Donegal County Council has said it has done all that can within its power to boost the county’s salt stocks.

From noon today, the council implemented a restricted treatment service on the county’s roads. As reported last evening, the priority list has been split into red and green routes. Only the red routes, most of them National Primary Roads will be salted, with other roads just receiving sand and grit.

Senior Roads Engineer, Vincent Lynn, says he hopes salt stock will be back up to acceptable levels by Christmas, but while most councillors are pointing the finger at the NRA, Mr Lynn says he won’t play the blame game…………

Meanwhile, Donegal South West Deputy Dinny Mc Ginlery hasn’t been so shy about apportioning blame, calling the NRA’s handling of the situation inexcusable. In a statement this evening, he says giving countrywide responsibility to the National Roads Authority for the provision of salt has proven to be an unmitigated disaster.

He wants some of the salt en route to Ireland to be shiped directly to Killybegs and says the council’s priority list must be revisited……

Photos – Glen McIntyre & Donegal Democrat

SECONDARY SCHOOLS
Colaiste Ailigh, Lkenny
Carndonagh Community School & musical also cancelled
Deele College, Raphoe
Errigal College L’kenny
Gairm Scoil Chu Uladh, Ballinamore Fintown
Loreto Community School Milford
Loreto Convent L’kenny
Mulroy College Milford
PCC Falcarragh
Pobhail Scoil Gweedore Derrybeag
Rosses Community School Dungloe
Royal & Prior Raphoe & exams due today now on Tues
St Columba’s College Stranaorlar
St Columba’s Comprehensive School Glenties
St Eunans College L’kenny
Strabane High School

NATIONAL SCHOOLS
Annagry National School
Ayre Hill National School Ramelton
Ballyraine National School
Bridgend National School
Castletown national school , st johnston
Convoy Joint National School
Cranford National School
Croaghross National School Portsalon
Donaghmore national School Liscooley
Dooish National School B'bofey
Drumkeen National School
Drumoghill National School
Edeninfagh National School Glenties
Evish Primary School Strabane
Gael Scoil Cois Feabhail Moville
Glasson National School, Creeslough
Glenmaquinn National School
Glenswilly National School  closed today fri
Lifford National School
L'kenny Educate Together
Magherbeg National  School Manorcunningham
Murlog National School, Lifford
Murroe National School Dunfanaghy
Portlean National School Kilmacrenan
Raphoe Central National School
Ray National School Manorcunningham
Roishine National School Dunlgoe & concert tonight cancelled

Scoil Bhrid Boyagh Porthall Lifford
Scoil Colmcille Devlinreagh Carrigart
Scoil Colmcille Drumman Ballyare
Scoil Colmcille Greencastle
Scoil Colmcille L'kenny
Scoil Colmcille Newtowncunnimngham
Scoil Eoin Baiste Carrigart
Scoil Eoin Moville
Scoil Mhuira Gan Smal L'kenny
Scoil Mhuire National Glenties
Scoil Mhuire Ramelton
Scoil Naomh Brid Downings
Scoil Naomh Brid, Muff
Scoil Naomh Fiachra Illistrin
Scoil Naomh Fionan, Whitecastle Quigleys Point
Scoil Naomh Iofaf, Illies Buncrana
St Bodans National School Culdaff
St Bridgets National School Convoy
St Crona's Primary School Dungloe
St Eunan's National School Raphoe
St Francis' NS, Barnesmore, Donegal Town
St Josephs National School Rathmullen
St Patrick Boys & Girls schools Carndonagh
Stramore National School Glendoan
Teeveog National School Cloghan
Termon National School
Tir Na Sligo National School Urris Clonmany
Toobane National School
Trentagh National School
Whelshtown National School B'bofey
Woodland school closed today

OTHERS
Cas Na Cor Day Centre Buncrana
Naionra  L'kenny Station Roundabout
All Northwest services from Inishowen to L'kenny cancelled but the Derry serive is as normal
Lakeview Montessori Drumaboden Ramelton
Ilistrin Montessori
Donegal Link early morning bus service cancelled 9.45 service from Donegal Town will run depending on weather
Day Centre Dungloe
Ceili in Scoil Iofaf Illies cancelled tonight
Porters Bus not operating in Lifford
Childrens Point Chilcare Quigleys Point
Ballyaghderg Special Needs Pre school
The Illies Golden Gloves Boxing Club tournament due to take place in the Half Way House, Burnfoot tomoro night Friday
Dunfanaghy Playhouse Ltd closed today
Little Angels Specail School closed today
Cutie Kids Creche Killylastin Heights L'kenny
Cockhill Community Preschool Buncrana
Friday Club Stranorlar & play for tonight also cancelled
Naionra Devlinreagh
Newtowncunningham Community Playgroup
Rainbow preschool carrigart

Road conditions across the north and west are treacherous this morning.

Overnight snowfall, which persists this morning has left most routes in a very dangerous conditions with a number of minor incidents reported across the county.

In the North the PSNI is advising drivers against making any un-necessary journeys.

Many schools across Donegal have confirmed they have closed this morning.

The latest artic freeze comes as the Council announces that from midday today it will be severely restricting the level of treatment being provided on the county’s roads.

After a lengthy meeting yesterday, the council confirmed that only key routes (Red), most of them National Primary will be salted, with other roads (Green) just receiving sand and grit.

A map of the roads effected is available HERE (Requires PDF reader)

75 new jobs are to be created by the Zeus company in Letterkenny.

The company is investing €10m in an expansion and creating 75 new manufacturing jobs over 3 years.

The expansion of its facility at the IDA Business and Technology Park, Letterkenny, Co Donegal is supported by IDA Ireland.

Its local spokesperson is Joe McHugh – he has praised the company for the efforts in boosted employement numbers:

City of Derry Airport is currently open and all remaining flights for today are expected to operate normally.

Flight disruption is possible over the next few days as snow and icy conditions return.

Passengers due to travel over the next few days should check with their airlines for the latest updates.

Passengers should check in as normal unless specifically advised otherwise by their airline. And passengers should allow extra time to get to the airport due to the road conditions.

Likely coalition partners in the next government, Labour and Fine Gael, are at odds as to whether or not the republic will help fund the A5 dual carriageway project linking Derry and Aughnacloy via Strabane.

Labour election candidate Jimm Harte says the money is not there for the project but Fine Gael’s Joe Mc Hugh says his party remains committed to co-funding it.

Deputy Mc Hugh says he has met with party leader Enda Kenny on the issue, and Mr Kenny remains firmly committed to cross border development.

He says Donegal has seen what happens when projects are abandoned, and that won’t happen in this case:
 

Children’s Minister Barry Andrews is being urged to investigate how best to alleviate the uncertainty surrounding the future of Donegal Youth Council.

Yesterday it was confirmmed that the council’s coordinator has been reappointed until next March.

Senator Cecilia keavney raised the issue in the Seanad last night, asking the minister to outline how youth councils will be funded in future, particularly the one in Donegal.

In a four minute reply which did not mention the Donegal Youth Council at all, Minister Andrews said a full review is being carried out into how effective funding has been up to now.

Senator Keavney asked that a special effort be made to address the Donegal situation in that context:
 

The Manager of Letterkenny General Hospital says he remains convinced that the new A&E and Medical Unit at the hospital will open as planned in April next year.

The unit was very close to completion when Mc Namara Construction, the main contractor on the multi million euro contract went into receivership.

Speaking on today’s Shaun Doherty Show, Hospital Manager Sean Murphy said they have now taken control of the site, and legal discussions to have the work completed are at an advanced stage…….

A 25-year-old man accused of unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl has been found not guilty.

The offence was alleged to have happened in the defendant’s car when he was 18 on 25th October 2003 in a south County Donegal car park. He admitted at Donegal Circvuit Court this week that he had sex with the girl, but said before the jury of seven women and five men that he believed she was 18 or 19 at the time.

The prosecution said it was not suggested the defendant coerced the girl into sex. The offence was that the girl at the time was too young to be legally capable of consenting to sex.

Judge John O’Hagan said that in recent years, the Supreme Court ruled that a mistake about the age of a young person could be raised by the defence.

If the jury concluded from the evidence that there was a mistake, then the defendant should be given the benefit of the doubt, he said. But if they rejected it, then they must convict.

The judge recalled the defence case that the girl was not refused admission by pub bouncers, and she bought drink at the bars.

He mentioned that the mother of the victim was called in evidence to prove her daughter’s age. He added: “I can only say it as a matter of comment that the mother was not asked in evidence how her daughter looked at the age of 13.”

Prosecution counsel Eileen O’Leary told the jury in her summary that the girl, at 13, was significantly under the legal age. She maintained the defendant definitely knew her age, as he was going out with a girl of 15 and he would have known she was younger.

Defence counsel Hugo Hynes said that the law gave the defendant allowance for a genuine mistake and he believed the girl was older than him.

The jury took 29 minutes to make up its mind.

In the past 18 months five other men were convicted of under-age sex with the girl. Two were given suspended sentences. Three were sentenced to jail terms.