The United Health Groups have said a number of high end IT jobs will be filled in Letterkenny in the coming months.

Yesterday the company officially opened its new 17,000-square-foot building at Business Park Road in Letterkenny.

The group is now the second biggest employer in Letterkenny.

Site Director, Padraig Monaghan, says they will offer future opportunities for young graduates:

The health minister is expected to announce on Monday if he will give the go-ahead for a new radiotherapy unit to be built at Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry.

Edwin Poots is expected to tell the assembly his plans after consulting with patients and cancer specialists.

The former health minister Michael McGimpsey had said there were no funds to run the unit.

A 35-year-old man originally from Ennis in County Clare has been found not guilty of three charges of rape of a woman in September 2008.

Patrick McNamara had been on trial at Derry Crown Court since Tuesday charged with raping the woman in his Ardenlee home.

However yesterday prosecution counsel Jackie Orr QC said that it was incumbent upon them to review the case and after the cross examination of the complainant they had decided to offer no further evidence.

The jury of six men and six women was then directed by the Judge to find McNamara not guilty on all counts.

The United Health Group has officially opened its new 17,000-square-foot building at Business Park Road in Letterkenny, with the company’s US based Chief Financial Officer predicting that the workforce will grow to well over 500 within  a year.

Operations at the site began under the “Pacificare” name in 1999 with 30 staff. Now, the workforce is over 470, with more to come following the opening of the new building.

Chief Financial Officer Dave Wichmann says Letterkenny is a very important element of United Health Group’s global operation……………

A Garda Chief Superintendent told the Special Criminal Court in Dublin today that she believed a Co Donegal man was an IRA member in 2010.

Chief Superintendent Terry Mc Ginn said that she believed that Philip McGavigan was a member of the IRA on February 2, 2010.

She told the court that her belief was based on confidential information from a source and she added that she did not want to disclose that source.

The court has heard that McGavigan told Gardaí that he had travelled to an isolated rural house, which had been placed under surveillance by armed detectives, to poach deer by lamp light.

50-year-old McGavigan, of Coneyburrow, Lifford has pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful organisation on February 2nd last year.

Chief Superintendent McGinn said that she had been attached to the Special Detective Unit and the National Surveillance Unit between 1985 and 1991 investigating the activities of terrorist organisations.

She said that she also investigated terrorist financing when she worked in the money laundering unit after her promotion to Inspector in 1995.

Chief Supt McGinn said that in 2009 Gardaí in Co Donegal targetted an IRA group in the Lifford, Sion Mills and Stranorlar area which was involved in various activities, including tiger kidnappings and shootings.

Cross examined by defence counsel Mr Brian Mc Cartney QC (stet), Chief Supt McGinn claimed privilege in relation to the confidential source who had identified McGavigan as an IRA member.

The trial resumes next Tuesday.

The DPP has interrupted a civil trial in which an elderly man is being sued after his car swerved into another vehicle resulting in spinal injuries to a child.

81-year-old William Barr of Middletown, Gweedore, Co Donegal lost his own wife in the crash and claims he’s not liable because the incident was caused by a medical ailment.

William Barr is being sued by Ronan McGarvey the father of 7 year old Noirin who is in a wheelchair as a result of the crash near Dunlewey on May 27th 2008.

In the first case of its kind, the 81 year old defendant says he lost control of the car because of a medical ailment and he’s arguing he should be indemnified by his local GP.

But this afternoon lawyers representing the DPP interrupted the case on its third day as the girl’s mother Sonia was giving evidence.

The court was informed the Director of Public Prosecutions is very concerned because the car crash has given rise to criminal proceedings that are still live in Donegal and listed for hearing in July.

The case has been adjourned until this afternoon to decide whether this civil trial should continue.

The Mayor of Donegal says the government must put pressure on the Obama administration to review US immigration policies, and is calling on the Taoiseach to directly raise the issue of the undocumented Irish with President Obama during his Irish visit next Monday.

Cllr Cora Harvey says with an estimated 50,000 undocumented Irish trapped in the US, 1,000 of them from Donegal, the issue must be put centre stage during the Obama visit………..

Garret Fitzgerald – the country’s seventh Taoiseach – has passed away at the age of 85.

President Mary McAleese has led official tributes this morning – she’s described him as one of our national treasures.

She says Dr Fitzgerald was the Renaissance man of our time and a true public servant who constantly strove to make Ireland a better place for all of it’s people.

Fianna Fail leader Michael Martin says Dr Fitzgerald made an enormous contribution to Irish politics and our wider society.

Mr Martin has described him as a hard-working politician of compassion and ability, a prolific journalist of insight and understanding, and a brilliant academic of versatility and knowledge.

And he’s paid tribute to his work in the peace process, saying he was a strong advocate of peace in Northern Ireland.

Meanwhile, Donegal South West Deputy and Junior Gaeltacht Minister Dinny Mc Ginley has said Garrett Fitzgerald was the reason he entered politics…………

The trial of a man accused of murdering Derry woman Jean Quigley at Cornshell Fields in July 2008 has been adjourned unexpectedly at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin.

Earlier this week, a  jury was sworn in for the trial of 38 year old Stephen Cahoon, but before the trial proper could start, Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan said an issue had arisen, and the case had to be adjourned.

The jury was dismissed, and a new trial date will be fixed on Monday week next, May 30th.

Two men arrested after drugs were seized by gardai on the outskirts of Letterkenny last evening have been released pending files to the DPP.

Gardai say a quantity of cannabis with an estimated street value of €2,200 was found in the car when it was stopped close to the Dry Arch Roundabout at around 5.30pm.

The two men, both in their late 30s, were and brought to Letterkenny Garda station. They were later released pending files.

Earlier this week, three non-nationals were detained following the discovery of a cannabis factory in Buncrana on Sunday night. One person was released pending a file to the DPP, while another was transferred to Cloverhill in Dublin pending his deportation.

The third has been charged with possesion of drugs with intent to supply, and remanded in custody.

Gardai say the yesterday evening’s Letterkenny operation is not linked to the Buncrana find.