Protesters in Council chamber

Donegal County Council’s budget meeting has been disrupted after dozens of protesters stormed the chamber with claims that some councillors were both verbally and physically assaulted.

The Can’t Pay Won’t Pay protesters had called on councilors to come out of the meeting to address the crowd. When they did not, 2 dozen protesters entered the chamber with placards chanting ‘We won’t pay’

A number of protesters addressed the meeting with a loud speaker before inviting councillors who support them to leave the meeting with them.

Councillors were challenged to show ‘whose side they were on’ – Shouts of ‘the game is up’ could also be heard.

Labour Councillor Frank McBrearty has claimed to have been physically assaulted while at least two other councillors are said to have been subjected to verbal abuse.

Lifford Protesters

Around 100 people have turned up to protest in Lifford on a number of issues. The majority of those are part of the ‘Can’t Pay Won’t pay’ group.

In the past fortnight they have held meetings held right across Donegal calling for non payment of the house hold charge and the septic tank inspection charge.

Joe Murphy, who has launched his own protest at the government’s budget ,  is also protesting in Lifford.

The Cant Pay Wont Pay Group will be holding a protest outside the Council Offices in Lifford this morning.

In the past fortnight there have been meetings held right across Donegal calling for non payment of the house hold charge and the septic tank inspection charge.

Crowds of between 130 in small villages to 400 in larger towns have being attending the meetings.

Donegal South-West Deputy, Thomas Pringle, says todays protest is not against Donegal County Council, but to highlight the impact of the household charge.

And Deputy Pringle says while he can afford to pay the charge, he’s refusing to pay to stand in solidarity with people who can’t…….

Donegal County Council meets in special session this morning to discuss what members say will be one of the most difficult budgets the council has ever faced.

The county manager and senior officials are facing the challenge of maintaining services and providing for the development of the county while at the same time minimising the cost to local businesses.

The budget document being presented to council today does not seek an increase in commercial rates, but many members believe a freeze is not enough in the current economic climate, and another reduction is
necessary.

However, if Finance Director Gary Martin and County Manager Seamus Neely are to reduce rates, they’ll have to find further savings in a budget which has already been cut to the bone.

Spending will be down €5 million, from €153 million this year to €148 in 2012. Manager Seamus Neely is acknowledging €6 million in savings during 2011, with a further 200,000 expected through energy efficiencies.

Commercial water and waste water charges will increase by 15 and 5 cent respectively, but standing charges will be reduced by €25.

What could be a long and protracted process of debate and discussion begins this morning, with every possibility that it will be January before a budget is passed.

The jury will be sent to consider a verdict today at the trial of a man who denies conning €177,000 from seven people in Donegal.

Thomas Elvin told his trial last evening that he hoped to turn 50,000 dollars into 98 million dollars in less than. 45 days.

The 50 year old from  Meencargagh, Ballybofey, told the court he is now living on weekly social welfare payments, and has 20 cows on a 17-acre farm.

Thomas Elvin told Donegal Circuit Court how he encountered a Florida-based man on the Internet, Larry Marsella, and after an exchange of emails and phone calls he believed he was the man to help him raise a large sum of money for good causes.

Marsella told him he could earn 25 per cent a month interest with higher than average yields on invested money over a period of 30 to 45 days maximum.

Elvin said he hoped to turn 50,000 dollars into 98 million dollars, and what happened was the funds of the people whose money was at the centre of the case were transferred to Marsella, but he did not live up to his promise, and some of the money was lost.

He said he was duped by Larry Marsella.

Elvin added that on a couple of occasions, he considered suicide.

He denies 26 counts of operating as an illegal investor on a variety of dates between 2003 and 2005 and of deceiving seven people of their cash .

Northern Ireland’s senior coroner has asked the Public Prosecution Service to consider if a soldier who killed a Derry teenager should be prosecuted.

John Leckey made the request after an inquest jury found that Daniel Hegarty posed no threat when he was shot dead by the soldier in Creggan in 1972.

He said it was the appropriate course of action given the jury’s verdict.

The coroner is legally bound to refer cases to the PPS where it appears an offence has been committed.

Daniel, who was a labourer, was shot twice in the head by a soldier close to his home in Creggan. His cousin, 16-year-old Christopher, was shot in the head by the same soldier but survived.

The shootings happened during Operation Motorman in July 1972.

Earlier this month, the jury rejected claims that warnings had been shouted to the two teenagers before they were shot.

The operation was aimed at reclaiming “no go areas” in the city from the IRA.

The jury also found that none of the soldiers present attempted to “approach the injured youths to either search them or provide medical assistance”.

Following the verdict, the solicitor for the Hegarty family, Des Doherty, said the record had now been “set straight”.

Jason Quigley helped the Los Angeles Matadors finish out the year on a high note with a shut out 5-0 victory over the Bangkok Elephants in the World Series of Boxing (WSB) at the Music Box in Hollywood on Sunday. The Donegal Finn Valley fighter recorded an inside the distance victory over Aussie middleweight Trevor Troy O’Meley. Quigley who completely outclassed O’Meley to register his second WSB win of the season for LA, stopped the Australian 1:05 into the second after running away with the opening frame (10-8,10-7,10-8).  The victory elevates the Donegal man to number three spot in the WSB middleweight rankings.

Stabalisation works are getting underway at Marlborough Terrace in Derry where a wall collapsed at the weekend

Derry City Council met with a specialist engineering contractor today after Environment Minister Alex Attwood provided quarter of a million pounds last evening for immediate remedial work.

In the meantime, people in the affected area are being urged to stay away from their back lanes and back gardens.

The council says that for the moment, the contractors will concentrate on the immediate areas of risk of collapse along the retaining wall and the reconnection of waste pipes.

The physical clearance of the area has commenced and the majority of priority areas will be concluded ahead of Christmas. The council will continue to monitor the situation.

In the longer term, the council says it will continue to liaise with residents and help with progressing discussions with insurance companies for the long-term replacement of the retaining wall in Marlborough Terrace.

Conmsent forms have been circulated to residents to allow the stabilisation works to progress, they’re being asked to sign and return those forms as quickly as possible.

Local Councillor John Boyle says residents have been dealing with this in a very responsible manner, and he’s urging them to continue in that manner over the Christmas period ……….

Donegal Pet Rescue is warning that there may be bogus collectors claiming to represent them operating in Letterkenny at the moment.

Spokesperson Bronwyn Walsh says they have been told that a number of young women have been going door to door collecting, but no such collection has been authorised by them.

She says anyone with concerns or wishing to make donations should contact Donegal Pet Rescue directly……..

The trial of a man accused of conning €177,000 from seven Co. Donegal people has been told an American associate claimed to the FBI that he was threatened with IRA action.

Donegal Circuit Court has been told that Thomas Elvin, 50, described as bible-believing and a Church of Ireland member, was linked to Florida-based finance operator Larry Marsella.

The jury has been told that 51-year-old Marsella was connected to a firm called Loan Doctors and worked for Pear Shaped Resources, a British Virgin Islands-based company which the prosecution claims was run by Elvin, who lives at Meencargagh, Ballybofey

The final prosecution witness, Sgt Gerry Mullaney, said Marsella was interviewed by FBI special agent Christopher Penn.

Marsella told Penn of email and phone communications over dealings with Elvin.

At one stage in 2005 Elvin demanded money back and threatened him to use Irish Republican contacts within the IRA.

Marsella severed all his contacts with Elvin following communication about laundering IRA money.

Defence counsel Desmond Murphy, SC, asked Sgt Mullaney if he made any investigations into the allegations that Elvin was linked to money-laundering and IRA connections.

Sgt Mullaney told the court that Elvin emailed Marsella and mentioned there were men who put him under pressure to get their money back and they would have to bring it to the IRA.

Sgt Mullaney said gardai had no evidence that the men, who were only called Seamus and Mr X in court, were linked to the IRA and there was no evidence that Elvin was linked to it either.

Elvin, described as a small farmer, denies 26 counts of operating as an illegal investor on a variety of dates between 2003 and 2005 and of deceiving people of their cash, including life savings .

He is alleged to have committed the offences at a number of locations in Donegal town, Ballybofey and Cloghan, Co. Donegal.

The trial, in its fourth day, is due to end this evening(Tues) or tomorrow.