European Transport Ministers will hold a video conference later to discuss the ash crisis.

Airlines have been calling for a review of no-fly bans after conducting test flights at the weekend without any apparent problems from Iceland’s ash cloud.

Austria has reopened its airports this morning and Italy’s planning to do the same later.

Here at home, there’s still no sign of any easing of flight restrictions at Irish airports as disruption enters its fifth day.

Irish airspace remains closed until at least 1pm this afternoon. The irish Aviation Authority will issue an update on the situation at 9 am this morning.

While The Department of Foreign Affairs advice helpline for stranded Irish citizens around the world will reopen at 9.

Aer Lingus has cancelled all flights today, with the exception of its Washington – Madrid service,

A projection of how the ash cloud is moving suggests it will reach the east coast of the US this evening.

Meanwhile, Ryanair has extended its flight ban until at least 1pm on Wednesday.

Irish weather experts believe a major change in weather fronts over Ireland later this week could help dissipate the ash cloud

Its hoped the winds will change in our favour by Friday

Health Minister Mary Harney is visiting Letterkenny General Hospital today to launch the 2009 National Sexual Assualt Treament Unit statistics. Staff attached to the unit in Letterkenny were among the first to secure a new qualification.

Previously, women who were sexually assaulted in Donegal had to be brought as far away as Dublin for treatment and interview, often in the same clothes and without being able to take a shower.

However, Ms Harney is expected to be met with protests, with Cllr Frank Mc Brearty urging people to demand their rights and confront Ms Harney with whatever issues they have.

There’s speculation that Letterkenny’s Mayor Cllr Jim Lynch will resign his seat after his Mayoral term ends in the summer.

Cllr Lynch, who previously served as a member of Independent Fianna Fail has been an independent in the chamber for several years now, and his continued exclusion from the mayor’s chair, despite being one of the longest serving members of council, was an ongoing topic of discussion.

There’s been no comment from Cllr Lynch, despite repeated attempts by Highland Radio News to contact him, but Donegal on Sunday reported yesterday that sources close to the mayor say he is likely to stand down after leaving the chair, with a view towards having a family member coopted onto the council to take his place.

The Irish Aviation Authority has said it’s unlikely that the country’s airspace will re-open to commercial flights until later in the week.

The IAA has grounded flights into and out of Ireland until 1 pm tomorrow at the earliest.

The decision is in line with that of several other European countries as the Icelandic volcanic ash disrupts flight plans for thousands of people for a fourth day.

Ryanair has cancelled all flights to and form the UK and Ireland information is avaiable HERE

City of Derry Airport update:

Passengers are advised that Ryanair has cancelled all flights from the UK and Ireland until at least 1300 on Wednesday.

Aer Arann have advised that all flights from Dublin to City of Derry have been cancelled for Sunday the 18^th and Monday the 19^th of April.

Passengers due to travel should regularly check with their airlines for the very latest information.

The Fire Service in Donegal is continuing to warn about the risk of gorse fires, with the service stretched to the limits dealing with several fires in recent days.

Last night, a blaze was tackled by the North ireland Fire and Rescue Service on the Tyrone-Donegal border close to Castlefinn, with concern for a time that a number of houses could be threatened.

However, the blaze was brought under control, and the Donegal Fire Service did not have to be called.

Jobs, the economy and the banking crisis will take centre stage at the Labour party national conference in Galway today.

Among the issues being moved by members in Donegal are a call for the reversal of public sector levies and a call for the Commonm Fisheries Police review to recognise the plight of inshore fishermen.

Meanwhile, a motion from the Glenties / Ardara branch calling for the restoration of cancer services at Sligo General Hospital and it’s designation as a Centre of Excellence was passed at conference this morning.

The Irish Aviation Authority has closed the country’s airspace until six o’clock this evening following a deterioration in the ash coverage over the country.

No commercial passenger flights, including North American traffic, will operate from any Irish airport or in Irish airspace during the period.

The IAA made the decision based on the latest forecast from the Volcanic Ash Centre in London which shows an increased risk to Ireland from the Icelandic volcanic plume.

This means all flights in and out of City of Derry and Donegal Airports have been grounded, with Ryanair cancelling all flights into and out of Ireland, as well as internal flights, until one pm on Monday.

However, the crisis could stretch beyond Monday, with holidaymakers from Ireland facing the prospect of being stranded in Europe until next week.

Strabane journalist, Conor Sharkey, was meant to return home from a holiday in Portugal yesterday afternoon, but he’s been told by Easyjet, it’s likely to be next Thursday before he’s home.

More and more people in the North West are exploring the possibility of working on oil or gas rigs.

That’s the claim being made by Donegal-based company, Essentail Offshore.

The business say that they’ve seen an increase in people applying to work on oil and gas rigs during the recession.

And Khris Veldman, from Essential Offshore, says that the higher the price of the oil, the more jobs there are on oil rigs .

A former Catholic priest who was convicted of child sexual abuse in Derry more than 20 years ago is being investigated again.

The Derry Journal reports today that fresh allegations have been made against 62-year-old Gerard John McCallion.

His abuse came to light when he was discovered in bed with a 10-year-old girl in St Mary’s Parochial House in Creggan.

Former priest, Gerard John McCallion was imprisoned in the 1990s after he admitted abusing two schoolgirls.

In 1996, McCallion admitted the abuse of two Derry sisters and was jailed for two years.

In 1998 at Letterkenny Circuit Court he admitted indecently assaulting a seven year-old girl at a house in his home town of Lifford.

The allegations against the Lifford-born former member of the Cistercian Order were made by a Derry man who was a child at the time McCallion was abusing children in the city.

The Catholic Church in Ireland has come under increasing pressure over it’s role in the cover up of allegations of abuse since the publication of two reports last year which catalogued widespread abuse in Catholic-run institutions

Donegal Councillor Ian McGarvery says that he has great concern that 18 jobs will be lost due to the council not fulfilling a funding commitment to the Donegal Ancestry Company.

Donegal Ancestry is the official genealogy centre for Donegal offering a comprehensive research service to those tracing their Donegal ancestors.

However it is in danger of being wound up due to a lack of funding from the council.

Councillor Ian McGarvey says the council executive seem determined the close it down: