Its emerged that a special social welfare payment to lone parents will be stopped once their child reaches 13.

Following a review the Social Protection Minister Eamon O’Cuiv is cutting the One-Parent Family Payment.

The benefit is currently paid to the lone parent until children are 18, or 22 if in full-time education.

But for new claimants,from April 2011, the payment will be made until the youngest child in the family reaches 13.

Donegal Manager John Joe Doherty has name his starting side for Sundays Ulster Championship Clash with Down in Ballybofey. Naomh Conaill’s Dermot Molloy will make his senior championship debut  against the Mourne County having being named at right corner forward for Sundays clash. He’s joined in the full forward line by Michael Murphy and Conall Dunne. There’s no place for St. Michael’s Colm mcFadden in the starting fifteen. Rory Kavangh returns to a Donegal line up having missed the league campaign with the county. named at 11 and 12 alongside him are Christy Toye and David Walsh. Barry Monaghan will partner Neil Gallagher in Midfield. Michael Maguire, Captain Kevin Cassidy and Barry Dunnion will make up the half back line while the three on the full back line are Frank Mc Glynn, Neil Mc Gee and Karl Lacey. Paul Durcan is in goals for Sunday.

Highland Radio will be broadcasting live on Sunday from MacCumhaill Park with Charlie Collins and 92 All Ireland winner and former Manager of Donegal Declan Bonner. Throw in is 2pm.

A local chip shop owner was “amazed” when almost 400 people apllied for a dish washing job.

Donal Cox, who runs Charleys Cafe on the Pearse Road in Letterkenny, got more than he bargained for when the job was advertised on the FAS website.

He said most of the applicants from outside the area were prepared to move to Letterkenny and start “straight away.

The Tanaiste and Minister for Education, Mary Coughlan has opened the new 2.7 million euro Scoil Eoghan in Moville.

The new school consists of eight classrooms, two special tuition rooms, a library and a general purpose hall.

The school has 220 pupils and 14 staff.

Local Senator Cecillia Keaveney has welcomed the news.

The SDLP’s Colum Eastwood is to be the new Mayor of Derry.

He was selected at a party convention last night. The 27-year-old will take over from Sinn Fein’s Paul Fleming next month.

He said it was an important year ahead for the city.

Cllr Eastwood will take up his new position on the 7th June.

It’s expected to be a small, dignified, peaceful demonstration with around 50 people expected.

The demonstration is taking place outside the Revenue offices.

Around 10,000 people have now joined the abolish VRT group on Facebook.

Creator of the Facebook group, Ryan Stewart, says VRT has to be abolished.

Two men have been arrested by police investigating an explosion outside a house in Strabane, Co Tyrone.

Police detained two men aged 29 and 30 following the alert in Springhill Park yesterday morning.

A pipebomb was thrown at the house in the Springhill Park area of Strabane overnight. Damage was caused to the door but there were no injuries.

A special Town Council meeting to agree changes to the Letterkenny and Environs Development Plan has been postponed until Tuesday next.

The special meeting, which was adjourned last Monday, was to have reconvened today.

The delay arose when councillors refused to agree to changes to the line of the proposed Eastern relief Road in Sallaghagrane and Oldtown.

They took their stance when it becamse clear that three homes would be seriously affected, and at least one would face demolition.

Discussions are now taking place with the householders concerned, but with a decision now deferred until Tuesday, a similar motion on the agenda for Donegal County Council on Monday will now be adjourned.

These delays will put further pressure on planners as key deadlines approach, but Cllr Dessie Larkin is unrepentant. He says it’s vital the right decision is made.

Donegal North East Deputy is accusing the Department of Agriculture of discriminating against Donegal, as rules coming into force next week on the electronic tagging of lambs for export.

However, Deputy Mc Hugh says while such tagging makes sense if sheep are being exported internationally to Europe or further afield, the rule also applies to Donegal farmers bringing sheep into Foyle Meats in Derry.

Deputy McHugh says despite previous efforts, he’s not been able to get the Department or Minister to budge on the issue, and he’s now seeking an all Ireland approach

A leading housing charity is forecasting a sharp rise in the number of people in mortgage arrears  this year.

New figures published by the Financial Regulator today revealed a 13% increase in accounts in arrears during the first three months of the year.

By the end of March, over 32,000 account holders were not making their repayments. However,  the number of legal actions dropped by almost 5% compared to the end of last year.

Meanwhile, Dublin based campaigner Fr Peter Mc Verry has been addressing a conference in Letterkenny about the social damage caused by homelessness and exclusion.

The conference, which was on the theme ‘Belonging – It’s a Human Right.’ was organised by Donegal Community Development Board’s Peace and Reconciliation Partnership, with support from PEACE III.

CDB Chairperson Dessie Larkin says it was a sobering discussion……