The Chairperson of Donegal VEC is welcoming the appointment of Mary Coughlan as Minister for Education, saying he believes her appointment will help speed up reform of the system.

Cllr David Alcorn says Ms Coughlan has been a major supporter of Finn Valley College in Stranorlar. He says the long standing plan to construct a new school is 99% there, and he believes Mary Coughlan will quickly give it the final push over the line.

He’s also hopeful MInister Coughlan will tackle what’s long been a bone of contention in Donegal – The annual delay in publishing the details of the student grant scheme.

The newly formed Donegal Public & Civil Service Workers Alliance holds a public meeting this evening to organise a campaign of action in the county.

The Alliance hopes that a coordinating committee will be formed from tonight’s meeting to organise how the alliance develops.

At a recent meeting of public sector unions in Letterkenny, it was noted that 40% of the workers in the town are employed in the public service.

The unions argue that public sector wage cuts represent a loss of millions to the economy per annum in Donegal, and that’s hurting local businesses and threatening jobs in a county with an unemployment rate that is already twice the national average.

Out of that meeting, it was decided to initiate a local campaign, and tonight’s public meeting in the Ramada Hotel is the next step in that process.

The alliance says it’s anticipated that a committee will be put in place to coordinate the strategy, which will involve forming alliances with all groups and sectors in civil society which have an interest in securing a fair alternative to solving the economic crisis.

At least one Catholic secondary school in Derry could close under new plans set out by the Commission for Catholic Education.

It is reported that either it could be St Peter’s High School or Immaculate Conception College, both of which have low numbers of pupils.

All Catholic post-primary schools in the city are expected to be linked together in a new Derry City Foundation headed by one overall director.

Better Deals supermarket in Strabane is to close with the loss of 105 jobs, and the owner is claiming that more local businesses will suffer with the closure.

The owner of Better Deals, Gary McLaughlin buys all his products from local suppliers, and he claims they could also close.

He says he’s spoken to a number of local suppliers, and he is claiming the closure of his supermarket, could result in more than 300 jobs going altogether…

A catamaran once used to smuggle half a tonne of cocaine from the Carribean to west Cork in 2007 is en route to Donegal. The vessel has been sold at auction – raising 58 thousand euro for the State.

“Lucky Day” was for sale, along with two smaller boats and three jeeps used in the botched operation – which ended with Gardai and customs recovering 62 drugs bales from Dunlough Day.

The auction raised over a hundred thousand euro in total.

Emer Stafford from Tipperary, but who now lives in KIllbegs, is the new proud owner of “Lucky Day”

Tanaiste Mary Coughlan has been made Minister for Education as part of a cabinet reshuffle announced by the Taoiseach this afternoon.

Minister Batt O’Keeffe has moved in the opposite direction to the newly named Department of Enterprise Trade and Innovation.

Minister Eamon O’Cuiv moves from the Department of Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs to the newly created Department of Social Inclusion and Family Policy – formerly known as Social and Family Affairs

Minister Mary Hanafin has been moved from the former department to the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism

Junior Minister Pat Carey promoted to new the new Department of Community Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs – formerly Dept of Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, while Junior Minister Tony Killeen is promoted to the Department of Defence.

Green Party TD’s Ciaran Cuffe and Mary White will be promoted to Junior Ministries, along with Fianna Fail TD Sean Connick. Details will be announced in the coming days

Drugs Minister John Curran replaces Pat Carey as Chief Whip.

The jury in the rape trial of a Donegal man has been directed to find him not guilty after the judge ruled there was deliberate tampering with the evidence.

The man had pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to raping his ex-partner in the county on July 1, 2004.

Mr Justice Barry White told the jury he was directing them to find the accused not guilty because three forensic experts had judged that the underwear the women was wearing at the time were cut and not ripped as she claimed in her statements to gardai.

A forensic examination of the panties showed they had been cut “mechanically” with a blade and then torn the rest of the way. This view was backed up by two more forensics scientists.

The woman earlier denied in evidence that she cut her own underwear with a blade to allege her ex-partner ripped them off while raping her.

She said the cut could have happened on the washing line, in the washing machine or by jewellery either she or the accused may have worn on the night.

She agreed with the defence counsel, that the man had never used a blade or scissors during the incident.

Mr Justice White noted the woman’s explanation of the cutting was not consistent with the results of the examination.

He said there were other inconsistencies in the evidence which, while not enough to acquit the accused on their own,  fortified his decision to direct the jury to find him not guilty.

St. Eunan’s College Letterkenny emerged from a close clash with Carrigaline CS to be crowned the All-Ireland Schools League U19 Boys champions courtesy of a 63-53 win on Monday. It took an exceptional performance from ‘MVP’ Aodhán Hickey to swing the pendulum in favour of the Donegal college. It’s the first time in St. Eunan’s history that they have won the All Ireland league and cup double.

A Donegal Publican has sued an insurance company for 3 million euro over its alleged failure to pay out under a policy following a blaze which destroyed the bar.

The case is due to come before the Commercial Court.

Seamus McLaughlin, owner and operator of the Waterfront in Moville claims Aviva Insurance is liable to compensate him for the loss he suffered following the fire early last year.

Aviva has refused to indemnify Mr McLaughlin saying he was involved in the fire, on February 1st 2009, and was guilty of fraud in making the claim. The company denies it has any liability to him.

The case has now been admitted to the Commercial Court which is the High Court’s fast track division, this following an application from Aviva and on consent between both parties.

The court heard that a garda investigation had taken place and that a file had been prepared for forwarding to the Director of Public Prosecutions

NOTE:  SOME CONTENT MAY OFFEND

The trial of a Donegal man accused of raping his ex-partner has reached its closing stages at the Central Criminal Court.

Earlier the complainant denied under cross-examination that she cut her own knickers with a blade to allege her ex-partner ripped them off while raping her.

Mr Brendan Grehan SC, defending, put it to the woman that she didn’t tell the jury her knickers had been “ripped” off her in two pieces as had been “a big part of the narrative” in her first three statements.

He put it to her that she stopped giving the ripped pants account by her fourth statement because the forensic report came back from the lab at this point and revealed they had been cut “mechanically” with a blade, then torn the rest of the way.

The woman replied that she’d described her pants to the jury as being “just a band” when she pulled them up to her waist after the alleged incident, which would suggest they had been ripped.

She said the mechanical cut could have happened on the washing line, in the washing machine or by jewellery either she or the accused may have worn on the night.

The man has pleaded not (NOT) guilty to raping the now 26-year-old woman in the county on July 1, 2004.

The woman agreed she’d never suggested her ex-partner used a knife or scissors during the incident

Mr Grehan suggested that if this was so there could have been “no other person” to cut the pants but the complainant, saying: “Do you not agree it’s very powerful evidence when someone who claims they’ve been raped presents their panties in two pieces.”

The woman denied she cut the knickers, reiterating that it could have happened in a number of scenarios.

Mr Grehan put it to her that she gave the first account of his client “kneeling” on her arms in the witness box and that this had not appeared in any of her 12 statement in the six years since the alleged incident.

The woman said she didn’t know why she left this out when counsel suggested it was “curious” she’d dropped the ripped pants detail and put in his client kneeling on her arms.

Mr Grehan asked the woman why she only mentioned “bruises” on her leg from the alleged incident in a statement made on March 16.

The woman explained she was asked had she a bruise, that she’d agreed because she remembered the doctor finding a bruise, but that she hadn’t written the statement herself.

She agreed the accused was a regular visitor to her home in the month after the incident and days before he was charged with rape but said it was a mistake to let him back into her life.

The woman said she didn’t tell her parents about it because she’d felt embarrassed and ashamed for letting him manipulate her.

She said she told her ex-partner she would drop the charges but explained this was out of fear.

She agreed she sat smoking and chatting with the accused for over three hours before the alleged incident but denied she’d let him in or that he’d gone upstairs to see his child.

She denied she had consensual sex with her ex-partner.

Mr Grehan also put it to her that there was no sign of disturbance or, on her account, a violent struggle taking place in the two foot gap between living room furniture.

The woman agreed nothing was touched during the struggle.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Barry White and a jury of six men and six women.