Almost 300 new jobs are to be created in Derry.

Waterford-based firm Rigney Dolphin, which provides customer service centres for other companies, is to establish a new base near Altnagelvin Hospital.

The company has received £1.2m from Invest NI, and is expected to generate over £4m annually over the next three years.

Derrys Deputy Mayor, Drew Thompson, welcomed todays annoucement, says any job creation had to be welcomed in the current economic climate:

Three men from the North arrested after gardaí received a tip-off that dissident republicans were about to carry out a “tiger kidnapping” in Co Donegal earlier this year were jailed for membership of the IRA at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin today.

46-year-old Gerard McGarrigle of Mount Carmel Heights, Strabane, 58-year-old Desmond Donnelly of, Lisnarick, Co Fermanagh, and 63-year-old Jim Murphy of Floraville, Enniskillen, had each denied membership of an illegal organisation styling itself on the Irish Republican Army, on February 22 last.

The three men were convicted last month. Today the court jailed Mc Garrigle for five years and Murphy and Donnelly for three years and nine months each.

Mr Justice Paul Butler, presiding, said that Mc Garrigle had three previous convictions in the North for terrorist related offences, including one in 1993 for attempted murder.

He said that both Donnelly and Murphy had no significant previous convictions.

The court heard during the trial that the three accused men were arrested at a garda checkpoint outside Letterkenny in the early hours of February 22 last.

The accused men told gardaí that they had driven to Letterkenny in the hope of getting security work at the Golden Grill nightclub.

Chief Superintendent Michael O’ Sullivan gave evidence that he believed the three men were IRA members on February 22.

Mr Justice Paul Butler, presiding, said that the court was satisfied that gardaí did receive intelligence relating to an alleged plot by dissident republicans that involved either a “tiger kidnapping or robbery” and that the intelligence included the names of the three accused.

Northern Irelands Finance Minister Sammy Wilson has confirmed that money will be available for the proposed Radiotherapy Unit at Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry.

Delivering his draft budget to MLAs at Stormont today Mr Wilson said even in the most difficult financial situation, health service funding will be ring-fenced.

Recently there were growing concerns that the plan for the new radiotherapy unit for cancer patients in the area might be affected by budget cuts.

Foyle MLA, Pol Callaghan, welcomed todays news, and he says he would be pushing for the project to go ahead as soon as possible……….

Meanwhile, spokesperson for Co-operating for Cancer Care North-West, Noelle Duddy, says she would be hopeful the radiotherapy unit would be up and running by Autumn 2015……..

It is expected that Donegal County Council will announce a major overhaul of what roads in the county are to be treated during the expected cold snap.

Sources suggest the local authority will only salt about 370km per night, this compares to 1200 km when salt stocks are full.

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

A Fianna Fail County Councillor has called on responsibility for maintaining Donegal’s salt stocks to be returned to the council with NRA’s response to the recent cold snap being described as abysmal.

Forecaster predict another cold spell in the coming days, however the Council has admitted that salt stocks are low, despite appeals to the NRA for more.

Councillor Charlie McConalogue says that as a result, the council is going to have tough decisions to make on which roads are treated and how – he lays the blame with the NRA:

Meanwhile Senator Cecilla Keaveney says she has spoken to NRA reprsentatives, Department of Transport representatives and engineers in Donegal County Council.

She says they should all come together and have a discussion.

And She also says that decreasing the amount of roads that will salted is unacceptable:

It is being claimed that EU recognition of an emerging fishery could prove to be good news for Donegal.

In Brussels overnight EU fisheries ministers hammerred out a difficult compromise deal over the allocation of quotas for 2011.

In the whole, the industry was facing a 22% reduction in quota however there will now be  a much smaller cut of 0.9%

Meanwhile it is claimed Donegal will benefit from Ireland securing two-thirds of the overall quota on the boarfish fishery off the west coast, which is relatively new but lucrative species for the Irish industry.

North west MEP Pat the Cope Gallagher says that is a welcome development:
 

Meanwhile, Cheif Executive of The Killybegs Fishermens Organisation, Sean O Donoghue says there was some positives and some negatives to be taken:

The trial continues today at Donegal Circuit Court of a 25-year-old man accused of unlawful sex with a girl when she was 13 years of age.

The offence is alleged to have happened at a South Donegal beach on a date in October, 2003. The man has pleaded not guilty.

The girl is now aged 20.

Yesterday the Prosecutor said it was not suggested the defendant coerced the girl into sex.in his car at a South Donegal beach.

The offence was that the girl at the time was too young to be legally capable of consenting to sex.

Patrick McGinley has been selected as the new President of the Letterkenny Chamber replacing out going president Paul Byrne.

It follows the Chamber’s AGM last night  at which a new Chamber Council was also elected.

Patrick McGinley said his new role will be challenging, predicting the intense negative effect of the economic downturn will continue for another 4 years.

He added that the government had done nothing, in its recent budget, to stimulate the economy and there were no measures to lessen the cost of doing business.

Mr McGinley said he will be keeping pressure on our TDs and local government to create the best environment for business in the North West.

He added that he wished to increase the membership of the chamber substantially and to continue to attract businesses who want to have their voice heard.

A Derry couple have won £24,000 in damages and costs after a European Court ruled that UK law breached their right to marry and enjoy religious freedom.

Judges at Strasbourg’s Court of Human Rights said they had “grave concerns” about the UK law designed to stop sham marriages.

Nigerian national Osita Chris Iwu and his wife, Sinead O’Donoghue met in Derry in 2004. They wanted to marry.

But they were blocked by UK rules.

The Inishowen Tourism Society will be awarded the retention of their manager and 4 and a half full time posts.

Welcoming the news Senator Cecilla Keaveney said the job potential of the tourism sector will be supported by this announcement.

Senator Keaveney says she believes there is now scope for Inishowen tourism to fulfill it’s massive potential: