Enterprise Minister Batt O’Keefe may be asked to comment on the IDA’s recent decision to concentrate on Letterkenny when marketting Donegal abroad.

At a recent meeting of Donegal County Council, a deal was agreed under which the IDA will hand over land and units in Ballyshannon, Buncrana, Carndonagh, Donegal Town and Milford to the council.

As part of the deal,the IDA is providing €800,000 for repairs and €500,000 for road improvements, with the council agreeing to offsetting the 1.3 million costs by deferring development charges on future developments in Letterkenny.

However, Fianna Fail by-election candidate Senator Brian O’Domhnaill says the IDA must continue to play a central role in Donegal South West………..

Senator O’Domhnaill hit out at Fine Gael candidate Cllr Barry O’Neill, accusing him of claiming that the IDA has “pulled out” of Donegal; that it will no longer bring any jobs to the county.

He says this is an example of negative campaiging which will damage Donegal.

However, Cllr O’Neill says the deal between the IDA and the council is an indication of the failure of the IDA and Fianna Fail in the area of job creation…………

The government has been called on to intervene and ensure Donegal contractors, owed money by the McNamara construction company to be paid.

McNamara went in to liquidation last week. All its projects, including building the new emergency department at Letterkenny General, ground to a halt.

During a visit to the county the Taoseach Brian Cowen said any outstanding projects or debts McNamara had were now a matter for NAMA.

But Sinn Fein by-election candidate Senator Pearse Doherty says that is not good enough:

A major logistical exercise is to be launched after it was decided to incinerate the 33 whales washed up on a Rutland Island beach.

It had been originally planned to bury the pod of pilot whales on Rutland Island where they beached ten days ago.

But local people expressed concern with  Donegal County Council’s plan claiming it posed health risks.

A license is currently being sought to allow the whales be transport to Cavan, it’s hoped the operation may begin as early as Thursday.

Buncrana Town Council has recieved a new application for a major residential development in the site of the old Fruit of the Loom factory, with a second application for retail development expected shortly.

A previous application by development company Rishton Limited was refused after it was appealed to An Bord Pleanala.

When the application was discussed at a recent meeting of Buncrana Town Council, Councillors were almost unanimous in welcoming the new application.

However Councillor Michelle Bradley expressed her concern that further residential development was being proposed while many houses in the area are vacant.

The application proposed the demolition of some of the building currently occupying the site and for the construction of 38 dwellings, car park spaces and childrens play area.

it is understood that Rishton Limited will soon lodge a change or use application for the remainding buildings on the site for retail – It is understood the company has already secured a major anchor tenant.

A Donegal woman has been awarded the maximum 54 thousand euros compensation after suffering sexual harassment at work.

Pauline Stone claimed to the Equality Tribunal in March of last year that she was repeatedly sexually harassed by a Director of the petrol station she worked at in Ballyshannon in Co Donegal.

Ms. Stone complained to management of offensive behaviour which included inappropriate physical contact and remarks of a sexual nature.

After she had complained of the harassment, her working hours were cut, as were her son’s.

Welcoming the award – the Equality Authority’s Brian Murray said the level of compensation was unusually high:

Ulster Senior Football Club Championship Semi Final
Naomh Conaill 1-10 v 109 Coalisland

Naomh Conaill have become the first Donegal team to reach the Ulster Senior Club Championship final since Killybegs nineteen years ago.  They will now face Crossmaglen in the decider on Sunday the 28^th November thanks to their one point win over Coalisland in Enniskillen. After tense ending the game was decided by a 57^th minute free from Dara Gallagher to secure their place in the provincial final. Naomh Conaill where in command at half time with a 1-07 to 0-06 lead at the break, but Coalisland came right back into the game in the latter stages to move one point ahead. But in the end it wasn’t enough as Naomh Conaill rallied to go back in front and held on for a 1-10 to 1-09 win.

Charlie Collins spoke with Naomh Conaill’s Thomas Donoghue after the game.
 

There are fears that the Lifestart programme may be under threat in Donegal.

The programme, which is intended to identify and help children whi may have difficulty in school costs around 750,000 euro a year to run in Donegal, helping 700 families.

Cllr Jimmy Harte says the programme was first piloted in Donegal over two years ago, and has since been rolled out across the country.

He says at present, the system is being evaluated, and it would be wrong to make any changes before the evaluation is complete…………

Gardai are investigating an apparent hit and run in Carndonagh on Saturday evening which left a man lying on the side of the road on the Glentogher Roasd about a mile outside the town.

It’s thought the incident happened some time before 5 o’clock, as the man was walking on the side of the road.

The man sustained a number of broken bones, and underwent surgery at Letterkenny General Hospital this morning, but his injuries are not life threatening.

This morning, the man’s sister Linda spoke on the Shaun Doherty Show. She said whoever was responsible left her brother on the side of the road like a dog………..

A senior Donegal County Council Engineer has defended the authority’s record on road gritting and salting, saying the council has been responding to wintry weather, and will continue to do so. After freezing conditions last night and this morning, questions were raised about the level of treatment on local roads.

Michael Mc Garvey from Donergal County Council says roads were treated over the weekend on the basis of call outs and the weather forecast. However he says it is not an exact science, and even when treatment is carried out it cannot be assumed that roads are safe.

He says there’s no question of the council’s services being compromised…………….

Plans are in place to increase the number of paid car parking places at Altnagelvin hospital in Derry.

The Western Health and Social Care Trust are also to abolish free out-patient parking for those using the hospital as both outpatients and day care patients.

A spokesperson for the Trust said that the paid parking would pay for the extra spaces at the hospital.

SDLP Foyle MLA Pat Ramsey has said that this could have a detrimental effect on low income familes…..