Author name: oisinkelly

A protest is to be held outside Donegal County Council’s office in Lifford on Monday when councillors are to meet with representatives of Irish Water. The public are invited to join the protest picket outside the Council offices at 10am on Monday. Cant Pay Wont Pay are also inviting other councillors to join the protest

The Derry/Strabane Super Council have requested the release of freedom of information regarding the relocation of the Department of Agriculture Headquaters. In July last year the Northern Ireland Executive gave its approval for the Department of Agriculture headquarters to move to Ballykelly. The confirmation of the relocation if the 700 jobs came despite the fact

A new survey has found that 55% of Donegal businesses intend on employing more staff in 2015. The report from accountant online dot.ie also found that 80% of businesses in the county saw an increase in trade last Christmas with almost 30% seeing an increase of over 20% on 2013. The strenght of the sterling was seen as

House prices in Co Donegal have risen for the first time since the property crash. The report on 64 local property markets across the country and published in today’s Irish Independent shows growth in the market in nearly every part of the country. House prices rose by 3% in Co Donegal. Residential Property Editor at

The family of Shaun Duffy, murdered in west Donegal 10 years ago, are calling on the investigation to be handed over to cold case gardai in Dublin. In January 2005,36-year-old Mr Duffy was found dead at his home at Meenacross near Dungloe. An inquest was told he died during a vviolent struggle where he suffered

Hospitals have a lot of ‘catch up’ to do because of the number of in patient appointments that have been cancelled this month to help alleviate overcrowding in Emergency Departments. The Health Minister has promised to reduce waiting times to 15 months by the end of the year. However he admits that large numbers of

A cabinet minister is playing down fears that Irish Water could fail a vital EU test. A draft report from the European Commission says the new regime of water charges means Irish Water’s borrowing could be included in the national debt. If that’s the case, the government may be forced into an embarrassing mini-budget later

The Western Development Commission has published figures today showing that in 2013, under 15% of all employees in Donegal were in jobs assisted by IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland or Udaras na Gaeltachta. Nationally there were ten counties with lower shares. The report on Assisted Employment shows some growth between 2010 and 2013, but the number

The Department of the Environment says appointments to the Western Development Commission will, in future, be handled by the Public Appointments Service. It follows criticism in the Dail this week from Donegal North East Deputy Padraig Mac Lochlainn, who said that several members of the current board were members of Fine Gael and Labour, some

The Stormont Environment Minister Mark H. Durkan says he is confident that the Western Trust will not proceed with the proposed withdrawal of respite services at the Cottages in Derry. He says he and other Foyle MLAs have had a series of meetings with Health Minister Jim Wells, as well as discussions last week with

Families of those who were murdered on Bloody Sunday are to meet with the investigating police today. The murder investigation into the incident, which occurred at Derry’s Bogside on 30 January 1972, is to reopen this month. The PSNI confirmed earlier this month that a team of 12 detectives would be assigned to the senior

A family in Ardara have been left without a home this evening after their house was gutted in a fire. A fire broke out in the kitchen area of the family home in the Glengesh area just outside Ardara. Two fire units from Glenties and Killybegs were quickly on the scene, while an ambulance was

Can’t Pay Won’t Pay are hosting a meeting tonight at which claims of heavy handedness by Irish Water contractors will be discussed. A Letterkenny woman claimed yesterday that she was abused as she protested the installation of meters on her estate but Highland Radio News understands that a formal complaint was not made to gardai.

Fire crews are currently at the scene of a house in Ardara. Two units of the fire brigade are at the scene of the fire on the Glegesh road. There are no reports of injuries and Gardai have closed the road between Common Bridge and Meenanary. Gardai say the road will be closed for at

Hundreds of teachers are on strike across Co Donegal today over a dispute over Junior Cycle reform. It’s the second day of strike action in six weeks over plans to make teachers assess 40 per cent of the work of their own students. Talks between the ASTI, TUI and the Education Minister failed to end

Seven organisations and venues in Donegal are to share over 500,000 euro in arts council finding this year. The highest allocation of 170 euro goes to the Earagail Arts Festival, which receives 170,000 euro and the Regional Cultural Centre in Letterkenny, which receives 120,000. Other recipients include An Grianan Theatre in Letterkenny, the Balor Theatre

A senior Fianna Fail representative in Donegal says he would oppose his party entering any coalition with Fine Gael after the next General Election. Fine Gael’s Simon Coveney has been accused by Labour of being “disloyal” after suggesting that the party could go into government with Fianna Fáil after the next election. But Councillor Patrick

The Mayor of Derry says more still has to be done to curb unemployment in the city, despite the announcement of 65 jobs yesterday. It was announced yesterday that seven businesses in Derry are creating a total of 65 new jobs, as part of a £2.8m investment. The seven companies are Hunter Apparel, All Pipe

Harvey’s Point in Donegal has been named Ireland’s number one hotel in this year’s TripAdvisor awards. The hotel in the Bluestack Mountains on the edge of Lough Eske, was also named sixth best top hotel in Europe and 18th in the world. It is the third year in a row that Harvey’s Point has won

A number of women who took part in a protest in Dungloe against the temporary closure of the antenatal clinic there want to meet with HSE management. The executive confirmed the temporary closure because of staff shortages caused by sickness a fortnight ago but a date for the reopening of the clinic has not been

A total of 27 patients are on trolleys or waiting in wards at Letterkenny General Hospital according to the latest figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives organisation today. The INMO figures show that 20 patients are on trolleys, while a further 7 are on wards. Letterkenny General has the 4th highest figures in the

The Taoiseach has described as “an historic day in our country” the Cabinet’s approval of the wording for the referendum on same sex marriage. The Justice Minister has published the wording which states “Marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex”. While ministers signed off on

The father of a young man killed in the Omagh bomb has won the legal right to challenge the Government’s refusal to hold a public inquiry into the atrocity. Michael Gallagher’s son Aiden was among 29 people, including a woman pregnant with twins, killed in the August 1998 outrage. Mr Gallagher was in court today

A Foyle MLA says he believes there is more of an appetite for shared health services, which could see White Oaks in Donegal used as a cross border addiction treatment centre. Pat Ramsey was speaking as new figures from Stormont show a rise in the number of people receiving drug and alcohol treatment to over

Motorists are advised to drive with care this morning following reports of ice in a number of areas and reports of a number of minor collisions. Met Eireann issued a ‘status yellow’ snow and ice alert overnight, and AA roadwatch is warning of icy conditions in Donegal, as well as in Longford, Westmeath, Offaly, Galway