Ocean FM News Reports

It has emerged that more rural postal sorting offices are to be amalgamated with Sligo. Sorting offices in Ballymote, Bundoran and Tubbercurry are all set to be moved into Sligo town, along with Manorhamilton, as reported by Ocean FM News earlier today. The move will see 27 more vans on the roads to sort and deliver post, while staff will be working out of a marquee at the sorting office in Sligo....

There are reports of a number of Donegal contractors missing out on work within the county, as it is being outsourced instead.   It is understood that contractors are being employed from Northern Ireland due to cheaper labour rates.   It’s also feared that the employment of such contractors can have a negative impact on the local economy, due to funds leaving the county.   Fianna Fa...

The fish production crisis in Killybegs was raised to officials from the Department of the Marine on Wednesday. Before an oireachtas committee, they were informed of the hundreds of jobs at stake in Donegal if the situation was not addressed. Sinn Fein TD Padraig MacLochlainn highlighted that a number of vessels are no longer landing in Killybegs due to level of bureaucracy they’re being faced wit...

Graffiti has appeared on signs in Donegal, covering English place names so the Irish name stands out. Road signs for Letterkenny and Fintown are among those that've been sprayed with red paint. Garry Martin of Donegal County Council warns it could cause damage to the local tourism industry and confuse road users. However, Trinity Student Union's Oifigeach na Gaeilge, Pádraig Mac Brádaigh says it's...

The motion to include Sligo in the defective block scheme will be on the order of business in the Dáil next week. This follows the issue being raised by Sligo-Leitrim TD Marian Harkin on Wednesday in Dublin. It is hoped that the Dáil will pass the motion and have it put through before the end of the month. Deputy Harkin says she welcomes the next important step for redress.  

The postal sorting office in Manorhamilton is to be removed and amalgamated with the Sligo sorting office. There is frustration among the community as this decision follows reduction in services over the years which saw banks close in the town. The move is expected to take place next week, with local postal workers now having to work out of Sligo. Independent Cllr Felim Gurn says it's a disappoint...

Representatives of Love Leitrim renewed their protests today in Dublin as they promote calls to ban fracking. There are major concerns locally over the environmental impact that the development of a new LNG terminal will have. Speaking in the Dail today, Minister Heather Humphreys highlighted that the government is opposed to fracking, but they have to plan for all eventualities. Manorhamilton Ind...

A regeneration project in Bundoran is ongoing as developments are sought to increase safety measures and reduce antisocial behaviour. Six ramps are being placed in the area to curtail speeding, while additional lighting is also being sought. There is an eagerness to see the scheme progress locally as costs continue to rise. Sinn Fein Cllr Michael McMahon says the delays are unfortunate, but is ple...

The government has reiterated its opposition to fracking, ahead of a proposed development of an LNG terminal. There’s been major concern locally, as Love Leitrim protested in Dublin against the introduction of fracked gas imports. Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys responded to a question from Labour leader Ivana Bachik to clarify Ireland’s stance in the Dail this after...

Mica redress campaigners in Donegal have sought clarification over an alleged minor glitch which saw a number of full remediation applications downgraded from full demolition.     The allegations, published by The Ditch have sparked widespread concern and fear among the campaigners and affected homeowners that less extensive remediation options are now available than earlier publicised....

The findings of an RTÉ Investigates programme into the transportation of bull calves has been condemned locally.     Tuesday evening’s programme showed EU regulations on the transport of live animals were being broken as they were transported by truck to mainland Europe and further afield.     It is the second exposure by the broadcaster following last July’s examination of dis...

Donegal County Council have confirmed they will look to address the issue of traffic congestion on The Diamond in Donegal Town. The situation has heightened in recent days with many relevant parties voicing their concerns over the lack of designated parking spaces and traffic backlog. While with over 100 buses travelling through the town on a Friday, there have been calls for a new, designated bus...

Allegations that a minor glitch which saw a number of full remediation applications by mica affected homeowners downgraded from full demolition has been described as “another kick in the teeth.”   Donegal County Council are yet to comment on the matter which has sparked concerns about the integrity of the process designed to assist homeowners affected by defective concrete blocks.   Coun...

Homeowners affected by the defective concrete blocks scandal say that they are completely losing faith in finding a resolution. It comes after it's been alleged that Donegal County Council secretly changed a number of applications for the defective block scheme, and downgraded them to less expensive options. It's also been claimed by one homeowner that while 21 applications were allegedly changed,...

The Government's failure to deliver affordable homes in Sligo and Leitrim has been described as a “crisis”. Local Sinn Féin TD Martin Kenny has been making the claims after it emerged earlier this year after exactly zero local authority affordable purchase homes made available in either county in 2023. The government planned to deliver 9,100 new build homes, but instead 8,110 new build homes were...

In response, Taoiseach Simon Harris said he acknowledged Deputy Pringle's concerns and will seek clarity on the matter from the relevant parties.

Allegations that Donegal County Council secretly altered over 20 applications of those who were looking for remediation through the defective concrete block scheme has been brought before the floor of the Dáil. An article in The Ditch alleges that 21 applications were changed from full demolition, as recommended by engineers, to a mixture of less expensive options. Independent TD for Donegal, Thom...

A boil water notice is still ongoing in Mountcharles despite the issue being fixed since Thursday. Irish Water took a sample of water on Friday, and it is believed they sent the sample to a lab in Kerry, despite there being a number of labs locally who could have provided the service. The situation is now impacting local businesses and restaurants, who cannot provide services while the water notic...

The Department of Agriculture has contacted Israeli authorities over a video of bulls, allegedly from Ireland, which arrived in Israel in July in a terrible condition. The department says it takes animal welfare seriously and deploys considerable resources to ensure animals are exported from Ireland in compliance with both national and EU rules. Gerry Boland, founder of Animals Behind Closed Doors...

Draft legislation granting local authorities search-and-seize powers over the sale and distribution of smoky fuels has been raised at this month's meeting of the Donegal MD. It's reported that the legislation will give the government the right to visit houses and stop and detain vehicles. Fianna Fáil Councillor Micheál Naughton is just one of those who spoke against the legislation. He says in a c...

Allegations have been made that Donegal County Council secretly altered over 20 applications of those who were looking for remediation through the defective concrete block scheme. In an article published in The Ditch this morning, allegations were made that 21 applications were changed from full demolition, as recommended by engineers, to a mixture of less expensive options. The article also state...

Bin collection companies in Sligo have been urged to clean up their act in relation to response lines. A number of residents around Sligo have experienced difficulties in having their rubbish collected recently, and have found they have no way to contact the depot directly. Service users are instead redirected to a head office elsewhere, and do not have the opportunity to speak to the depot at a l...

There’s been a significant increase in the number of passengers travelling on the Sligo to Dublin Connolly rail line.   Irish Rail has reported a 7.9 per cent increase in those using the route compared to this time last year.   They are some of the highest ever passenger numbers recorded by the operator and well ahead of 2023, which itself was a record year.   Corporate Communicatio...

It's been revealed that there are more delays on the arrival of purpose-built student accomodation in Sligo. ATU Sligo and Sligo County Council are currently in negotiations over the purchase of council-owned land, that the university intend to use to build apartments for students. However, there are more delays to the process, as ATU are currently awaiting response from the Government on a fundin...

More pressure is being put on the Government to reduce the VAT rate for the hospitality sector to 9%. There was widespread disappointment after the Budget, after it was revealed that there were no plans to bring the rate down from 13.5%. A number of local businesses have closed in recent times, with many more across the region struggling to keep up with costs. Sligo Leitrim Independent TD, Marian...