Garda sergeants and inspectors say the €3 million severance payment made to former AIB Managing Director Colm Doherty could have been used to provide much needed equipment and resources for gardai.

Donegal Crime Prevention Officer Paul Wallace told the conference the money could have been used  in this county during the big freeze.

The AGSI has  highlighted one case in Donegal last Christmas, where Gardaí were unable to travel in their patrol car to take a statement from a rape victim.

Due to the heavy snow and ice, a member was forced to drive his own 4 by 4 to the house.

Sergeant Wallace says they must be given the proper equipment to do their job….

A number of members from the Letterkenny 24/7 club represented Ireland last weekend at the European Duathlon Championship in Limerick. In the 30-34 age category, Michael Black was the first Letterkenny man home in 7^th place in a superb time of 1hr:53mins. Gavin Crawford finished in 10^th overall with a good time of 1hr:53mins. Elsewhere Adrian Callaghan was 25^th and Hazel scorer was 12^th in her age category. Duathlon is based around two disciplines running and cycling.

Michael Black spoke with Myles Gallagher after the event.
 

A Donegal Councillor says reports that a deal has been done to take Rockhill House into council ownership are premature.

Earlier today, the Rockhill House Heritage Association issued a statement saying that agreement had been reached, and calling for close coopertion between the council and the association.

However, Cllr Dessie Larkin says while discussions on the acquisition of the former army bases at Rockhill and Lifford are at an advanced stage, he believes a deal is still a few weeks away.

He says the County Manager is engaged in detailed discussions, and while the basis for an agreement is there, it’ll be some time before the talks are completed………..

The non-attendence of a police officer at an assault case in Derry Magistrates Court yesterday has angered a district judge.

As the Chief Constable of the PSNI Matt Baggot announced his new commitments to the public, District Judge Barney Mc Elholm warned he will be seeking disciplinary actions against a police officer if notes and files in the case are not handed over by May 9.

The court was told that the officer dealing with the case had been transferred and there had been no progress in securing medical notes and records.

Judge McElholm said: “What I find completely unsatisfactory is that there is a police officer out there who does not realise that when he starts an investigation it must be completed”.

The judge directed that all the relevant material had to be handed over by May 9 by the investigating officer.
He went on: “If not I will complain to the District Commander that this must be a disciplinary matter.”

He said that there had been a ‘gross delay and an inexcusable delay’ and said if the notes were not handed over then the investigating officer must attend court on that date.

Donegal will train tonight ahead of Sunday’s Division 2 League final at Croke Park with Laois. Manager Jim Mc Guinness will asses the walking wound with a total of seven players carrying knocks. Captain Michael Murphy is rated as extremely doubtful for the game having suffered a dead league in a club fixture at the weekend. The other six players that concern McGuinness are Kevin Cassidy, Neil McGee, Paddy Mc Grath, Mark Mc Hugh, Karl Lacey and Adrian Hanlon.

Jim Mc Guinness says the situation will be made clearer tonight.
 

After Friday night’s 5-0 reversal in Turners Cross against Cork City, Finn Harps are on the road again on Tuesday evening when they make the trip to Athlone for a game they simply must win. The midlanders picked up their first victory of the season in Wexford, at the same time as Harps were recording their heaviest defeat in almost two years on Friday night.  The hammering dished up by Cork was the first time Harps conceded five since UCD blasted the same amount past them at Finn Park in October 2009. Finn Harps Manager, James Gallagher, will again have to plan without the suspended Marc Brolly who serves the second of a two match suspension for his sending off against Salthill ten days ago.  Ciaran Coll is a major doubt after he was stretchered off in Turners Cross on Friday night, while goalkeeper Ciaran Gallagher also took a knock.

Donegal councillor Terence Slowey is facing a crunch meeting with Fine Gael’s disciplinary committee today.

It arises from a Standards in Public Office Commission hearing into a double claim for expenses. Cllr Slowey claimed travel expenses for attending two separate conferences on the same weekend in October 2008.

The commission, which published details of its investigation last week, found that he had acted recklessly, and breached four ethical guidelines.

We understand an agreement has been reached to transfer ownership of Rockhill House outside Letterkenny to Donegal County Council.

The Defence Forces withdrew from the building just over two years ago, and since then, serious concern has been raised about its state of repair.

In a statement this morning, the Rockhill House Heritage Association welcomes the decision, and calls for   a flagship tourism project to be initiated at the house, which is a listed building.

Adrian Gallagher is Chairperson of the Heritage Association, he believes the deal is done…….

Several units of the fire service are tackling what has been described as a “serious” gorse fire in a built up area at Knockastoller in Bunbeg.

Two residential property has been damaged.

Fire crews from Gweedore, Dungloe and Glenties are understood to be at the scene.

Meanwhile, a second gorse fire is burning out of control at upper Loughanure in a bogland area, a third is burning in Churchill while a fourth fire is being tackled close to Buncrana.

Bobby McMenamin is Donegal’s Chief Fire Officer:

Paddy Bradley looks set to miss Derry’s Ulster Championship campaign after suffering a suspected cruciate ligament injury in a club game at the weekend. Bradley sustained the injury while playing for Glenullin in a league game against Bellaghy. The star forward is now facing an anxious few days to find out the full extend of the injury. Bradley’s injury is another headache for Derry manager John Brennan who is also currently without Enda Muldoon, James Conroy, Patsy Bradley and Joe Diver.