Donegal County Council says a greatly reduced salting service will be provided from tomorrow, with the priority road list broken into red routes and green routes. From tomorrow, only the red routes will be salted, with the green routes just being spread with sand and grit.

The list was published this evening after a lengthy meeting of council during which members outlined their concerns. It’s also emerged that the council has been given clearance to source its own supplies of salt, but it will be next month before that can be achieved.

A short time ago, we spoke to senior engineer Vincent Lynn, who said as another cold snap begins to take hold this evening, the service will be much reduced from what was provided previously, and motorists must take extreme care.

He’s urging motorists to carefully study the map of the new routes……..

Council statement in full -

Travel alert issued by Donegal County Council

Alterations to salting / gritting operations effective from

12.00hrs Friday 17^th December 2010.

DO NOT ASSUME THAT ROADS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY TREATED WITH SALT WILL CONTINUE TO BE SALTED. DO NOT ASSUME THAT ROADS ARE ICE FREE EVEN WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN SALTED OR GRITTED.

Due to the severe weather forecast for the coming days and the reduced amount of salt available at present, Donegal County Council is issuing this important travel warning to all road users. Weather conditions are expected to deteriorate further with snow and arctic conditions forecast. This could result in widespread frost, hard packed snow, black ice and treacherous road conditions generally.

Donegal County Council’s current Winter Maintenance Plan allows for 1,200 kms of priority routes to be treated. There is a need to reduce the normal daily usage of salt due to limited supplies. The Council has therefore revised its priority routes and have detailed them on the attached map, which is also available for inspection on the Council’s website (www.donegalcoco.ie).

This change means that from 12.00hrs on Friday 17^th December 2010 only the following routes, shown in red on the map, may be treated with salt, or a salt/grit mix.

Other routes, shown in green on the map, will be treated with a sand / grit mix.

An Garda Síochána have asked the public to avoid travelling in these conditions, if at all possible. Donegal County Council are advising the public to look at alternative methods of travel during this period and to consider using the routes that will be salted, which can be viewed on the Council’s website.

There are a number of simple precautions that Donegal County Council advise for driving during these winter conditions:

• · Avoid unnecessary journeys
• · Do not assume that roads are gritted or ice free
• · Keep up to date. Listen to local weather and traffic reports. Pay heed to the weather warnings alerting drivers of unsafe and dangerous driving conditions.
• · Keep informed via transport websites such as;

www.transport.ie

www.rsa.ie

• · Check Donegal County Council Website for Winter Gritting Routes

www.donegalcoco.ie

• · Check your tyres…they are your only contact with the road. Tyres should be at least the minimum legal tread depth of 1.6mm but need to be changed before they get this worn. Tyres need to be to the correct tyre pressure to give the motorist the best chance in extreme conditions.
  • · Use your lights, motorists are advised to use dipped headlights during the day so you are easily seen. Headlights and taillights should be in working order.
  • · Understand your brakes. Check your car manual and find out if your vehicle has safety assist technology such as Electronic Stability Control (ESC) or Anti Lock Braking System (ABS). Learn how these technologies can assist your driving in harsh weather conditions.
  • · Safe Distance. It takes longer to stop a car during the winter weather so slow down and allow extra distance between you and the car in front.
  • · Make sure you can see clearly. All too often motorists do not de-fog or de-ice windows and mirrors properly which can compromise visibility. Ensure windows and mirrors are clear, and carry a de-icer and screen scraper. Do not use boiling water as this can crack the windscreen.
  • · Beware of “Black Ice”. Black Ice is one of winter’s biggest hazards as it is difficult to see. Watch out for sheltered / shaded areas on roads, under trees and near high walls.
  • · Be prepared. Motorists should carry a number of essentials in the boot of their car.

1. High visibility vest

2. Appropriate footwear in case you need to leave your vehicle:- e.g. boots

3. A hazard warning triangle

4. Spare wheel

5. Tow Rope

6. A shovel

7. De-icing equipment (for glass and door locks)

8. First aid kit

9. A fire extinguisher

10. A car blanket, working torch, additional clothing & some food and water

11. Ensure adequate fuel in case of being held up due to conditions

• · In the event of a breakdown. Drivers need to ensure their vehicle is well in off the road so as not to obstruct other vehicles. The driver should also put on their hazard warning lights.

DO NOT ASSUME THAT ROADS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY TREATED WITH SALT WILL CONTINUE TO BE SALTED. DO NOT ASSUME THAT ROADS ARE ICE FREE EVEN WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN SALTED OR GRITTED.

Maps and details available here : http://www.donegalcoco.ie/NR/rdonlyres/BB3A022C-8DD9-4012-92FE-0EF9CFDD8766/0/winter_service_flyer2.pdf

The judge has begun his summing up to the jury in the trial of a 25-year-old man accused of illegal sex under anti-rape legislation with a 13-year-old girl.

It’s the third day of the trial at Donegal Circuit Court where the man has pleaded not guilty.

The offence was alleged to have happened in the defendant’s car when he was 18 on 25^th October 2003 in a south County Donegal car park.

He admitted having sex but he said before the jury of seven women and five men that he believed the girl 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. But if they rejected it then they must convict.

The judge is still delivering his summary and is expected to send the jury out to consider their evidence this afternoon.

Prosecution counsel Eileen O’Leary told the jury in her summary that in law a young person was still a child under the age of 17. The girl, at 13, was significantly under the legal age.

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.

An Bord Pleanala has granted permission for the development of an Equestrian Centre and apartments in Malin.

Donegal County Council had already granted permission for the development on the outskirts of the town but that was appealed to An Bord Pleanala on a number of grounds.

The planning application for the development on the Lagg Road was for an Equestrian Schooling Facility including stables for 34 horses class rooms, a cafe and other facilities.

Permission was also sought for the construction of 7 apartments, and 15 houses. Retention for an existing outdoor arena was also sought.

The Council did grant conditional approval but this was appealed on a number of grounds – including the development was contrary to the development plan.

Other concerns included that the development would add to a flooding problem, the development was of excessive scale and that the proposal showed a disregard for a neighbouring monument.

Having considered the matter the planning board refused permission for the retention of the existing outdoor arena.

However permission for the rest of the proposed development was granted following the receipt of an amended proposal which included a substantial reduction in the size of the development including the omission of all 15 houses.

Donegal’s Chief Fire Officer has rejected suggestions that low water pressure hindered the tackling of a major blaze in Raphoe last evening.

A number of families had a lucky escape when a house-fire in St Eunan’s Terrace sent smoke passing through their shared attic space – almost choking them.

One man was rescued by passers-by after the blaze broke out in his home at St.Eunan’s Terrace around 5pm.

It is claimed there was uproar among residents when firefighters were hampered by a lack of water pressure in the area.

However Fire Officer, Bobby McMenamim, says there was no unique issue with water pressure and proper procedure was followed:
 

It has been confirmed that a body  found on Lough Swilly Beach yesterday afternoon was that of missing Letterkenny women Una Boyle.

The 43 year-old had been missing since last Friday, she was last seen in the Port Bridge area of the town.

A major search operation was launched and continued until yesterday afternoon.

The discovery was made yesterday on a beach on Inch Island by a member of the public.

County Councillors meet today having been called to an emergency meeting to discuss the county’s dwindling salt stocks with another big freeze on the way.

Council sources say there is only enough salt to treat 1/3 of the county’s roads.

It is understood the National Roads Authority has instructed the council cut down their use of salt due to a national shortage.

The warning came as Met Eireann issued a weather warning with snow and ice forecast

Two weeks ago parts of the county were brought to a standstill – as the bitterly cold weather took hold and a number of schools had to close because of the weather.

Managing Director of Highland Radio, Charlie Collins, is asking schools to make an early decision regarding if they are going to close on Friday or not:
 

A number of families had a lucky escape in Raphoe last night when a house-fire sent smoke passing through their shared attic space – almost choking them.

One man was rescued by passers-by after the blaze broke out in his home at St.Eunan’s Terrace around 5pm.

But there was uproar among residents when firefighters were hampered by a lack of water pressure in the area.

Fears over the future of the Donegal Youth Council have been eased after it was confirmed that the council’s  coordinator for Donegal Youth Council has been reinstated.

Youth Council members expressed their concerns for its future last week when the youth council was suspended after the coordinator’s contract expired.

However Mayor Cora Harvey has confirmed that the coordinator will return to her post today on a contract set to run until March of next year:

The visiting restrictions which have been in place in Surgical Ward 2 of Letterkenny General Hospital since Monday have been lifted.

Hospital management is reminding visitors who may be unwell or have had vomiting or diarrhoea recently to not visit any part of the hospital.

Similarly, children and those with some other serious illness should also avoid visiting the hospital.

The north west’s two Institute of Technologies have been awarded over €2m in grant aid

Sligo IT will receive €1.2million while over €940,000 has also been approved for Letterkenny IT.

The funding will facilitate the provision of small-scale building works and high-tech equipment upgrades on both campuses.

LYIT President, Paul Hannigan, says the fundning is vital: