A Derry councillor says thete is a massive rise in the amount of people taking the legal high mephadrone.
SDLP Health spokesperson, Mark H Durkan, is calling on the government to immediately ban such substances.
He says urgent action is needed following the deaths of two teenagers in England after they took the drug.
Donegal’s Chief Fire Officer has called on the public to be cautious after a number of gorse fires were sparked in the west of the county over recent days.
The fire service tackled three gorse fires in the Crolly, Hornhead, Falcarragh and Dunfanaghy areas over recent days stretching the services resources.
While it hasnt been determined if the fires were started accidentally or deliberately Bobby McMenamin says given the current ground conditions a discarded cigarette would be enough to spark a gorse fire.
A post-mortem is due to be carried out later today on the body of a young man recovered from the River Erne in Belleek, Co.Fermanagh overnight.
A search was launched at eight o’clock last night after a man was spotted going into the water.
At 7 o clock last evening the emergency services from north and south of the border, were alerted, and an extensive search was instigated, with help from the air sea rescue helicopter based in Sligo.
Roads in the area were closed off both sides of the border to co-operate with the search.
After an extensive search, lasting 5 hours, a body was recovered from the River Erne at 1:15am this morning by the Northern Ireland fire And Rescue Service.
The man has been named as Gordon Brock, who’s believed to be in 20s..
The SDLP policing spokesperson Alex Attwood says this week’s report by the Westminster Northern Ireland Select Affairs Committee has implications for the devolution of policing and justice powers to the assembly next month.
The committee has criticised the British Prime Minister for refusing to disclose the outcome of a report into claims that intelligence was not shared ahead of the Omagh bombing.
Mr Atwood says this all of this very much revolves around M15 and the way it does its business.
He says there is no accountability or analysis where M15 is concerned, and this has serious implications, not least should a serious security issue occur in the future
A Councillor is calling on the government recruitment ban to be lifted for the FAS agency as it is claimed that in some cases those losing their jobs are faced with a wait of up to a month before seeing a FAS official.
Stranorlar Councillor Martin Harley says the situation seems to be particularly bad in his area.
He says currently staff that leave FAS are not being replaced and as a result people seeking the agencies services are experiencing unacceptable delays.
Donegal’s Chief Fire Officer has called on the public to be cautious after a number of gorse fires were sparked in the west of the county over recent days.
The fire service tackled three gorse fires in the Crolly, Hornhead, Falcarragh and Dunfanaghy areas over recent days stretching the services resources.
While it hasnt been determined if the fires were started accidentally or deliberately Bobby McMenamin says given the current ground conditions a discarded cigarette would be enough to spark a gorse fire:
The Bishop of Derry has been accused of being involved in a compensation deal to cover up alleged child sex abuse.
Dr Seamus Hegarty was one of three priests named in a civil settlement after an eight-year-old girl was abused over a 10-year period from 1979.
“The Belfast Telegraph reports £12,000 was paid to the alleged victim, subject to a confidentiality agreement.
It comes as the head of Ireland’s Catholics apologised for his role in mishandling a serial child abuser.
As a priest in 1975 Cardinal Sean Brady was at meetings where children signed vows of silence over complaints against paedophile priest Fr Brendan Smyth.
Smyth was eventually convicted of dozens of offences against children.
But despite allegations being previously investigated by church officials, including Cardinal Brady, it was almost 20 years before he was brought to justice.
He said he wanted to apologise to “all those who feel I have let them down”.
Meanwhile, Pope Benedict XVI has announced that on Friday he will sign his long awaited pastoral letter dealing with paedophilia in Ireland.
He said in recent months the church in Ireland had been “rocked by the crisis of abuse of minors” and hoped his letter would “help repentance, healing and renewal”.
St Patrick’s Day has been celebrated across Donegal, with parades and community events all over the county.
The largest parade was in Letterkenny, where thousasnds lined the streets. The overall winner of the parade was Joe Bonner metal crafts. Best float went to Letterkenny Shopping Centre, while the community award went to An Grianan Theatre.
Other award winners included St Eunan’s GAA team, the Letterkenny Caledonian Pipe Band and Dynamic Waves.
The country’s largest parade was in Dublin, with a Donegal man given the role of Grand Marshall.
Former Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Packie Bonner recalled his childhood in West Donegal as he reflected on the honour. He said St Patrick’s Day has always been a special day for him.
A 35-year old man has appeared before the Special Criminal Court charged in connection with a fatal shooting in Co Donegal.
Andrew Burns, from Strabane in Co Tyrone, was shot twice in a church car park in Doneyloop in Castlefin on the 12th February 2008.
Today Martin William Kelly, from Strabane in Co Tyrone, was arrested and brought before the court.
He was remanded in custody to appear again on March 23rd.
The Carndonagh Community and Rural Development Company have said they have now been asured personally that garda cover in the area will not decrease while work is carried out at the local station.
Representative of the company recently met with Garda Superintendent William Johnston and Inspector David Kelly who also outlining the garda position on the provision of a new station in the town.
The meeting was called to allow gardai address concerns that locals had over garda cover in the area while the current station is being refurbished.
There was also fears that as the current facilities were being improved, plans for a new 24 hour garda station in the area could be shelved.
According to the group Superintendent Johnston revealed that the cost he had been quoted was 112k and not the 175k that has been reported.
The super said that this was not his preferred solution, that he had been assured by OPW that the temporary building could be moved in the future and that he will continue to vigorously pursue the new development with Garda Housing and the OPW.
The CRDC says that Inspector Kelly then gave a categorical assurance to the community that there would be no reduction in the level of Garda Service while the local station was closed. Stating that in fact he hoped that there would be an improvement with the recent appointment of an extra Sergeant in the area.
