The Taoiseach is dismissing claims that members of his Party are still unhappy with his leadership.
He was responding to speculation that a number of back-bench Fianna Fail TDs wanted change earlier this year.
Michael Martin says the Covid crisis resulted in more online instead of personal meetings.
He says issues over meetings have now been sorted:
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High speed broadband infrastructure is being roll out to six islands off the coast of Donegal and Mayo.
National Broad Ireland says the quality and speed available on the islands will be the same as homes connected to the NBP on the mainland.
Construction is currently underway on four of the islands with the service expected to be activated in the first quarter of next year.
Inishowen Councillor Albert Doherty says action needs to be taken to tackle a tsunami of Covid-19 cases.
He is calling on the HSE to urgently respond to calls for a Covid test centre to be re-established in the peninsula.
A walk-in testing centre was in operation in Inishowen for a period of time but operations ceased in September.
Councillor Doherty says the size population of Inishowen in itself warrants a centre:
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Those aged 30 to 39 are eligible to register for a Covid vaccine booster from today.
They’ll be available at walk in clinics, participating pharmacies or GPs, or by booking a time slot for a centre online.
Meanwhile, those aged 16 to 29 who received the one shot Janssen vaccine are also eligible for a booster shot.
A walk-in booster clinic for people aged 30 and older is operating today at the Letterkenny Vaccination Centre in Ballyraine until 7:30pm this evening.
There’s been a sharp increase in house prices in Donegal over the past year.
According to the latest Daft.ie House Price Report the average house price in the county is now €177,000.
The final Daft.ie House Price Report of the year shows another jump in Donegal’s house prices – up 3.7 percent in just the last three months alone.
In 2021, the average price of a Donegal home skyrocketed by 12.3 percent – almost 5 percent more than the average increase of 7.7 percent, and more than 7 percent higher than the national inflation rate this year.
Donegal’s rise in house prices followed a similar trend to many rural areas, with Daft estimating an almost 15 percent increase in prices in the Connacht-Ulster area in 2021.
You can read the full report here
The latest wave of Covid 19 cases will peak in the next week or so, according to the Tanaiste.
Leo Varadkar says while January would be a difficult month, the number of virus patients in hospital would be lower than last winter.
The Tanaiste says that Covid 19 infections were likely to be very high ‘for the next few days and to peak in the next week or so.
In an interview with the Irish Times, Leo Varadkar says there will be an increase in patient numbers in hospital and ICU but this won’t be as high as last winter because of immunity that has built up due to the vaccine programme and prior infection.
He said we will overcome the omicron wave and hopefully more quickly than prior waves,
Just over 9,000 covid cases were reported yesterday bringing to almost 40,000 the number of people who have tested positive for Covid 19 since Christmas Day.
An investigation has been launched after a man was attacked and robbed in Letterkenny.
At around 9:30pm on Thursday night last, a man is believed to have left the bus station in the town and was walking in the direction of the carpark nearby when he was assaulted by two women and a man at the pedestrian crossing on the Ramelton Road.
His mobile phone was stolen during the the incident.
The man required medical attention for injuries sustained. Gardai do not believe his injuries to be life threatening.
They are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the incident or to anyone who may have dashcam footage of the incident to contact Gardaí in Letterkenny.
A woman in her 80s has been hospitalised following a crash in Ballyshannon yesterday.
The collision involving two vehicles occurred at around 2:25pm yesterday afternoon.
The woman in her 80s was the driver of one of the vehicles, she was transferred to Galway University Hospital for treatment to her injuries.
Gardai say no other injuries were reported.
A driver is due to appear in court in the New Year after being caught drug driving in the Fahan area.
Gardaí from Buncrana Garda Station and members of the Roads Policing Unit yesterday detected a vehicle being driven in a dangerous manner in the Fahan area.
The driver was stopped and subsequently arrested after they failed a roadside drug test, testing positive for the presence of cocaine.
The driver is now due to appear in court in the New Year.
Gardai are once again reminding all drivers to slow down, don’t drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, wear your seatbelt and be mindful of all other road users including pedestrians and cyclists.
83.5% of people in Donegal are fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
That’s the lowest figure in the country but does not account for those who may have received their vaccine in Northern Ireland.
Latest figures from the HSPC show that 86.8% of over 18’s in the county are fully vaccinated and 83.5% of over 12’s.
