Donegal Senator Brian O’Domnhaill has said that he WILL be paying the 100 euro household charge when it’s introduced.

But he also said that the charge should be means tested.

He said that he believes people claiming social welfare, pensioners, people in negative equity and people in mortgage arrears should be exempt from the Household Charge…….

There is an increasing chance that Donegal County Councillors will reject the County Manager’s budget for 2012 when they meet to adopt it tomorrow.

Sinn Fein is still deciding whether or not or support the budget which sets out the council’s spending for next year. It is understood that Fianna Fail, Fine Gael Labour and the Independents are also mulling over the details.

Sinn Fein Councillor Mick Quinn says his party has some serious concerns with the proposals, not least the fact that commercial rates look to be maintained at their current levels.

Councillor Quinn says the party’s gripe is not with the county manager, but with the constraints put on him by central government:

The annual rate of decline in property prices accelerated last month.

According to the CSO, residential property prices fell by 15-point-6 per cent in the year to the end of November.

That compares with a 15-point-1 per cent drop in the twelve months to the end of October.

Prices fell 1-and-a-half per cent in the month of November alone.

The figures also show house prices in Dublin are 52 per cent lower, and apartments are 58 per cent lower than their peak levels in February 2007.

Across the rest of the country, residential property prices are down 42 per cent.

A Fine Gael Senator from Dublin has complained that Bus Eireann fares to Letterkenny are to cheap compared to other areas of the country.

Catherine Noone is a Fine Gael Senator for Dublin South East and claims there are serious discrepancies in the price commuter belt customers are being charged to travel to and from Dublin.

She says someone travelling to Navan from Dublin is charged 22 cents a kilometre but if there are going to Letterkenny, the cost is just 8 cents per kilometre.

The Senator is accusing Bus Eireann of leading some commuters up the garden path – that is a charge rejected by Andrew McLindon, PR Manager at Bus Eireann:

There has been another robbery in Derry.

Last night a bookmakers shop at Meenan Square in the Bogside was targeted -this is the third robbery of a business premises in the area in the past  week .

At approximately 6.45pm, a masked man, armed with a suspected firearm, entered the bookmakers premises and made off with a sum of cash.

Cityside Councillor Patricia Logue says many of those working in local businesses very worried who will be targeted next:

Donegal North-East Deputy, Charlie McConalogue was heckled and booed at Sundays anti-budget protest in Letterkenny.

The Fianna Fail Deputy recieved the brunt of the crowds anger, as a number of people shouted “your party put us in this mess”.

Deputy McConalogue would not give the crowd an answer when he was asked if he was paying the household charge.

Speaking to Highland Radio today he said he wouldn’t be encouraging people to break the law, but he also said he wouldn’t be making any further comment.

It may be weeks before toxicology results reveal the exact cause of death of a father and his two children, who were found dead in Co Sligo on Sunday night.

52-year-old Trevor Wallwark and his two children Kim and Henry, aged 12 and nine, were found dead in their house in Moygara in Gurteen – its suspected that they died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Gardaí are describing it as a tragic incident.

Local Fine Gael Councillor Gerry Murray says its too early to say exactly what happened – but he says the area is in shock:

The EU is set to impose sanctions on Iceland and the Faroe Islands as a row over mackerel catches rumbles on.

There has been an agreement on mackerel fishing between the EU, Norway and Iceland and the Faroes,
but in the past two years, the latter two have significantly increased their catches over and above the agreed levels.

Three sets of talks, including a four day session in County Cork last week failed to reach agreement, and now, the EU has agreed in principle to impose sanctions, with parliament and the Council of Ministers set to confirm the details shortly.

Sean O’Doanghue is CEO of the Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation. He wants the EU to take a hard-line approach………..

The North’s Environment Minister has announced an immediate grant of quarter of a million pounds to fund emergency works at Marlborough Terrace in Derry.

Two wall collapses in recent days have left some back gardens and access lanes in a highly dangerous condition, with residents very concerned at what may lie ahead.

Local Cllr John Boyle says this is an example of how central government can work with local government to respond to an emergency.

He says the immediate priority is to carry out remedial and emergency work, particularly on the sewerage system in the area ………..

It’s emerged that Santa’s arrival to Mullaghmore on board the Bundoran lifeboat last Sunday was delayed because of what’s believed to have been a hoax call.

Santa eventually arrived at the Sligo pier after the rescue mission was stood down.

The RNLI say that just as the four person Bundoran Lifeboat crew were about to embark on their trip to Mullaghmore with Santa, they were diverted and tasked to an alleged incident in Donegal Town where, following a phone call to the Coast Guard at Malin Head, it was believed that four people were in an upturned boat near the quay in the town.

The lifeboat sped to the scene, as did the Sligo based Rescue 118 Helicopter and the Killybegs Coastguard. However, as they reached the scene, the call was declared a hoax and they were stood down.

A spokesperson said it’s sad that people still get a kick out of making hoax calls to the rescue services, and on this occasion, not one, but three services were tasked, making them all unavailable had a real emergency occurred elsewhere.