Donegal’s Philip Deignan will return to the place of his greatest triumph with the news that he has been selected on the final line up for the Cervelo Test Team’s squad for the Vuelta a Espana (Tour of  Spain). The Swiss team has shown confidence in the Letterkenny rider, who won a stage and finished ninth in last year’s Vuelta but hasn’t shown the same form since. The race starts in Seville on Saturday 28th August and Deignan’s main goal will be to help his teammate, 2008 Tour De France winner Carlos Sastre win the Vuelta.

A man is due in court in Strabane today charged in connection with terrorist activity.

The 38-year-old was arrested in the town on Tuesday.

He’s been charged with possession of documents likely to be of use to terrorists.

He’s due before Strabane Magistrates later today.

Donegal’s Deputy Mayor has described suggestions that the planneds A5 upgrade should not go ahead as “ridiculous and mind boggling”.

Fermanagh South Tyrone MLA Tom Elliot, a member of the Ulster Unionist Party yesterday questioned whether traffic levels justified a dual carriageway, and also expressed doubts that the Irish government can meet its commitments to provide over 500 million euro for the route.

However, Cllr Padraig Mac Lochlainn says Donegal, Tyone and Fermanagh are without a rail service, and it is unthinkable that the North West would also be denied improved road infrastructure.

He says he has no doubt that the Irish government will meet its co-funding responsibilities……..

Donegal North East TD Joe Mc Hugh says he and his party colleagues will be urging Donegal County Council to prepare promotional material to be circulated to every IDA office across the globe.

They’ll also be urging the council to attend IDA meetings and seminars to ensure that Donegal’s potential is known by all development officers at home and abroad.

Deputy Mc Hugh was speaking after a meeting between Fine Gael’s Donegal North East representitives and IDA officials last evening.

He says while the IDA pledged to increase the number of site visits to the county, that can only be achieved if the county is strongly promoted………….

Figures from the HSE show that applications for the back to school allowance in Donegal are up to date.

To date the executive has recieved 11,200 applications in the Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim – of those 10,600 have been processed with 500 forms currently outstanding.

The amount allocate to these three counties so far is 5.1 million euro.

An Ulster Unionist Assembly Member has expressed his doubts that the Irish Government will be able to come up with its funding for the upgrade of the A5 Derry to Aughnacloy road.

Tom Elliott has also expressed the view that the traffic levels on the road do not justify it being upgraded to dual carraigeway status.

Tom Elliott said he had serious concerns over the funding of the 88km road upgrade stating that the A5 undoubtedly needs huge improvements but the traffic levels simply do not justify a motorway.

Mr Elliot said that given strong views over the impact the road will have on the countryside, and many farmers will have their farms decimated, an upgrade would be sufficient.

He also question whether the Irish government would have the 580 million euro it has committed to the road.

This after Transport Minister Noel Dempsey ordered the NRA to “reprioritise” 123 roads projects as a result of the funding cuts, including everything from motorways to town bypasses.

Following on from Mr Elliot’s comments a Irish government spokesperson said the situation is that the government remains committed to this contribution despite the difficult economic situation.

The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers association in Donegal has described changes to the motor tax system on commercial vehicles as a D4 tax.

Spokesperson Malcolm Thompson says the new measure aimed at the enforcement of the law prohibiting owners of commercial vehicles using them for social and private purposes, it out of touch with reality.

From now on owners of commercial vehicle will have to make a declaration at a garda barracks that the vehicle will be used exclusively for business purposes.

Malcolm Thompson says Minister John Gormley is not living in the real world:

A Fine Gael delegation lead by Deputy Joe McHugh will meet with the IDA today to demand an update as to what the association is actually doing to attract jobs and investment to Donegal North East.

The party is calling on the IDA to do more to attract foreign direct investment to the area and will also seek a progress report on finding a new employer for those who lost their jobs at the Keith Prowse call centre, which closed earlier this month,

Deputy Joe McHugh says there are opportunities out there which the IDA needs to ensure come to Donegal:

A Derry Councillor is calling on tourism authorities on both sides of the border to consider setting up a satellite Tourist Information Office in the Bogside.

Sinn Fein Tourism Spokesperson Maeve Mc Laughlin says the unique history of the Bogside offers a potential that isn’t uitilised at the moment.

She says a dedicated office staffed by people with intimate knowledge of the recent as well as ancient history of the area would ensure a positive and well informed visitor experience, as well as creating opportunities for local people.

It’s been claimed that new public contract guidelines issued by the Government will allow more small to medium sized enterprises compete for government contracts.

Donegal North East TD Niall Blaney says the new guidelines should ensure that SMEs are not unfairly hindered in competing for public contracts.

Deputy Blaney says until now, small firms have found it tough to complete, and this is an issue he’s been pursuing with Finance Minister Briasn Lenihan and Labour Affairs Minister Dara Calleary.

From now on, advertised contracts up to €250,000 for works and €125,000 for supplies and general services must be open to all potential tenderers without a prequalification process.”

This will make it a lot easier for local, small firms to tender for works such as the summer works scheme, following claims that unrealistic prequalification demands stopped them from tendering for work they were perfectly capable of doing, but instead went to bigger companies. In Donegal, that created an extra point of resentment, as mabny of the contracts went across the border.

Also from now on, public bodies will be prohibited from making those who wish to enter public competitions pay to do so. Deputy Blaney says he hopes this will see more local firms secure government contracts.