Author name: oisinkelly

As the Defective Blocks Working Group meets again today, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar has told the Dail that 100% Redress is very much on the table, but no decisions have been made. He was questioned on the issue today by Deputy Thomas Pringle, who said a ‘senior government source’ is now briefing the media that 100% […]

  Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty and Tánaiste Leo Varadkar have once again clashed in the Dáil today, this time over the issue of student accomodation and the general housing crisis. During Leaders’ Questions this afternoon, after Deputy Doherty brought up the issue of a lack of student accommodation across the country as well as the

Donegal Doctor Ciaran O’Fearraigh has welcomed the ceasing of asymptomatic contact tracing for school children aged below 13 in primary school and childcare settings. Contact tracing rules for asymptomatic children are set to change from this Monday, where if a child is not showing symptoms despite being a close contact, they will not have to

The General Secretary of the INTO has criticised the HSE and NPHET’s decision to stop contact tracing of asymptomatic children who are close contacts in primary school education or childcare environments. From next Monday children under the age of 13 in those settings will no longer have to self-isolate if they are a close contact

The Defective Blocks Working Group will meet for one of the final times later today, as Government seeks clarity on family representatives’ proposals for 100% Mica redress. Earlier today An Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that part of the final talks will be aiming to find a system that helps repair affected houses more quickly, with

A Donegal councillor says women who were deprived of hundreds of thousands of euro in wages because they were forced to leave their jobs are now being deprived of proper pensions, and that is a grave injustice. Cllr Ian McGarvey says he is aware of women who were in professional jobs, but married at 22

Donegal County Council has agreed to carry out an assessment of a busy route in Downings with a view towards establishing a footpath between the Main Street and the pier. Councillor John O’Donnell has called on the local authority to create a safe corridor between both areas due to the surge in tourists flocking to

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