Over 20,000 claimants who have been denied social welfare will have to wait 6 months to have their appeal heard, according to Donegal South-West Deputy Dinny McGinley.
And he says many of these claimants are people from Donegal.
The claims include Job Seekers Allowance, Disability Allowance and other payments.
Deputy McGinley says it’s a scandal and disgrace that people being denied having their claims heard:
Young motorists will be called on to mark European Night Without Accident by taking extra care on the roads.
Several pubs and nightclubs across the country including here in Donegal are involved in the road safety initiative, which is being held in 220 nightclubs across 27 European countries.
Designated drivers who wear a wristband to show they plan to stay alcohol-free for the night will be invited to be voluntarily breathalysed as they leave to see if the commitment was honoured.
Stephen Lambert from The National Roads Authority is hopeful tonight’s initiative will be effective:
As part of the ‘Winning the West’ campaign in the North and West, the Labour Party is organising a major conference in the Breaffy Woods Hotel, Castlebar, today.
Today’s one day conference which will be addressed by party leader, Deputy Eamon Gilmore.
The party are using today to show that in the next general election they offer voters in the region a range of credible candidates.
Donegal County Councillor, Jimmy Harte, is speaking at today’s conference, and he says Labour now offer a viable option in the North-West.
The counting of votes in the Donegal Youth Council elections has finished and the 36 new council members have been name.
Voting began last Friday, and finished yesterday. Counting finished this afternoon
Kelli Gallagher is coordinator of the Donegal Youth Council – said this years Youth Council had some of the youngest council members ever:
The counting of votes in the Donegal Youth Council elections is due to finish this afternoon, with 36 young people to be elected onto the body.
Voting began last Friday, and finished yesterday. Now, votes cast in the Letterkenny area are being counted, and the final make up of the new council should be known later today.
Kelli Gallagher is coordinator of the Donegal Youth Council – She says the elections and the count have been a resounding success……….
Donegal forward Michael Murphy and Tyrone’s Sean Cavanagh have been named on the Ireland team to face Australia in the upcoming Rules Series. Murphy becomes the fifth Donegal player to be selected to represent the country in the mixed rule games. The 2009 Young Player of the Year joins Martin Gavigan, Kevin Cassidy, Brendan Devenney and Karl Lacey on an elite list of Donegal players involved.
Sean Cavanagh has represented Ireland several times in the International rules football Series, and in 2008 was named as the captain of the Ireland team, leading them to win the series, with 27 of Ireland’s total of 102 points.
The First Test is on 23rd October in Limerick with the second game a week later at Croke Park.
The High Court has been told a 27 year old Donegal student who took his own life two days after he was discharged from Letterkenny General Hospital had clearly expressed suicidal thoughts in front of hospital staff.
Michael Orpen, a former Naval employee, went to the hospital in November 2006 after taking tablets and driving to Bruckless pier. However, his mother Ellen Ann Orpen, who is suing the HSE for negligence, claims after attending both A&E and the psychiatric unit, he was discharged by a junior doctor and advised to drink plenty of water and go to counselling.
The court has been told that Mr Orpen clearly said in front of hospital ataff “I wanted to do it, I wanted to drive into the sea”. However, the HSE insists he never expressed suicidal thoughts in front of the doctor who assessed him on the night in question.
His sister Mary Ellen told the court that Michael had been stressed because he didn’t have a steady job, and felt his parents were diaappointed in him. She told the court that she knew her brother as an upbeat person, and rejected siggestions from counsel for the HSE that he had always been unhappy and felt he was too serious at times.
The case continues.
The Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture has rejected the Ombudsman’s report on the Lost at Sea scheme, with Fine Gael accussing Fianna Fail of sacrificing the ombudsman in order to protect one of their own.
Emily O’Reilly had concluded that the Byrne family in Donegal should be compensated because they were unfairly denied relief when they applied to be included in the scheme.
Labour say the Fianna Fail rejection of the report is tantamount to an attack on the office of the Ombudsman and on its incumbent, and citizens can no longer be confident that of the independence of the office.
Meanwhile, Donegal Labour Councillor says Donegal’s Fianna Fail TDs should immediately declare their support for the Byrne family, and demand they be paid the compensation the ombudsman recommended………..
Buncrana Town Council has been told that work to secure land for improvement works on the Aghilly Road is making progress, and discussions on drawing up Compulsory Purchase Orders are at an advance stage.
However, member were not happy with the pace of progress this week, with Mayor Cllr Padraig Mac Lochlainn saying the project has been delayed so often it is now embarrassing.
The issue was raised by Cllr James Gill – He says it’s vital that the work is expedited……….
Letterkenny Town Council is to look at how best the town can capitalise on Derry’s designation as UK City of Culture 2013.
Motions were moved on the issue in the council chamber this week by a number of members. Cllr Gerry Mc Monagle said the Town Council should seek meetings with Derry City Council to discuss cooperation.
He was told the County Development Board was alreaqdy engaged in such discussions, and is representing Donegal.
However, Cllr Jimmy Kavanagh, who also had a motion on the issue this week, says the Town Council should be directly involved in talks and preparations, a stance supported by the council………..
