Ocean FM News Reports

The Government's controversial Green Paper on disabilities has officially been scrapped today. The reform suggested a three-tiered personal support payment, which had the intention of fighting the higher costs that people with disabilities face. However it was much disputed due to the vague nature of grading someone’s disability. Local Sinn Fein Councillor, Arthur Gibbons, has welcomed the decisio...

Paddy McGill sets the scene for Saturday evening's Ulster SFC quarter-final between Derry and Donegal at Celtic Park in the company of Derryman Cahir O'Kane (Irish News) & former Donegal All-Ireland winner Martin McElhinney.

The Education Minister has admitted that its been difficult recruiting counsellors for North Leitrim as part of planned pilot programme for schools.   It's emerged that there's no counsellor available in the area as part of the 'Counselling in Primary Schools' which is a two year programme launched by Government a year ago and Leitrim was to be included in the initial roll out.   A numbe...

The issue of corrugated asbestos roofs, asbestos in walls, ceilings and fittings in houses in north Leitrim was highlighted at Monday's meeting of the Manorhamilton Municipal District.     Fianna Fáil Councillor Justin Warnock spoke about the issue and raised a motion calling on the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O'Brien.      Councillor Warno...

The OPW has come under fire over a lack of clarity over the state of play with a new Garda Station for Sligo.   The current building on Pearse Road has long been flagged as not fit for purpose - the latest update is that assessments of the existing building are nearing conclusion which, it's expected, will prove that it's no longer suitable.   But Sligo Leitrim Independent TD Marian Hark...

A request has been made to provide more street lighting in Dromahair. The extra lighting was said to be needed between the Depot and the Rock Valley entrance at the top of the Backline. Speaking at the Manorhamilton Municipal District meeting, Cllr Mary Bohan highlighted the importance that lighting can bring to the community. Leitrim County Council will now assess the area before reaching a decis...

Eir is under pressure to make themselves available for an Oireachtas Committee hearing in the wake of revelations that it had a deliberate policy to prevent customer complaints.   The company, which has a call centre in Sligo, was this week fined €7,500 after pleading guilty to 12 counts of breaching regulations governing how complaints should be handled by providers.   District Court Ju...

A consultant at Letterkenny University Hospital is warning that cancer screening has not been expanded as planned.   The doctor says that this has resulted in huge delays in testing and surgeries.   TDs last night debated at a Sinn Fein motion on the National Cancer Strategy with the party claiming that Simon Harris and Stephen Donnelly have had eight years as Minister for Health during...

Ballyshannon disability activist Vicky Matthews has welcomed the news on the Government's plan to scrap the Green Paper on disability reform. The reform suggested a three-tiered personal support payment, which had the intention of fighting the higher costs that people with disabilities face. However it was much disputed due to the vague nature of grading someone's disability. Ms Matthews, a studen...

An EU conference today is to hear that the current levels of road deaths across member states is similar to the population of a town the size of Sligo.   Government representatives from the US, Europe and Ireland, transport experts and road crash survivors will attend the EU Road Safety Conference in Dublin’s RDS.   The conference is to discuss how progress to halve road deaths across me...

It's been confirmed that Bus Eireann is to introduce a number of key changes to its Route 64 Expressway service to make it more user friendly.   Many people who travel from Donegal to Sligo and Galway use the bus for attending health care appointments but it's currently deemed an inaccessible route.   It has resulted in passengers with disabilities unable to use the route due to the lack...

The North West Simon Community is to close with the loss of seven jobs.   The charity is set to go into receivership in the coming weeks.   Established first in 2005, the charity has been helping those who are experiencing homelessness and housing exclusion in Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal.   A lack of Government supports is to blame with fundraising efforts not enough to sustain the c...

Laureate na nÓg Patricia Forde and a bus full of Irish children’s authors and illustrators have started a 1,400km journey down the Wild Atlantic Way, from Donegal to Cork.   The Whole Wild World Bus Tour will be stopping at schools and libraries in Donegal, Leitrim, and Sligo, gifting a book for every kilometre to children at events on the way.   The aim is to bring books and their creat...

A notorious stretch of road in north Leitrim is said to be 'one of the worst in the county.'   The road in Tullintowell near Drumkeerin is reportedly in a serious state of disrepair.   Works are set to commence on the road in the near future, however, as part of planned works due to take place in the area.   Local Sinn Féin Councillor Padraig Fallon says the stretch requires a numbe...

A lack of youth facilities in Sligo has been blamed for a rising level of knife crime.   It comes as Cabinet is expected to sign off today on tougher sentences for knife crime later today.   Under planned amendments, the maximum sentence for serious knife offences would increase from five to seven years.   There have been a significant number of stabbing incidents in Sligo Town in r...

A Sligo Restaurateur has accused the Government of turning a blind eye to the hospitality sector.   It comes as new figures released today show that an average of two restaurants are closing their doors for good each day so far this year.   The Restaurants Association says each time an average of 22 jobs are lost, and costs the State 1.36 million euro.   Anthony Gray says if the VAT...

There's concern that there's not enough emphasis on roads policing as part of this today's announcement by the Road Safety Authority.   Figures released yesterday by the road safety group Parc show that the number of personnel attached to Sligo/Leitrim Roads policing has dropped by over 20 since 2009.   An extra three million euro is to be spent on road safety and education campaigns thi...

The quality of silage in Leitrim is said to be poor, sparking major concern among the farming community.   The weather has had a severe impact on supplies locally, with the dry matter content of silage low.   There's also now a need for extra feed but farmers don't have the funds, given the high cost of feed and prolonged feeding period.   Local Fine Gael Election Candidate Kevin Co...

There are renewed calls for the owners of Milligan Court in Sligo reopen their accommodation to students for new academic year in September.   It emerged this week that the apartments are now being advertised for short term rentals.   They had been available over the holiday period previously but not during the academic year.   It's thought that if the owners were to row back on the...

Yet another farmer is counting the cost following another vicious overnight attack on sheep in the area.       A Garda investigation into the attack in north Sligo which saw a number of lambs found dead.       There are fears that more farmers may lose their lambs to leave them counting the cost.       Manorhamilton Municipal District Councillor and she...

Further calls have been made for the government to invest in the N17. The road was due to be invested in last year, but the plans were suspended by Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan. The calls have been made amid a sharp rise in road deaths in 2024, including a crash outside Claremorris that claimed the lives of a Donegal woman and her two children at the end of March. Sinn Fein local election ca...

New figures from road safety group PARC further indicate a major decline in Gardai assigned to road policing units in the North West.   The data shows that in the Sligo/Leitrim division, there has been a drop of over 20 personnel since 2009.   There were 34 Gardai attached to the Sligo/Leitrim roads policing unit then, now there's only 13.   In Donegal, the number has decreased by 1...

New security screening technology won't be fully rolled out in Dublin Airport until the final months of next year.   30 new C3 machines are needed across the two terminals in order to fully lift the liquid limit, and the need for passengers to remove liquids from their bags in security.   Daa expects Terminal 2 will be complete by October of this year, with work in Terminal 1 not set to...

The long-awaited footpath from Coolaney Village to Rockfield National School and Church is moving a step closer towards happening.   The objective of the scheme is to create a safe pedestrian pathway, along with new public lighting, starting at the entrance to Fort Haven housing estate.   Ballymote-Tubbercurry Cllr Dara Mulvey has welcomed the news of an in-person consultation regarding...

It’s emerged that Donegal County Council did not have the resources to apply for funding under the Community Monuments Fund.   Donegal was the only county in Ireland that didn’t receive any Government supports to help to conserve, maintain, protect and promote local monuments.   It’s understood that a number of community groups had applied for funding in Donegal but were unsuccessful bec...