Author name: oisinkelly

The Environment Minister says the abuse suffered by water meter installers is unacceptable. Alan Kelly says he’s heard of one individual who was bitten by a water charges protester. The Minister is adamant that the water metering programme is proceeding as planned. And he says workers have been treated appallingly by some protesters:

An 89-year old cancer patient from Co Donegal is being forced to find her own way to travel 250km to receive treatment. The elderly woman, contacted a local charity which operates a volunteer bus service transporting cancer patients the four-hour journey to Galway or Dublin. The woman, who does not want to be named, has

Junior Health Minister Kathleen Lynch has confirmed a Children’s Outreach Nurse will be appointed in Donegal this year. The deployment of such a nurse was one of the key requests made by the “Our Childrens Voice” group which met with Minister Leo Varadkar last week to discuss palliative care for children in the county. Now,

It’s emerged that the state has applied to adjourn the Inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death of Denis Donaldson for the 15th time. Solicitors Madden and Finucane say the family was informed that Gardaí would be applying to further adjourn the Inquest “due to their continuing investigations into the death of Mr Donaldson.” Dennis

It’s emerged that 55 daycare cases and 7 inpatient cases were cancelled in Letterkenny General Hospital last month as a result of the hospital overcrowding crisis. The crisis has continued into this month, with 27 patients awaiting admission today, 20 on trollies in the Emergency Department and seven on wards. That’s down from 33 yesterday.

A young mother who lives in a housing estate where a bomb was found in Derry says her 4-year-old son could have been killed by the device. Officers discovered the mortar type device in near Conway Park in the Currynierin estate yesterday evening, after they received phone calls claiming an explosive device had been left

A delegation of Inishowen Cllrs are to meet with the Minister for Transport to discuss Cockhill Bridge. A location and dates are currently being finalised for the meeting, where councillors will discuss funding for a new bridge over the Crana River at Cockhill with Minister Donohoe. At yesterday’s monthly meeting of Inishowen Municipal District Cllr

Part of the social welfare offices in Letterkenny remains closed this morning as specialist tests are carried out over fears of asbestos. Up to 30 staff have been transferred from the building to work from the Department of Social Protection Offices at Oliver Plunkett Road. Arrangements are in place to ensure there will be no

A Donegal priest has said measures announced by the Government aimed at sustaining small schools, particularly in isolated areas, do not go far enough. From September, a school will require just 53 pupils to retain a third teacher, previously a roll of 56 students was required. In addition, schools trying to retain a fourth teacher,

A report published more than a year ago on boosting island and coastal communities has been “gathering dust”, the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine has heard. A group of island representatives told the committee it was disappointing that the Promoting Sustainable Rural, Coastal and Island Communities report had made little progress

An elderly man has been taken to hospital after being knocked down by a car in Stranorlar this morning. The pedestrian is understood to have been walking near Stranorlar Chapel when the incident took place at around 7:20am. Ambulance staff were quickly on the scene, and the man was taken to Letterkenny General Hospital for

The Clanree hotel in Letterkenny has been upgraded to Four Star status. The hotel was taken over by the McGettigan Group in June 2013, and it has invested heavily to transform the premises. The Clanree currently employs 120 strong workforce. Meanwhile, the McGettigan Group has finalised the deal to take over Gallagher’s Hotel in Letterkenny

Police have confirmed a “substantial bomb” has been found in Derry. A security alert has been ongoing in Derry this evening, 24 hours after it began. Police began searching the Currynierin estate yesterday, after they received phone calls claiming an explosive device had been left in a laneway. Marguaritte Doherty lives in the area, she

The Department of Social Protection offices at High Road, Letterkenny have been closed again today, for the second time in a fortnight, over fears of asbestos in the building. Staff have been removed from the building and sent home by management following growing concerns the offices are contaminated with asbestos materials. The building was also

Bomb disposal officers are examining a suspicious object in Derry found at a housing estate in the Waterside. Police began searching the Currynierin estate yesterday, after they received phone calls claiming an explosive device had been left in a laneway. Several homes have been evacuated and some roads remain closed. Marguaritte Doherty lives in the

Prosecutors say the trial of a man accused over the Omagh bombing will go ahead. It follows a review of the evidence against Seamus Daly, who denies any involvement. 29 people died in the Real IRA attack in 1998. No-one’s ever been convicted over it.

  Pic tweeted by Deputy Thomas Pringle Over a hundred early childhood care and education workers from Donegal have joined a national rally which is taking place outside the Dail this afternoon calling for greater investment in the area. The Association of Childhood Professionals says Ireland’s spending in the area is less than the OECD

A Glenties area councillor has renewed his campaign to have the Motorised Transport Grant restored or replaced. Cllr John Shemais Ó Fearraigh says it’s two years since the grant, which was paid to people with disabilities in order to help them travel to work, was formally stopped by the HSE. He says MInister Kathleen Lynch

Solicitors acting for the family of a leading Strabane dissident republican who was found dead in Strand Road PSNI station have welcomed an adjournment in the inquest into the case and called for it to be held in the North West. 40 year old John Brady, was found dead at Strand Road PSNI Station in

A security operation is continuing this morning at Curryneirin in Derry. Police and army experts are due to carry out a further examination of a suspicious object in daylight. The object was found during searches yesterday following telephone claims a device had been left. The officer in charge of the overnight operation, Chief Inspector Andy

The Social Police Director of the money advice service MABS says in cases where people in mortgage arrears are facing potential legal proceedings, there is no waiting list. Michael Cullity was speaking as over 280 cases from banks and building societies seeking repossession orders were back before the court in Letterkenny this week. The majority

A bomb alert that has caused a number of homes in a Derry housing estate to be evacuated is likely to continue overnight. Police said they received a number of phone calls to say a bomb had been left in a laneway at the entrance to the Currynierin estate. Ch Insp Tony Callaghan said they

A man charged in connection with a cannabis find worth up to £400,000 was being used by ‘much more sinister people’ a solicitor told Derry Magistrate’s Court today. 25 year old Thomas Brolly of 26 Coolessan Walk in Limavady is charged with possessing cannabis with intent to supply, possessing the drugs, cultivating cannabis and being

People in the Curryneirin area of Derry are being advised to stay in their homes while Police investigate claims that a device has been left in the area. In their most recent statenment this evening, the PSNI say – “Police in Derry are advising residents of the Currynierin Estate to be aware of claims that

One of the country’s most prominent homelessness campaigners says he believes the 300 house repossession cases before the court in Donegal today represent the tip of a national iceberg.. The 284 cases are listed to be heard at the Registrar’s Court at Letterkenny Courthouse. The cases, taken by a number of banks and building societies, were

A local campaign group, which has been set up in Dungloe, are to meet with the management from Letterkenny General Hospital. The antenatal clinic at Dungloe Community Hospital has been temporarily closed since Christmas. At the time the HSE said a staff shortage caused by sick leave was to blame for the closure. Local Cllr

Gardai have arrested two juveniles as part of an investigation into an alleged assault on a young girl in Letterkenny on Friday night. The two youths are being questioned at Letterkenny Garda Station. The incident is believed to have taken place at around 10pm at the carpark at the back of Mr Chippie and O’Boyces

A Donegal County Cllr has said that hundreds of householders on group schemes in the county have no idea if they will or will not be paying water charges. There are some 365 privately sourced group water schemes across the State, with the majority of those in Co Donegal. Cllr Martin McDermott says he has