Water has been returned to a number of areas this morning following the council’s overnight restriction in action being taken to address what is being described as a summer drought.

Lake and resevoir levels are said to be extremely low – last night supply was switched off at Lough Mourne, Frosses Mountcharles, Ballymagroarty and Greencastle.

The council says the restrictions will continue until such time as water levels return to normal levels

Con McLaughlain is a senior engineer with Donegal County Council:

County Manager Michael Mc Loone is today beginning the process of talking to Trade Unions at town and county council level to explore how best to redeploy staff.

With less than a month to go before he retires, Mr Mc Loone as again stressed that public service reform is his obsession, and his wish is to ensure that services in Donegal are delivered more efficiently.

Mr Mc Loone made a presentation to the Town Councils in Letterkenny and Ballyshannon yesterday

Last week, a majority of unions accepted the Public Service Agreement reached at Croke Park, ending the work to rule which has hit council meetings and events in recent months. More importantly, from his perspective, it opens the way for a new programme of reform.

Mr Mc Loone says today, he begins talking to the unions about how best staff can be deployed at both town and county level. This will be informed by the controversial whole system of work, which has dominated discussions in the county council chamber in recent months.

He is stressing, however, that while the work to rule is over, the fact remains that the government moratorium remains in place, and his hands are tied in terms of hiring new staff. This, Michael Mc Loone says, makes it all the more vital that the talks getting under way today give him the scope to redeploy staff in a way that ensures the best use is made of the resources available.

Tributes were paid to Mr Mc Loone by both councils, with Roads Director John Mc Laughlin taking over as Town Manager in Buncrana, and Environmental Services Director Seamus Neeley taking over in Letterkenny.

The new Mayor of Letterkenny says he’s looking to the future with confidence. Fianna Fail Cllr Tadhg Culbert has previously served two terms as Council Chairperson, but this is the first time he’s held the title of Mayor.

He was first elected to the council 25 years ago, but lost his seat in 1999. He was re-elected last year.

Cllr Culbert says a priority will be pushing the Letterkenny 400 celebration, a designation he fought hard to secure over the past number of months.

He believes the celebration will typify what he believes is a spirit of optimism in the town……..

An inquest has been held into the death of a kitesurfer in Rossnowlagh last year has been told winds were over 50 kilometres an hour at the time.

26 year old student David North was unable to take to the air before he was whipped along the beach on to rocks on November 24th last.

The jury was told Mr North’s 9.3 metre kite was old and fraying.

Coroner Dr Diarmuid Hegarty said in Donegal town it was a tragic accident when David, of Drumany Glebe, Milltown near Belturbet, Co. Cavan, received multiple skull fractures when blown on to rocks while kite-surfing.

The coroner added that in all sports with an element of risk people accepted the risks to take part in adventure sports.

David, a former plumber studying technology was with a group of other students from Letterkenny IT.

Kite-flying expert Garda Padraig Deery described two safety attachments to the harness, the second one designed to release the flyer if the first failed to work. The kite was “quite old”, dating to 2002 or 2003, and was in a very bad state of wear and tear.

Kyra McKenna told the inquest that David was preparing to launch after she went into the air in 27-knot winds. She was in the air several minutes when she suddenly saw an ambulance on the beach.

She believed the wind-strength, and lack of knowledge of the kite he was using resulted in his death.

A verdict of Death by Misadventure was returned.

Crossing the border to do your shopping may not prove as economical from the start of next year.

The UK VAT rate is being hiked.

The new Chancellor George Osborne made the announcement as part of his first Budget.

From next January, it’ll be 20 per cent – from the current 17 and a half.

He says raising VAT was unavoidable:

Meanwhile, the President of the Letterkenny Chamber of Commerce has welcomed todays UK budget.

Paul Byrne, says with the rise in VAT to 20%, then Northern shoppers may come back to Donegal for value for money.

The police have said two gorse fires that broke out in Derry on Monday evening were started deliberately.

One broke out on Cunningham’s Lane, near Currynierin, at about 5 o clock.

The second fire was started at fields in Lettershandoney at about half past 6.

Fire and Rescue Group Commander, Billy Orr, says the Lettershandoney area was left without electricity for almost 5 hours yesterday.

40 new jobs are to be created at Largo Food Exports Ltd in Gweedore.

The company currently employs some 184 people on the Gweedore Business Park.

The Largo Group companies produce snack-foods at their bases in Ashbourne and in Gweedore and have provided steady employment in the Donegal Gaeltacht for many years.

The company plans to develop a new snack product at the site.

Northwest MEP, Pat the Cope Gallagher has welcomed the annoucment.

A school in Donegal has been hailed as a model in the use of sustainable energy.

A Biomass Project has been launched at St Aengus’ National School, Bridgend, Co Donegal.

Speaking at the launch of the system, the Tánaiste and education minuister Mary Coughlan said St. Aengus’ National School, together with its supplier, Rural Generation in Derry, is be at the forefront of green technology and will be feeding into the Department’s Biomass Research programme as a model school.

Joan Faulkner is Prinicipal of St Aengus’ National School – She says the idea came after the school received an energy rating last year.

A meeting is to take place in Derry later to discuss the closure of a gaelic football ground for health and safety reasons.

The Sean Dolans ground in Creggan was shut by the County Board after a spate of anti-social behaviour.

It’s believed crowds of young people were congregating on club grounds at night.

The club could also lose its chance to host part of an upcoming all-Ireland football festival.

Local Councillor, Kevin Campbell, says it would be an absolute shame that Sean Dolans had to close their facilities.

Energy Action is celebrating 21 years in exsistence today, and as part of their anniversary celebrations they are revisiting Tory Island.

21 years ago Energy Action lauched their first pilot project on the Island.

As part of that project homes were insulated on the island.

General Manager of Energy Action, Charlie Roarty, says the charity are back on Tory Island today to see the work their project achieved.