The HSE is refusing to comment on reports that two people have been admitted to Letterkenny General Hospital with swine flu. Both are understod to know each other.

A spokesperson for the HSE has confirmed a general increase in the number of cases nationally, saying the increase was expected and is not a cause for alarm.

However, no regional breakdown is being provided.

The HSE says incidents of flu across the country are increasing, and this year, the predominant flu virus is the H1N1 virus also known as swine flu.

This flu virus mainly affects younger people and those with preexisting medical conditions, women who are pregnant or have been in the last 6-8 weeks are also particularly at risk.

While refusing to comment specifically on the Donegal situation, the HSE is reporting a major rise in people attending GPs and GP out of hours services with flu like illnesses, with most people then self medicating at home.

They say some people have been hospitalised, and a small number have been admitted to intensive care units. Latest figures show that in the week between the 13th and 19th of December, 30 positive swine flu specimens were detected, more than double the number in the previous week.

On December 21st, there were 14 people in hospital across the country, 3 of them in ICU. However, no geographic breakdown is being provided.

Police in Derry are trying to identify the driver of a stolen car that made off after colliding with a police vehicle.

At around 10pm on Christmas Day, a white Mercedes car drove through traffic lights at Northland Road and crossed to the ‘wrong’ side of the road before colliding with the police car.

The Mercedes, registration number VIB 7576 had been stolen earlier that evening from Drumleck Drive in Shantallow. It was subsequently abandoned across the border in Co Donegal.

Anyone who saw the car at any stage on the evening of December 25 and can help identify the occupants is asked to contact police at Strand Road..

This is the latest bulletin from Donegal County Council, including details of restrictions to water supplies tonight.

GLENTIES ELECTORAL AREA

Water supplies will be restricted in the following areas from 6:00pm until 8:00am

The Rosses
Gweedore
Leittermacaward Area
Ardara Area
Gortahork Falcarragh
Creeslough Dunfanaghey

DONEGAL ELECTORAL AREA

Water supplies will be restricted in the following areas from 6:00pm until 8:00am

Ballyshannon

Bundoran

Ballintra

Rossnowlagh

Frosses Mountcharles

STRANORLAR ELECTORAL AREA

Water supplies will be restricted in the following areas from 6:00pm until 8:00am

Convoy
Castlefin
Raphoe
Lifford
Ballinacor
Tievebrack
Gleneely

Ballybofey and Stranorlar – supply will also be turned off to the Twin Towns from midnight until 8.00am each night

INISHOWEN ELECTORAL AREA

Water supplies will be restricted in the following areas from 8:00pm until 8:00am

Quigley’s Point to north of Muff village

Three Glens

LETTERKENNY ELECTORAL AREA

Water supplies will be restricted in the following areas

South Letterkenny Area from  8:00pm until 8:00am

including Rahan, Ballyboe, Scibley, Lismonaghan, Correnagh, Rockhill, Newmills and Conwall

The following areas of Letterkenny from  8:00pm until 8:00am

Glencar Road, Pearse Road, Canal Road, Neil T. Blaney Road and Glenmaquinn

Ballyraine Area from midnight until 8:00am

including Sylvan Park, Ashlawn, Ballyraine Park, Orchard Grove, Thorndale, Magherannan
Heights and Elmwood Downs

Altangaddy Group Scheme Ramelton from  8:00pm until 8:00am

including Moorfield, Breaghy and Carnisk Areas

SEVERE WEATHER PERIOD – Water Conservation Appeal

Donegal County Council are recording significant increases in demand on a number of water supplies throughout the county during the current cold weather conditions – particularly during the thaw period. We suspect the increased demand for water arises from

• taps left running
• burst mains which have not yet been located
• leakage in private properties

The Water Service in Donegal wishes to appeal to the public to help us eliminate such wastage. This will help save water stored in reservoirs and avoid further shortages throughout the county

With the experience from the widespread disruption last winter we are highlighting the following areas in particular where the public can help eliminate wastage of the public water supply:

Running taps – please avoid leaving taps running. This is counter productive and will run down available water in storage

Burst mains / leakage – any suspected leaks on watermains or wastage should be reported to the County Council.

Vacant properties – please continue to check vacant properties where internal plumbing may be damaged by freezing conditions. Ideally the water supply to vacant buildings should be turned off and systems drained of all water, e.g. where members of the public who are going on holiday during the coming months, we would recommend that they turn off the water supply to their premises and drain all water out of the system before leaving the property.

Farming Community – we ask that you check all field connections and turn off leaking drinking troughs. This has proven to be a serious problem in rural areas in recent years. We also ask for your assistance in checking for burst pipes in farm buildings and burst hoses laying over ground. Essentially anywhere on the farm that water may be lost

Caravan Parks – another area that is often remote where plumbing may be exposed and water losses can be slow to appear, we appeal to all caravan park owners to turn off the water supply to eliminate wastage.

Once again the co-operation of every community is required if we are to avert widespread shortages in water supplies

The Small Firms Association says recent decreases in local authority rates are nowhere enough.

SFA Chairperson Ian Martin says the two greatest challenges facing small firms heading into 2011 are  access to finance and the cost of running a business, with commercial rates making up a large proportion of that cost.

All local authorities in Donegal implemented decreases in commercial rates last week,  with Buncrana’s rate going down by 2%, the County Council and Letterkenny’s rates going down by 3.5%, and Bundoran’s rate by 8%.

However, Ian Martin says rates bills will have to come down much further if small businesses are to remain competitive……….

The Mayor of Donegal has conceded that the authority’s Emergency Phone line for people affected by the water crisis is not functioning as it should.

Since the thaw began at the weekend, thousands of pipes are believed to have burst across the county, many of which have not been detected. Donegal County Council is continuing to implement widespread restrictions at night in a bid to preserve supplies, with details available at highlandradio.com and the council’s own website www.donegalcoco.ie.

People without supplies at all, or with bursts or other problems to report are being urged to contact the council’s emergency line at 074 91 72399. However, Highland Radio has been receriving numerous calls reporting that the line is not being answered.

We understand once again, the lines are being handled by a call centre elsewhere in the country, which does not appear to have the capacity to handle the number of calls being received.

Mayor Cllr Cora Harvey says many reservoirs are effectively empty, and that suggests the proboem with undetected leaks is widespread………..

It’s emerged that the pregnant woman who died following the three car crash outside Carrickmacross on Monday was a native of Fanad.

39 year old Roisin Connolly of Drumcondra, Dublin, was born Roisin Langan from Ballure in Fanad, where her mother and other family members still live. She went to school in Doaghbeg  National School.

She moved from home in the 1980s, and represented Manchester in the Mary from Dungloe festival in 1989.

Her remains will be brought home to Fanad tomorrow evening, for burial in Fanavolty on Friday.

Ms Connolly died in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, and her unborn daughter Catherine was pronounced dead a short time later.

The other two men to die in the collision were 28 year old Glen Curtis from Nobber in Co.Meath and 27 year old  Paul Carrol from Kingscourt in Co.Cavan. Mr Curtis was a nephew of Anne Curtis who died with four members of her family in 2001 when their car collided with a milk tanker as they were travelling to Bundoran for a family holiday.

including Sylvan Park, Ashlawn, Ballyraine Park, Orchard Grove,
Thorndale, Magherannan Heights and Elmwood Downs

including Moorfield, Breaghy and Carnisk Areas

Milford Water supply was interrupted (today, 28th December) arising from a local production problem which is now
cleared and supply should recover there shortly

As the thaw sets in across the county, Donegal County Council is urging motorists and pedestrians not to become complacent on roads and footpaths.

However, the council’s main concern at present is water, with fears of burst pipes right across the system. The council’s emergency number is 074 91 72399. Meanwhile, disruptions will be experienced in all electoral areas this evening.

Here is the latest update from the council -

Planned Restrictions to public water supplies (Monday 27th December 2010)

Demand for water has increased throughout the County seriously affecting reserves. As a result water supply will be restricted in the following areas tonight, note some from as early as tea-time:

GLENTIES ELECTORAL AREA

Water supplies will be restricted in the following areas from 6:00pm until 8:00am

The Rosses
Gweedore
Leittermacaward Area
Ardara Area
Gortahork Falcarragh

DONEGAL ELECTORAL AREA

Water supplies will be restricted in the following areas from 6:00pm until 8:00am

Ballyshannon

Bundoran

Donegal Town

Frosses Mountcharles

Dunkineely

Killybegs

STRANORLAR ELECTORAL AREA

Water supplies will be restricted in the following areas from 8:00pm until 8:00am

Convoy
Castlefin
Raphoe
Lifford
Ballinacor
Tievebrack
Gleneely

Ballybofey and Stranorlar – supply will also be turned off to the Twin Towns from midnight until 8.00am each night

INISHOWEN ELECTORAL AREA

Water supplies will be restricted in the following areas from 10:00pm until 8:00am

Quigley’s Point to north of Muff village

Greencastle

Buncrana Town

Carndonagh

Malin Head

LETTERKENNY ELECTORAL AREA

Water supplies may be restricted in the some areas from 10:00pm until 8:00am

(depending on progress made today)

SEVERE WEATHER PERIOD – Water Conservation Appeal

Donegal County Council are recording significant increases in demand on a number of water supplies throughout the county during the current cold weather conditions – particularly during the thaw period. We suspect the increased demand for water arises from

• taps left running
• burst mains which have not yet been located
• leakage in private properties

The Water Service in Donegal wishes to appeal to the public to help us eliminate such wastage. This will help save water stored in reservoirs and avoid further shortages throughout the county

With the experience from the widespread disruption last winter we are highlighting the following areas in particular where the public can help eliminate wastage of the public water supply:

Running taps – please avoid leaving taps running. This is counter productive and will run down available water in storage

Burst mains / leakage – any suspected leaks on watermains or wastage should be reported to the County Council at your local public services centre.

Vacant properties – please continue to check vacant properties where internal plumbing may be damaged by freezing conditions. Ideally the water supply to vacant buildings should be turned off and systems drained of all water, e.g. where members of the public who are going on holiday during the coming months, we would recommend that they turn off the water supply to their premises and drain all water out of the system before leaving the property.

Farming Community – we ask that you check all field connections and turn off leaking drinking troughs. This has proven to be a serious problem in rural areas in recent years. We also ask for your assistance in checking for burst pipes in farm buildings and burst hoses laying over ground. Essentially anywhere on the farm that water may be lost

Caravan Parks – another area that is often remote where plumbing may be exposed and water losses can be slow to appear, we appeal to all caravan park owners to turn off the water supply to eliminate wastage.

Once again the co-operation of every community is required if we are to avert widespread shortages in water supplies

Donegal County Council says there should be no further was restrictions imposed until at least St Stephen’s day.

Since the cold snap many consumers across Donegal have seen their water cut off over night.

Once again last night a  number of areas served by the Lough Mourne supply were affected by water restrictions including  Convoy, Castlefin,  Raphoe and Lifford

Supply was also be turned off to the Twin Towns area and the Rosses and Gweedore areas.

The water supply was tirned back on this morning at 8am.

The restrictions are due to the adverse weather with many people are leaving taps running in an effort to stop their water freezing, while in other cases there are bursts and leakages which have yet to be identified.

The council says Its intention to have no restrictions on water supplies this eve or Christmas day with the situation to be reviewed thereafter

A councillor and former MLA has appeared in court charged with drink driving.

62-year-old Derek Hussey from Castlederg, appeared in court in Strabane yesterday.

The court heard he was stopped in Orchard Road in Strabane last month. The case was adjourned until 6 January.

Mr Hussey has been an Ulster Unionist member of Strabane District Council since 1989, and was an MLA between 1998 and 2007.