Category: Old Donegal

Foyle MP and SDLP leader Colm Eastwood is backing holiday home owners living in Northern Ireland whose holiday homes have been affected by Mica.

Colm eastwood says there is justifiable anger that people living in the north have been excluded, and the Irish government has missed an opportunity to give all those impacted the full and unconditional support they deserve.

Mr Eastwood says for many, their homes in Donegal are where they plan to retire, and the Irish Government should review its policy to ensure complete redress for all homeowners across the North West, including those whose holiday homes are affected.

Letterkenny University Hospital remains one of the most overcrowded hospitals in the country today.

It’s the second most overcrowded with 54 people waiting on a bed there.

17 patients are on a trolley in the hospital’s Emergency Department while are further 37 are waiting on wards.

Nationally, 323 people are waiting on a hospital bed.

Mica campaigner Paddy Diver says he has had a conversation with Agriculture Minister,  in which he told Charlie McConalogue the sliding scale is confusing, and has to go.

The government says in February, the per foot rate will change, based on Housing Agency assessments of prevailing market conditions.

Paddy Diver says if that happens in February in a way that guarantees homeowners will not be out of pocket, then that’s acceptable. However, he said if the issue is kicked down the road to April or beyond, then the government will have a war on its hands.

On today’s Nine til Noon Show, he said the most important thing now he says is clarity on the per foot rate……..

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The Housing Minister has admitted there is more work to be done on the enhanced Mica redress scheme unveiled yesterday.

Much criticism has been voiced over the inclusion of a €145 per square foot cap for the first 1,000 square foot of a property which could leave homeowners still forking out tens of thousands of euro.

Mental health supports and the removal of upfront costs are among a number of measures to be included also. However, Mica affected holiday homes remain excluded and rental properties while now under the remit of the scheme, must have been registered with the RTB as of November 1st.

Speaking on this morning’s Nine til Noon Show, Minister O’Brien says he is confident upon revising the square foot ‘sliding scale’ next year, homeowners will receive 100% redress:

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Gardai have confirmed that over the past week, 12 drivers have been arrested in Donegal for driving under the influence.

8 motorists were arrested for drink driving and 4 for drug driving.

It comes as Gardai as part of their Christmas and New Year road safety campaign continue to appeal to people to act responsibly and to not be tempted to drink and drive over the festive period.

Over the coming weeks, checkpoints will be in place across the country in a bid to crackdown on people driving under the influence.

1.4 million people are set to receive the Christmas bonus next week.

More than €313 million will be paid into bank accounts by the Department of Social Protection from December 6th.

Pensioners, carers, people with disabilities, lone parents and long-term social welfare recipients are among those who’ll benefit.

People on the PUP or Jobseekers will only be eligible if they’ve been on the payments for 12 months.

A search was carried out yesterday in Derry by the PSNI’s local Tactical Support Group on behalf of Foyleside & Moors Neighbourhood Policing Team following an investigation into the cultivation of cannabis.

A quantity of suspect herbal cannabis, 27 young cannabis plants and growing equipment was seized.

Police say one person is assisting with enquires.

Urgent clarity is being sought over what added cost a Mica affected homeowner will have to incur in the enhanced redress scheme.

There are fears that people will still have to contribute a significant amount of money towards the demolition and reconstruction of their homes.

Deputy Padraig MacLochlainn says the Housing Agency has played a key role in coordinating the Pyrite scheme in Leinster, and he wants to know why that’s not the case with the current scheme:

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Children in third class and above have to wear masks in school from today onwards.

New Department of Education guidelines state a medical cert’s required for an exemption, and those without evidence will be refused entry.

The government’s also calling for less indoor socialising among under-12s for the next two weeks, after a sharp increase in Covid cases.

There were over 18,200 among under-18s in the fortnight to Sunday – compared to just over 13,700 in the previous two weeks.

Suzanne Connolly, the chief executive of Barnardos, is concerned about the new requirement for masks:

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