Senator Cecilia Keavney has told the Seanad that more use could be made of the Fishery Training College in Greencastle to provide training for officers to serve on commercial and tanker shipping.

Speaking during a debate on the 2009 Merchant Shipping Bill, Senator Keavney said a conference in Norway was told recently that there are shortages in the number of trained cadets available across Europe.

She says this could be an opportunity for Inishowen………

There are calls for the continuation of EU support for the International Fund for Ireland.

The fund, which provides financial support to cross border initiatives, was set up by the Irish and British Governments in 1986 to promote cross-community cooperation.

This week, the Eu pledged to maintain support for programmes already approved, with some MEPs now calling for the overall level of EU funding to be extended.

However, North West MEP Pat “The Cope” Gallagher says while he hopes it will continue, he’s not optimistic…………….

A sex abuse survivors group has slammed the Government for allowing a question about the work of Donegal poet Cathal A sex abuse survivors group has slammed the Government for allowing a question about the work of Donegal poet Cathal O Seachaigh to appear on the Leaving Cert Irish exam.

A sonnet by the poet appeared on Tuedays higher level paper.

A 2008 documentary about the 53-year-old shocked RTE viewers as it was revealed that the poet had relations with teenagers in Nepal. The exam was the first time students were questioned on his work since ‘Fairytale of Katmandu’ was aired.

John Kelly, spokesperson for survivors group SOCA, says he will be meeting with members of the Department of Education next week, and he’ll be looking for insurances that O Seachaighs work doesnt appear on any Leaving Cert papers again. to appear on the Leaving Cert Irish exam.

A sonnet by the poet appeared on Tuedays higher level paper.

A 2008 documentary about the 53-year-old shocked RTE viewers as it was revealed that the poet had relations with teenagers in Nepal. The exam was the first time students were questioned on his work since ‘Fairytale of Katmandu’ was aired.

John Kelly, spokesperson for survivors group SOCA, says he will be meeting with members of the Department of Education next week, and he’ll be looking for insurances that O Seachaighs work doesnt appear on any Leaving Cert papers again.

Health Minister Mary Harney has been urged to stop sitting on the fence as debnate continues over the future of a number of community hospitals in Donegal, namely Lifford Hospital and the Rock in Ballyshannon.

Speaking during a debate on the HSE, Senator Pearse Doherty said the people have been left in a vacuum while the situation remains under review. He weants commitments from Ms Harney that the future of the hospitals will be guaranteed, with funding being provided to bring them up to scratch.

He says he’ll continue to pursue the issue before the Seanad debate resumes next week.

It seems Donegal’s two Fine Gael deputies will be on different sides when the party meets today to consider a motion of confidence in leader Enda Kenny.

The parliamentary party is effectively split down the middle, with supporters of Enda Kenny and supporters of former Deputy Leader Richard Bruton both claiming they will carry the day.

Earlier this week, Donegal South West Deputy Dinny Mc Ginley became one of the first deputies to pledge support to Enda Kenny, saying the timing of a leadership push when Fianna Fail are on the ropes was crazy.

However, as expected, Donegal North East TD Joe Mc Hugh has tasken the opposite view, he says having considered the views of his supporters, the concensus he’s getting is it’s time for change.

The Health and Safety Authority has argued before the High Court that it’s entitled under health and safety laws to conduct an investigation into a road traffic incident in Co Donegal which resulted in the death of a 22-year-old woman.

In submissions opposing Donegal County Council’s application for orders preventing the HSA holding an investigation into the death of Sinéad McDaid, senior counsel for the HSA Shane Murphy said the authority is entitled to conduct an inquiry because of concerns expressed to it.

22-year-old Sinead McDaid, from Carndonagh, died after her car skidded on the road at Dunross, between Culdaff and Malin on the Inishowen peninsula, at about 8 o clock on the night of June 12th, 2001.

The single-vehicle crash occurred on a road where resurfacing works were being carried out by the council and Ms McDaid’s family has conducted a long campaign to have the matter fully investigated.

In judicial review proceedings, the council claims the HSA has adopted unfair procedures in the way it has opened the investigation and alleges that the investigation is oppressive.

Senior Counsel Shane Murphy for the HSA, which previously declined to investigate the accident, decided to do so after it had received new information. This included claims that the road where the accident occurred was swept of loose chippings, and that additional signage had been erected after the accident.

James O’Reilly SC, for the council, argued that the HSA “exceeded its jurisdiction” in deciding in late 2006 to conduct the investigation.

The scene of the crash was not a place of work, Mr O’Reilly submitted. While it was accepted that the scene was swept for loose chippings the day after the crash and that additional lighting had also been placed following the tragedy, that didn’t change the fact that the scene “was not a work in progress”.

Ms McDaid’s family were unhappy with those investigations and claimed that the scene had not been properly preserved. They had made representations to politicians and the HSA.

Having heard concluding submissions from both parties yesterday, president of the High Court Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns reserved his judgment, saying he would deliver it in due course.

As Donegal North East Deputy Joe Mc Hugh becomes the latest Fine Gael TD to back Richard Bruton’s leadership bid, the former deouty leader has made an eleventh hour appeal to Enda Kenny not to go ahead with tomorrow’s vote of confidence and quit as party leader.

Mr Bruton has been given a major boost today as Laois Offaly TD Charlie Flanagan, and the man appointed as acting finance spokesman – Kieran O’Donnell – declared they wouldn’t vote confidence in Mr Kenny.

Richard Bruton told reporters this evening that the people can only have faith in his party under a new leader.

However, the Kenny camp, which includes Donegal South West Deputy Dinny Mc Ginley, says the “numbers don’t lie” and they believe they have it in the bag.

A large group of supporters led by Phil Hogan have faced the media this evening.

He says that after tomorrow’s vote he still wants to see Enda Kenny as the next Taoiseach and Richard Bruton as the Finance Minister, and rejected suggestions from the Bruton camp that Enda Kenny should just give up now.

Donegal County Council commenced High Court proceedings yesterday aimed at preventing the Health and Safety Authority from conducting an investigation into a road traffic accident which claimed the life of a young woman.

The Council claim that the HSA has “exceeded its jurisdiction” by deciding in late 2006 to investigate the circumstances of 22-year-old Sinead McDaid from Carndonagh, who died following in a single-car crash after her car skidded on the evening of June 12, 2001.

The accident occurred in the townland of Dunross, between Culdaff and Malin where Donegal Co Council had been carrying out resurfacing works. Sinead’s family have conducted a long-running campaign to have the matter fully investigated.

The Council argues that as the scene of the fatality was not a place of work the HSA is not entitled to conduct such an investigation. However HSA claims it’s entitled to investigate the accident under provisions of the 2005 Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act.

In judicial review proceedings before Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns yesterday the Council where seeking orders from the court prohibiting the HSA from conducting an investigation into the accident.

The council claims that the HSA has adopted unfair procedures in the manner in which it has opened the investigation, and that the investigation is oppressive.

The Council says that the health, safety and welfare of users of roads that had recently been tarred and resurfaced doesn’t come under the 2005 legislation.

The Council, in arguing that the scene of the accident was not a place of work, claimed that on the date of the accident the resurfacing work started at 8am, and had finished by 11am. The road was fully opened to traffic users by 3pm that afternoon. The tragic accident occurred at 8pm that evening.

The court heard that the accident was initially investigated by the Gardai and the National Authority for Occupational Safety and Health. Arising from those investigations no action was taken against any party.

However Sinead McDaid’s family were unhappy with those probes, and claimed that the scene was not properly preserved and there was “a cover up”. They made representations to politicians, including MEP Jim Higgins, and to the HSA.

A second Garda investigation was held into the matter, in the form of a review of the initial Garda investigation. Again no action was taken against anyone, however under an established protocol the gardaí contacted the HSA in relation to the matter.

In December 2006 the HSA, who had previously declined to investigate the accident, decided to conduct an investigation. The HSA claimed that it’s entitled to investigate on grounds including that the site of the accident remained a place of work until the resurfacing job had been fully completed.

The court also heard that civil proceedings arising out of the accident were brought against Donegal Co Council by Sinead’s husband Rodney McDaid were settled without admission of liability. An action by Sinead’s parents, Sean and Magdalene Farren, is pending.

Both Mr and Mrs Farren, who are not parties to the current proceedings, attended yesterdays hearing.

A girl has told a court in Donegal that she had sex in a national school shelter with an older man when she was only 13 and still playing with Barbie dolls.

The girl, who is now 20, said she had full sex three times in three successive nights with the man who was 19.

The man, who is now 26-years-old, denied three sex assaults on the girl in September 2003 in south  Donegal.

Investigating Garda Liam Feeney told that during his inquiries he took possession of documents started by the girl, including a diary and a colour-coded list.

There were names of men she said she had sex with and there was a check-list so she could trace back names if she became pregnant. The defendant’s name was on the lists.

A statement to Gda Feeney was read in court in which the defendant said he believed the girl was 17 and she made the first move when she sat in his lap and started kissing him outside a hospital.

Earlier, Eileen O’Leary, prosecuting, told the jury that there was no suggestion that the defendant forced himself on the girl. Ms O’Leary also told the jury that the girl’s consent could not be a defence when she was under 15 years of age.

The hearing continues today.

The European Parliament has backed the annual payment of €15 million to the International Fund for Ireland, ending a legal question mark over the legality of the funding.

North West MEP Marian Harkin says the uncertainty arose following a judgement of the European Court of Justice, but the parliament has now resolved that.

Ms Harkin says the decision ensures that the support for many projects, including one in Donegal.