A new guide has been launched for front line staff at Letterkenny General Hospital to help them better deal with people from backgrounds to different their own.

The “Health Services Intercultural Guide” was developed by the HSE in response to the needs of the diverse religious communities and cultures now present in Donegal.

The guide was part compiled by consulting with groups profiled in the document.

Mary Kelly is the Health Promotion Officer with Letterkenny General:

IMPACT has served notice on Public Sector employers    across Donegal that from Monday its members will be engaging in a campaign of severeand wide ranging industrial action activity.

As part of a nationwide programme of action against cuts in pay introduced by the government,  union members will refuse to work outside their contractual employment.

One of a number of other aspects of the protest will be the refusal by members to operate with work associated with vacant posts, unfilled promotions or re deployments.

This, for example, will impact severely on County Council services given recent redundancies within the local authority.

Richie Caruthers is IMPACT’s spokesperson in Donegal:

Teachers will also withdraw from extracurricular activities as unions step up their campaign against Government pay cuts.

John White from the ASTI denies its an attack on ordinary working parents who will have to deal with the fallout from the action

The EU has awarded almost 2 million euro in funding for a new cross border Diabetes service for young people.

From early this year young people with diabetes, their families and carers will be able to access specialist diabetes education programmes throughout the border counties.

In s second initiative women with diabetes who are planning on having a child will have access to pregnancy care clinics to offer the best possible outcome for mother and baby.

Dr Ann Shannon has been outlining the details:

The friend of a Donegal man accused of raping a teenage girl two years ago told a Central Criminal Court jury that he heard the complainant ask the man to be “f**k buddies” after the alleged attack.

The 23-year-old accused has pleaded not  guilty to rape of the then 15-year-old girl on a date in February 2008.

The witness told prosecuting counsel, Mr Conor Devally SC, that on the night of the alleged incident he got a text on his phone to ask if he was coming to meet a girl he had been seeing. He said he and the accused, who was driving his car, went to school grounds to meet the girl where she was drinking with two friends.

He said the three girls got into the back seat of the car and when he got out of the car to speak to someone, the complainant moved into the front passenger seat beside the accused and when he returned he got into rear.

He said they then drove to another town where they got alcohol and the girl he was seeing went to the toilet. He said she then got a call from her mother and they left her off near her home.

He told Mr Devally he saw the alleged victim lean over and kiss the accused man around this time.

He said the complainant asked him (witness) if the car had to go home with him and he said it did.

Witness said that he got out of the car with the complainant’s friend because he “knew they wanted to be alone.” He said the accused drove off and he waited with the girl until his friend and the complainant came back about 15 minutes later.

He said he did not notice anything on their return and said they both seemed “happy enough.”

He said on the way to drop the girls off in the centre of the town he heard the alleged victim ask the accused if they wanted to be “f**k buddies.”

The man agreed with defence counsel, Mr Peter Nolan BL (with Mr David Goldberg SC), that he and the accused drove to the school grounds on foot of receiving a text message from the girl he was seeing and when asked by Mr Nolan if anyone wished to see the accused that night he replied the complainant did.

He agreed that the mood in the car as they drove to get more alcohol was “happy” and “good.”

The man said after the mother of the girl he was seeing called to say she should go home, he got out of the car with her to get some “fresh air” and sober up. He said as they got back into the car the alleged victim leaned over and “French kissed” the accused for about 20 seconds.

He said the girl told the accused: “I thought you were not going to make the first move so I thought I would.”

He told Mr Nolan that after they dropped the girl he was seeing home and the alleged victim asked him did the car have to go home with him, he believed she wanted to leave him home and stay in the car.

He agreed he got out of the car with the other girl and said he had a “fair idea” why they wanted the car. He replied “to have sex” when asked by Mr Nolan what he believed the reason was.

He agreed with Mr Nolan that it was instigated by the complainant and was not the accused mans suggestion.

He said he heard the girl ask the accused if they wanted to be “f**k buddies” on the way back to the town and said this was when people who were not in a relationship met up for sex.

He said the accused “just laughed” when she said this and as she was getting out of the car the accused told her he would give her a text.

He said she was not in hurry to get out of the car and did not run for help but got out as a normal person would. He said he went home and did not think that there would be any complaint made by the girl.

The trial continues before Mr Justice George Birmingham and a jury of seven men and five

There are concerns that Scoil Chonaill Naofa in Bunbeg could miss out on funding for 2010 for an extension due to a technicality in the planning process.

The issue was raised this afternoon in the Seanad.

The 100 plus pupil school has been seeking an extension for 10 years with the current facilities described as cramped with safety concern’s over its electricity supply and its lack of fire alarms.

Raising the issue Senator Brian O’Domhnail outlined the school management’s concerns:
 

In a generic response the Minister for Education said that the school’s application was still being considered and a decision on whether or not it will be included in the 2010 spend programme will be announced soon.

The internet forum, boards-dot-ie has been hacked and tens of thousands of email addresses and passwords may have been compromised.

The website’s currently displaying a message with advice for members on what to do.

But it insists subscribers credit card or financial information was not hacked.

The Gardai and Data Protection Commissioner have been informed.

The North’s Policing Board says stop and search powers should not be seen as an alternative to traditional policing methods.

However, the powers under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act remain in place, despite a European Court of Human Rights judgement that the practice is illegal.

There’s been a marked increase in the extent to which the powers are being used, with almost 10,000 incidents of stop and search across the North last year, a 300% increase.

Paul O’Connor of the Pat Finucane Centre believes the measure does more harm than good.

Donegal 2-17 Tyrone 4-11
A point from St. Michael’s Colm mc Fadden three minutes into injury time earned a draw for Donegal in an exciting game in Ballybofey. At half time Tyrone lead 3-8 to 1-9 thanks to three Martin Penrose goals. Michael Murphy’s tally of 2-9 helped Donegal fight back to force a draw.  Both sides share top spot in Group B. Highland’s Tom Comack got the reaction from both managers after the game.
Donegal Manager John Joe Doherty
 
Tyrone Manager Mickey Harte
 

Fermanagh top Group A thanks to their second win in the Dr. Kenna Cup. Last night they beat UUJ 1-13 to 1-12. In Group C  Derry had their first win in the competition with a 4-16 to 1-7 victory over Queens. It’s Down however that top the Group.

A teenager who alleges she was raped by a Donegal man two years ago has denied that she was trying to portray herself as older then she was on Bebo and that pictures of her on the web site were “provocative.”

The 23-year-old accused has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to rape, anal rape and defilement of the then 15-year-old girl on a date in February 2008.

The now 17-year-old complainant denied during cross examination by Mr David Goldberg SC, defending, that pictures of her on her Bebo page which were printed out for the jury were “provocative” or “sexy”.

The government has confirmed that the awarding of a contract to construct the new Finn Valley College is imminent.

Responding to a query from Donegal Deputy Dinny McGinley in the Dail the Minister for Education has confirmed that tenders for the project were received last month and that a contract will be issued shortly.

The Finn Valley College plan is one of the longest running educational projects in Donegal with the site first purchased almost three decades ago

Deputy McGinley says the government must now ensure there are no further delays as the people of the area have waited long enough.