Category: Old Donegal

The Shaping Our Electricity Future road map has been unveiled – a blueprint for radically transforming the country’s electricity grid.

Donegal is in line for extensive investment, with several new projects required to address new renewable generation in the north-west region.

These will include a new circuit, upgrading works and new technology projects to make the grid more efficient and smarter when it comes to moving electricity around.

Most of the new projects identified in the blueprint are upgrades to existing infrastructure.

Nationally, the plan comprises 40 new grid infrastructure projects, representing a total investment of over €1 billion.

Rental availability in the North West, or lack thereof, has been laid bare in the latest Daft report.

Rents in the three Ulster counties rose 17.3% year-on-year, reflecting a sharp fall in availability – just 45 homes were available to rent on November 1, the lowest on record.

In Donegal, rents were on average 19.7% higher in the third quarter of 2021 than a year previously – the average listed rent in the county is now €784, up 61% from its lowest point.

Author of the report Ronan Lyons doesn’t foresee much change in the time ahead:

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233 medical card holders have been waiting over six months for an initial assessment for counselling.

A further 1,610 have been waiting between four and six months.

Of those waiting over 6 months, 42 are in Donegal.

They’re waiting to access the HSE’s Counselling in Primary Care Service, which is available in over 240 locations throughout the country.

Brendan Kelly, a professor of psychiatry in Trinity College Dublin, says the waiting lists are a concern:

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Former Northern Ireland civil rights activist and government minister, Austin Currie, has died.

The Tyrone native passed away peacefully at his home in Derrymullen, Co Kildare, at the age of 82.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin says he did ‘so much for people, as a peacemaker and in politics’.

He was one of the founding members of the SDLP, before serving as a Fine Gael TD in Dublin West from 1989 to 2002.

Former Taoiseach John Bruton says he was a key part of the Rainbow Coalition:

https://www.highlandradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/bruton7am.mp3

The Northern Ireland Protocol will be discussed during a meeting between the European Commission and the US president today.

Ursula von der Leyen and Joe Biden will also speak about climate action, health and trade.

The UK is threatening to stop implementing parts of the Brexit protocol, by triggering Article 16.

Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Andrews says this will be raised at the meeting in Washington today:

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Listen back to Main Evening News, Sport & Obituaries for Tuesday November 9th:

https://www.highlandradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/news.mp3

3,578 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed this evening.

It’s the eighth consecutive day the figure has exceeded 3,000.

520 Covid patients are in hospital – the highest in over eight months – with 83 in intensive care, up five from yesterday.

The chief medical officer says 44,000 cases have been reported in the past two weeks.

Dr Tony Holohan says the level of disease is ‘really high’, and is a ‘significant risk’ to vulnerable people.

Members of Letterkenny and Milford Municipal District have backed a motion calling for better privacy for women attending the Breast Check facility in the grounds of Letterkenny Public Services Centre.

Cllr Michael McBride asked the the unit be moved to a car park adjoining Joe Bonner Road while building works continue and the PSC.

Officials say those works will finish next month, and moving the unit would not be feasible in the short term, because of the need for water, power and other infrastructure.

Cllr McBride says another potential solution would be to change the entrance to the Public Services Centre:

https://www.highlandradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/mcbridenew5pm-2.mp3

The Irish League of Credit Unions is warning people about a new online ad scam offering fake same day loans.

Those who express interest are contacted by a person claiming to be from the ILCU, who then requests a money transfer as insurance.

The ILCU says it does not offer loans and is urging people to report such calls to Gardai.

1,228 new coronavirus cases have been recorded in the North in the last 24 hours.

There have been 7 additional covid related deaths.

There are 395 patients being treated for the disease in hospital in Northern Ireland, with 39 in ICU.