It’s been confirmed that Donegal’s islanders will vote in the presidential election on Monday October 24th, three days before the rest of the country votes on the following Thursday.
A total of 761 islanders are on the register, 524 on Arranmore, 136 on Tory, 67 on Inishboffin, 25 on Gola and nine on Inishfree.
A Sinn Fein deputation has met with Chief Superintendent Terry Mc Ginn this afternoon, with Donegal North East Deputy Padraig Mac Lochlainn saying it now seems that garda station closures in the county are inevitable.
In the Dail earlier this week, Justice Minister Alan Shatter told Deputy Mac Lochlainn that no decisions were made, and accussed him of political naivity and scaremongering when he urged the government to prevent the closure of up to 24 garda stations in Donegal.
The minister said the Garda Commissioner is preparing a report, to which Chief Superintendents and senior garda management figures are contributing.
However, Deputy Mac Lochlainn claims the minister is starving gardai of resources, giving the commissioner no other choice than to close stations to cut costs…………
There’s been a 39 per cent drop in the number of planning applications given the green light in the past year.
New CSO figures show that permission was granted for a total of just 3-thousand-310 units between April and June – down from 5-thousand-378 in the same quarter in 2010.
In Donegal, the drop is less severe, with 92 new dwellings approved this year compared to 109 during the same period last year.
In total, there were 232 permissions granted in Donegal between April and June.
A former Head of the North-Western Health board has defended himself over claims that he recieved hundreds of thousands of euro in consultancy fees since his retirement.
Letterkenny man, Pat Harvey set up a consultancy firm after his retirment from the Health Board in 2005.
Documents obtained by The Irish Examiner show that Mr Harvey has recieved over 1 million euro in severance fees, non-tendered projects and other payouts since retiring from the health service.
But speaking on todays Shaun Doherty Show, Mr Harvey says he never asked for this consultancy work and he never tendered for the work…….
A Presbyterian Minister in Derry has said the media in the Republic should stop concentrating on Martin McGuinnesses past, and instead should recognise the way he has changed for the better.
At a rally in Derry last night Martin McGuinness said his “heart goes out” to the relatives of British soldiers and RUC officers who died during the Troubles.
Mr McGuinness also said he “valued” his relationship with former DUP leader Ian Paisley and the current First Minister Peter Robinson.
The First Derry Presbyterian Minister, the Reverend David Latimer, who also addressed last nights rally, said the media should compare the Martin McGuinness of the past, to the Martin McGuinness of today…….
Meanwhile Rev Latimer has said the person responsible for the graffiti in the Fountain Estate in Derry yesterday doesn’t represent the view of the people from that area.
The graffiti appeared to refer to threaten the Reverend, and he said those responsible were sad………….
The Transport Minister is being urged to step in to save the Foyle Ferry linking Greencastle and Magilligan, which is due to stop operating on Sunday evening next.
Donegal North East TD Charlie Mc Conalogue says he believes that the cost to the State of providing a subvention for the ferry could well be less than the cost to the State of the 18 ferry staff transferring to the social welfare system.
Deputy Mc Conalogue says while Donegal County Council and Limavady Borough Council have made strong efforts to provide a subvention for the service over recent years, it is clear a more medium-term approach involving central government is needed….
The PSNI says the disappearance of Lifford man David Colhoun is still very much a live investigation after searches in the Foyle yesterday failed to find any trace of the missing 22 year old.
Meanwhile, it’s emerged the Searching for the Missing group will return to Donegal on the weekend after next for further searches.
Mystery still surrounds the whereabouts of David Colhoun, who has not been seen since the early hours of Sunday, May 22.
He had been detained in Strabane for minor offences, but escaped from custody and in the direction of the River Mourne.
His family believe he entered the river and attempted to swim to the Lifford side, but never made it.
Sinde his disappearance, several searches have taken place in the river, the latest of them coordinated by the PSNI yesterday. Now, we understand that concern is growing among the family and friends of David Colhoun that the PSNI may be scaling back their efforts.
However, a police spokesperson has told Highland Radio News that it remains a live investigation.
The spokesperson said the Colhoun family is being kept up to date, and meetings with the family will continue.
Meanwhile, the Searching for the Missing group is due to return for further searches on the weekend beginning the 7th of October.
A former of Head of the North-Western Health board who was a given a huge pay-off in 2005, has also received hundreds of thousands of euro in consultancy fees ever since.
Documents obtained by The Irish Examiner show that Letterkenny man, Pat Harvey has received over 1 million euro in severance fees, non-tendered projects and other payouts since retiring from the health service.
The documents show that Pat Harvey has received the money since 2005.
Pat Harvey is a former chair of the HSE Employers Agency, Chief Executive of the North Western Health Board, chair of PPARS and general manager of Letterkenny and Sligo hospitals.
Freedom of Information documents show he retired on September 23, 2005, said the paper.
In early 2006, the consultancy firm he founded on June 3, 2005, received two lucrative contracts from the HSE EA, which he previously chaired and was connected to in 2004.
An internal health service review confirmed these projects were not tendered for — a breach of HSE financial and governance regulations.
The projects given to Harwyn Management Consultants, totalling €295,526, were a €126,919 Violence and Aggression in the Workplace project Mr Harvey chaired, and a further €168,607 for mediation services.
When Mr Harvey left the HSE he received a once-off “severance gratuity” of €194,655 and a €60,934 “ex-gratia payment” given to former regional chiefs executive.
He also receives an annual pension of €64,855.
Since retiring Mr Harvey, chairman of the Croke Park agreement’s health service group, has received a €389,130.90 pension, €295,526 in non-tendered contracts from a group he used to chair, €255,589.49 in one-off severance pay. Just under €200,000 in HSE projects tendered for since 2007 and an annual salary of €20,520 as chair of the implementation body on health-sector reform.
The figures emerged after the Irish Examiner obtained a highly critical HSE internal audit on the HSE EA’s 2006-2009 spending.
Neil Gallagher has played in both midfield and full forward in this year’s championship for Glenswilly. On route the club beat Naomh Conaill, St. Eunan’s and Kilcar to make the final. Neil feels the final is going to be the tightest game of them all.
Colm Mc Fadden is top scorer in the championship for St. Michael’s. Colm says it’s good to be playing championship football at this time of year.
Gary McDaid is joint manager of Glenswilly along with John McGinley. Gary is in no doubt of the task at hand but feels all the pressure will be on St.Michael’s.
Sunday’s decider is a first for St,Michael’s. To have a successful championship Manager Eddie Harkin said he needed more leaders on the field this year.
Glenswilly Captain Gary Mc Fadden is looking to make up for the disappointments of previous Championships.
St.Michael’s Captain Michael Gallagher says it’s an honour to be captain of the first St.Michael’s side to lineout in a county final.
Throw in on Sunday is 4pm, Tune into Highland Radio Sunday Sport from 2pm for the build up, the full game live and after match reaction with Charlie Collin’s Martin Mc Hugh and Tom Comack.
A prominent Presbyterian Clergyman in Derry is to throw his support behind Martin Mc Guinness in the presidential race.
Confirmation from the Mc Guinness camp that First Derry Presbyterian Church Minister Reverend David Latimer will be among the attendees at a rally in Derry this evening follows an outcry after graffiti appearing to threaten Reverend Latimer appeared in the city.
The graffiti, in the Fountain Estate says “Dad’s Army Padre joins SF/IRA. Goodbye David”, an apparent reference to Reverend Latimer’s appearance at the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis earlier this month, during which he praised Martin Mc Guinness as a great leader.
In a statement this afternoon, Bishop Bishop Good says too many time in the past, intimidation has been used as an insidious means of dealing with internal disagreement within a community.
He said cowardly and anonymous words have done great damage to everyone, and not only to those directly concerned.
