A Donegal councillor says the HSE must change the way many of its bureaucrats think if real savings are to be achieved.

Cllr Jimmy Harte, a member of the HSE West Regional Forum says millions of euro are wasted each year because the HSE won’t take crutches and other mobility aids back, even when they’ve only been used for a short period of time.

Figures suggest over 10 million a year is spent on such items in the HSE West area alone, and huge savings could be made, Cllr Harte argues, by a relatively simple change in policy and practice…..

The Presbyterian Church is stressing it is not abandoning two congregations in Donegal which have been without ministers for some time, in the former case, over a year.

The congregations in Dunfanaghy – Carrigart and Carndonagh – Malin are both seeking new ministers, but as of yet, no appointments have been made.

The church’s Board of Mission says it is looking at new models of serving local communities.

Rev Stanley Stewart is Clerk of the Presbytery in Derry and Donegal. Speaking to Greg Hughes on today’s Shaun Doherty Show, he stressed the delay is not a reflection on the congregations…..

Staff at the Seatam Keith Prowse call centre in Buncrana have been meeting this afternoon to seek clarity on their immediate future.

The plant stopped operating at the weekend, but there’s a question mark over wages, with staff saying some are still owed money.

There’s also an issue with the staff receiving P45s, because the administrators in London and Belfast are refusing to consider Buncrana until issues there are resolved first.

Councillor Padraig MacLoughlain who attended today’s meeting says work is ongoing to try and address the issues, particularly that of outstanding pay………

Small businesses in Donegal are being invited to attend a major seminar in Larne next month.

The one-day seminar is being hosted by TradeLinks, the cross-border business development programme coordinated by Donegal County Enterprise Board.

They say local businesses will have a chance to pitch their products and services to private and public sector buyers from the Republic and Northern Ireland, as well as attending sessions on maximising the potential for cross border trade.

Kieran Mathers is the coordinator of the Trade Links programme. He says the Larne event is a very important one which has something to suit all businesses……….

2,072 students who sat the Leaving Cert exam qnd 139 who sat the Leaving Cert Applied in Donegal have begun collecting their results this morning. Schools opened at 9 o’clock, results can be picked up online or by phone from midday.

The Education Minister is urging people receiving their Leaving Cert results today – not to panic if they don’t get what they expected.

The Tanaiste Mary Coughlan also says students should remember that there are other options to consider – outside of universities or institutes of technology – to help further their education.

She says students should try to disregard all the hype generated by the exam results………..

Letterkenny Youth Information Centre will provide a phone helpline over the next week for those receiving Leaving Cert results.

Staff at the Port Road based centre will also be available for young people and parents to bring along any queries that may arise following students receiving their results.

Youth Information Officer, Martin Keeney says today is also a day for celebration, and he’s urging people going out tonight to take care……….

It’s been confirmed that Derry is to be one of the venues for the Clipper Round The World Yacht Race in two years time.

In July 2012, Derry will welcoming the ten-strong fleet at the end of the final transatlantic stage of the 40,000-mile race en route to the race finish.

The city will also have it’s own yacht in the race, with sponsorship from the Northern Ireland Tourist Board.

The Clipper Race was set up by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first man to sail solo, non-stop around the world, in order to give ordinary people the chance to do something truly extraordinary. He was in Derry for the announcement of the Clipper deal this morning.

He’s been outlining the origins of the race in 1996………

A Derry MLA says the law should be changed to state that anyone riding a bicycle must wear a helmet.

So far this year there have been 42 cases in Northern Ireland, including one on Strabane, of children being rushed to Royal Victoria Hospital with head injuries sustained from a bicycle fall.

Pat Ramsey says making helmet wearing mandatory would save lives……….

The “Begin Again” work placement programme which is operated by the Dept. Education & Skills receives it’s Donegal launch at the Enterprise Fund Business Centre in Letterkenny this evening.

Under the scheme, unemployed professionals are offered a 12-week placement in a position matching their expertise, in the hope that a job may follow. All benefits are retained while

Mike Gaffney of Leap, one of the providers of the service, says that strict criteria are in place to ensure this does not just become a source of free labour for businesses.

He says in the first six weeks of the programe, 20% of placements have led to job offers, and it’s proving to be a model that works………….

The Donegal developer of a  new saver card says it will enable Irish consumers to save hundreds of euro each year, while also supporting clubs, schools and charities.

Emmett Gallagher, a native of Gweedore is Director of gosave.ie, the company behind the new gosave cards.

Charities, schools and other non-profit groups, sell gosave cards as a way of fundraising for their organisations, with companies being offered a profile and advertising in exchange for the discount to customers.

Emmet Gallagher says he and his business partner have been concentrating on Dublin and the East Coast, but the north west is now being targetted with local organisations set to benefit by having a discount card with their own logo and details on it…….

A man arrested during the investigation into the dissident bomb attack on Strand Road Police Station earlier this month has appeared at Derry Magistrates Court..

53 year old Thomas Christopher Nash from Ivy Park in the Prehen area of the Waterside faced five charges of possesion of arms and ammunition.

He was remanded in custody to appear again on September 9th.

Eamon Mc Dermott was in court………