo Varadkar gave the commitment in answer to questions from Galway TD Sean Canney. Deputy Canney said recent EU descriptions

A Cross Border campaign has been launched for the development of lighting and a footpath from Nixon’s Corner to Killea Village. The campaign is being led by Derry based Sinn Féin Councillor Patricia Logue and Cllr Terry Crossan, her party colleague in Donegal. Cllr Logue says this is one of the busiest cross border arterial

The US president says he doesn’t want to see a ‘closed border again’ on the island of Ireland, due to the post-Brexit row. Joe Biden made the comments during a meeting with British prime minister, Boris Johnson, in the White House yesterday. He says he doesn’t want Brexit to damage the peace-process here. Mr Biden

The Taoiseach says next month’s budget will be used to protect low-income groups from increasing energy prices. Micheál Martin says he’s concerned about the rising costs of heat and electricity. He says it’s a global problem and the government will protect the most vulnerable:

40% of people tested for Covid-19 last week were under the age of 18. The HSE carried out nearly 177,000 tests, and about 70,000 were on children. 1,423 new cases of the virus were confirmed here yesterday, while the five-day moving average is 1,330. National lead for testing and tracing, Niamh O’Beirne, says last week

The Tanaiste says the government is looking for an equitable scheme to address issues of mica, but says they cannot lose sight of the fact that ultimately it is taxpayers who will foot the bill. Leo Varadkar’s comments come after Donegal County Council’s Mica Redress Committee endorsed the position paper presented by the Donegal representatives

A Donegal woman in Afghanistan says people are adjusting to a new reality there. The Taliban took control of the country last month and are now implementing their own regime. Under that, girls have been banned from secondary schools with high schools ordered to open only for boys. Mary Ellen McGroarty from Mountcharles is a

€250,000 in funding has been announced for the WiSAR research lab at Letterkenny Institute of Technology. The announcement made by Tánaiste Leo Varadkar will see a significant investment for the LYIT Department of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering research facility. The funding will enable the lab acquire a state of the art, 90GHz Anechoic Chamber; a

An average of one domestic abuse incident has been reported to the gardai every 15 minutes this year. The force had dealt with 24,686 cases by September 9th. 596 incidents have been reported to Gardai in Donegal. Noeline Blackwell, from Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, says the level of abuse is very concerning:

Gardai have reissued an appeal for information in relation to a fatal crash at Quigley’s Point, Muff last week. A man in his 80s, the sole occupant of his vehicle died following the two car collision at around 5:30pm on Thursday evening last at Greenbank. The driver and passenger of the other vehicle, two men

A former presidential election candidate believes an incentive needs to be given to landlords to renovate and rent vacant properties in a bid to tackle the housing crisis in Ireland. Multi-national businessman, Peter Casey says at present there is no motivation for owners of vacant buildings to bring their property back onto the market and

A man has been injured in an attack in Buncrana. On Wednesday morning last, a man was sitting in his car on the Causeway Road at the Cockhill Road junction when he was approached by a man on foot who proceeded to punch him in the face. The attacker is believed to have fled the

Investigations are continuing into the burning of a stolen van in Letterkenny last night. Shortly after 10:30pm last night, Gardai were alerted to a white Citroen Berlingo van on fire at An Gleann Rua. The vehicle was destroyed by the blaze and it subsequently emerged that it van had been stolen from a commercial business

Concerns have been raised over a high level of women failing to turn up for Breast Check appointments in Donegal Town. Breast Check say they have received an unprecedented number of cancellations for screening at the Donegal Town mobile unit due to many women saying they would prefer to avail of the service in Letterkenny.