Author name: oisinkelly

An Independent Councillor says anyone wishing to vote Independent in the next General Election should first examine what the candidates stand for before casting their vote. John Campbell, the Chairperson of Donegal County Council, was speaking after a number of Independent Senators sided with the government this week when voting on the Water Services Bill. […]

The Chairperson of Donegal County Council has been granted leave to appeal a direction from the Minister for the Environment overturning a decision by the Council to impose new conditions on windfarms In June the council agreed to a set back distance ten times the tip height of turbines from residential properties and other population

18.6 million euro has been allocated for national road improvement and maintenance works in Donegal next year. Welcoming the allocation, Deputy Dinny Mc GInley said Donegal’s national road network is a key asset as the economy moves towards recovery and growth. He says this allocation will ensure that the standard of our national road network

Can’t Pay, Won’t Pay say they want a Christmas atmosphere at their demonstration in Dungloe tomorrow, the last before the end of the year. Local Independent Councillor Michael Colm Mac Giolla Easbuig is one of the organisers of the march, which leaves Ostan na Rossan at 1 o’clock. He says the fact that the Water

The debate on the Water Services Bill will continue at the Seanad today. Last night the Bill passed the second stage in the Upper House. The Dáil could be recalled next week to deal with amendments to the text, which might be forced though by opposition senators. But Parliamentary Correspondent with the Irish Times Michael

A 51-year old man who sexually assaulted a teenage girl at Dublin Airport after wrestling her to the ground in public has been ordered to undergo a full psychiatric assessment. The Lithuanian national with an address in Letterkenny told gardaí he was having flashbacks to when he worked in the Russian Special Forces in Siberia

Donegal North East Deputy Charlie Mc Conalogue has hit out at Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan following the announcement last evening of the School Building Programme for 2015. One Donegal project, the new Educate Together National School in Letterkenny will start next year, while extension works will continue at schools in Ballyshannon and Raphoe. However, Deputy

A Donegal Councillor says recent incidents of illegal dumping around Trusk Lough are appalling, and he is calling on those responsible to immediately stop what he termed this criminal activity. Cllr Liam Doherty was speaking after several tonnes of tyres and household rubbish was discovered scattered around a walk way leading to the lake near

A 26-year-old Inishowen man who  pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the deaths of eight men has been sentenced to four years in prison with the last two years suspended. Shaun Kelly of Hill Road, Ballymagan, Buncrana pleaded guilty last July to the charge which relates to a crash on 11 July 2010 between Clonmany

The Educate Together National School in Letterkenny is the only Donegal project included in a 450 million euro school building programme for next year announced today by Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan. It’s part of a 2-point-2 billion euro investment plan announced in 2012 – which was aimed at boosting the number of school places by

Donegal County Childcare Committee has said it has been overwhelmed by the public’s response to in Presents for Percy Appeal having now exceeded its targets. The committee decided to go public with the appeal a number of weeks ago fearing their target would not be met. The appeal will help over 530 families this Christmas

Planning permission has been granted for an Anaerobic Digester in Carrigans. The digester, for the production of renewable energy and fertiliser is to be located at Coxtown. The council had refused permission for the digester having received a number of objections but that decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanala: One resident pointed out the

A bookmakers shop in Derry, which was robbed on boxing day last year, has been robbed again. The Ladbrokes shop at the cross lanes between Elmwood Street and Beechwood Street in the Bogside was robbed yesterday evening. A masked man entered the premises at around 530pm, he got away with a small sum of money.

Donegal Deputy Thomas Pringle says he will not be paying water charges despite the installation of a meter outside his home this week. The water meter was installed at the Independent TD’s home yesterday. Many people have been protesting in housing estates across the county trying to stop Irish Water workers from installing meters. Deputy

The Global biotechnology firm Randox says recruitment for the expansion of its facility in Dungloe is now underway. In October the company confirmed a major investment of €25m in the Dungloe site, with almost 500 new jobs to be filled by 2020. Now, the company says the first wave of recruitment is underway, with the

A well known Irish dancing teacher, ordered to pay 400 thousand euro to a student he sexually abused, fraudulently transferred property to his wife, the High Court has found. Michael Quigley gave Alice Quigley the family home at Barnhill Park in Letterkenny and another property in Co Donegal to avoid paying damages to his victim

Irish householders could face much higher water charges under the rules of an EU water directive. That’s according to the Independent MEP Marian Harkin. She says that when Ireland was negotiating the EU water framework directive it negotiated certain facilities that would enable EU member states not to charge households for water it they didn’t

Ireland has successfully resisted cuts in key whitefish quotas, following a deal brokered at the EU Agrifish council in Brussels. Significantly, the Irish quota for prawns – the fleet’s second most important fishery – has been increased by a marginal 3 per cent. For the North West region, there will be a 20% increase in

Derry City councillors have voted to remove the word Derry from a new plaque marking the reopening of the Guildhall. It had been proposed that it would read that the Guildhall was re-opened in 2013 by “the Mayor of Derry, Councillor Kevin Campbell”. However the DUP suggested it should read mayor of the city in

Police investigating violent dissident republican criminality have arrested a man in county Tyrone. The 27 year-old was detained in the Strabane area. A car has also seized for forensic examination. He has been taken to the serious crime branch at Antrim police station for questioning.

Letterkenny Chamber is urging members to be wary of potential credit card fraud when doing business over the internet. Chief Executive Toni Forrister says one local business contacted the office to say they have been targetted recently with orders shipped to a Nottingham UK Address paid for with what they now know was a fraudulent

Next year is set to be the best ever for Irish tourism, beating this year’s 7.3 million visitors. 2014 saw growth of almost nine percent and 2015 is set to see a further rise. It’s estimated that tourism next year will be worth around 4 billion euro to our economy. CEO of Tourism Ireland Niall Gibbons

Debate on the government’s new laws on water charges will be cut short tomorrow night – to guarantee it’s passed before Christmas. A so-called “guillotine” motion will be tabled tomorrow night to make sure the Water Services Bill is passed. It means TDs might not have time to vote on all the amendments tabled by

Senior management at UIster Bank say they will not reverse the decision to close the branch at Gortin, betwen Omagh and Strabane. The branch is one of a number on both sides of the border which is slated for closure as part of the bank’s latest cost cutting plan. Earlier today, a Sinn Feín and

A Strabane SDLP Cllr has failed to back the parties candidate for the Westminster election in West Tyrone. Daniel Mc Crossan from Strabane was chosen on Sunday night to challenge Sinn Fein’s Pat Doherty. In recent months there were suggestions that there is tension in the SDLP camp in Strabane, which could compromise the party’s

The Public Expenditure Minister says the public will face higher water charge bills if the Seanad rejects the Governments revised bill. There are concerns within the coalition that Independent and opposition Senators could scupper the new package of lower charges for households – and lead to the old billing structure applying from January 1st. Donegal

Gardai and the PSNI will this Tuesday afternoon operate a joint traffic check in Bridgend as part of the annual campaign to reduce drunken-driving on both sides of the border. The PSNI’s Inspector Steve Haslett and Garda Inspector Michael Harrison will attend the check point on the Derry/Donegal border to re-enforce the joint don’t drink