Ocean FM News Reports

Council tenants in Sligo are set to face a rent increase.   The imminent hike is said to be part of an upcoming rent review which will be conducted by Sligo County Council.   The review is included under the Budget measures for the upcoming year.   It's not yet known how much more a typical tenant in Sligo will have to come with.   Mayor of the Sligo Borough and People Before P...

A Sligo/Leitrim TD has called on the Taoiseach to provide Tailte Eireann with more staff. The state body, which handles property valuations and registrations, has been criticised for the lack of efficiency in its operations. Registration of properties can take upwards of three years in some cases. The matter was raised in the Dail today by Fianna Fail Deputy Eamon Scanlon who said that plenty can...

This week’s meeting of councillors from the Manorhamilton MD of Leitrim County Council heard calls for the Local Authority to explore the possibility of purchasing land with the view of extending the Aras Breffni Nursing Home in Manorhamilton. The facility celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2025. The Nursing Home now caters for 25 residents, a sizeable reduction from its one-time capacity of 40. L...

Refurbishment works have finally started on the public toilets in Donegal Town. The long-awaited upgrade has been in the pipeline for almost a year but it's now looking like the revamp will be completed ahead of the festive season. While funding had been sanctioned for the project many months, the tendering process was said to have taken longer than first anticipated. There had been big concern lo...

A former Sligo Leitrim Fine Gael TD has expressed confidence in Tánaiste Simon Harris in his appointment as the new Finance Minister. He replaces Paschal Donohoe after he resigned to take up a job at the World Bank. Sligo Leitrim TD Frank Feighan was named as a Junior Minister for Public Procurement as part of the major Ministerial reshuffle announced yesterday. Speaking to Ocean FM news, former l...

No funding application has yet been made to progress the Strandhill Public Realm Enhancement Project. The project which has been given the green light, received some backlash earlier this year, after it emerged that part of the plan includes reducing car parking spaces along the Shore Front. Spaces will however be increased in the upper car park to compensate for the loss at the Shore Front. Sligo...

There's renewed concern over the pace in which the N17 Knock-Collooney project is moving.   Farmers in the area are said to have received letters this week, advising that Council staff are due to carry out surveys on their property.   Meanwhile, there's increased speculation that the N17 could be in line for a major funding boost in the coming weeks.   Cllr Michael Clarke has been e...

A former Sligo Leitrim TD says the loss of Paschal Donohue will be keenly felt by the Fine Gael Party. The Finance Minister is set to resign from the Cabinet today. Donohoe told colleagues this morning he has been offered a position at the World Bank which he intends to accept. Donohoe is the longest continuously serving Cabinet Minister in this Government and has been linked to financial position...

A Leitrim Councillor has accused the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine of engaging in reckless and ludicrous behaviour with forestry policies that are threatening the welfare of people living in many parts of Leitrim. The remarks from Councillor Justin Warnock were made after he tabled a motion calling for vulnerable wooded areas that are at risk of falling on...

There is increased speculation that a number of major infrastructure projects in the North West will be provided with significant funding in the coming weeks.   Ocean FM news understands that an announcements in relation to upgrades on the N17, N15, N4 and the Garavogue Bridge could be made in the coming days.   Speaking to Ocean FM Sligo Leitrim Deputy Frank Feighan says the investments...

It’s emerged that a woman had a near miss with another vehicle in Gurteen in recent days. This is said to be the latest in a series of minor crashes on the Boyle side of the village. It comes as there are further calls for traffic calming works to be carried out from Gurteen Cemetery to the Maydoo Road where children access the local primary school. Fianna Fáil Cllr Paul Taylor says it’s clear tha...

A Local TD will use a Private Members' Motion in the Dail today which will call on the government to take a clear stand against the Mercosur Trade Agreement at the EU Council meeting next month. Deputy Martin Kenny will table the motion. The Sinn Fein spokesperson on Agriculture says the agreement is damaging to the EU Agriculture sector and in particular to the Irish beef and poultry sectors as w...

The November meeting of the Manorhamilton MD of Leitrim County Council heard calls for an for an update to be provided on the PEACEPLUS FLOW Project. The Cross border initiative includes the Lough Melvin Catchment Area. Councillor Justin Warnock has called for the lead person in Leitrim County Council on the project to meet with the Kinlough Town Team and others in relation to this project.

Coillte officials have told this mornings meeting of the Manorhamilton MD of Leitrim County council that they are open to creating a new woodland area and walk ways in Drumkeerin. The area in question consists of 19 hectares and is situated at Lavagh on the R280 the main road between Drumkeerin and Manorhamilton. The coillte appeared at the meeting following a previous motion from councillor Mary...

The Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill will today officially launch construction on the Sunflower Children's Hospice in Mayo, marking the first children's hospice outside of Dublin. The eight-bed in-patient hospice, funded by the Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation, will provide vital care for children with life-limiting illnesses across the Western Seaboard. Construction in Castlebar is...

There’s renewed concern that not enough funding is being invested into rural towns and villages in south Sligo.  Upgrade works to local roads and other infrastructure are said to be badly needed and it’s thought that the Budget funding could be distributed more fairly.  While supporting the Budget for the upcoming year, Fianna Fáil Cllr Paul Taylor says he has some reservations.  He...

Sligo County Council has passed its budget for the next 12 months. Commercial rates are to remain unchanged while there will be a €1.9 million euro spending increase throughout the upcoming year. Overall, almost a quarter of a billion euro is to be spent across a range of services and infrastructure in County Sligo in 2026. Cllrs adopted the Budget following a vote, with Sinn Fein Cllrs Arthur Gib...

A Sligo Leitrim TD says the government's new housing plan is a missed opportunity to breathe life back into parts of the North West that have witnessed significant decreases in it's population over recent years. Deputy Martin Kenny says the plan failed to provide any measures that would deal with the unique challenges faced in parts of the North West by those looking to secure planning permission....

A Sligo Councillor is backing moves where Local authorities must prioritise long-term homeless families with children for social housing. The move is described concerted Government effort to reduce the number of children in emergency accommodation. Housing is currently at a premium with a rise in the number of people from outside the State also being included in homeless figures. People before Pro...

It's emerged that there are over 5,300 people awaiting inpatients services at hospitals across the North West. The figures, correct to the end of last month, were released by the National Treatment Purchase Fund last Friday. The report tallied 3,017 people on the waiting list in Sligo University Hospital, while 2,305 people awaited treatment in Letterkenny University Hospital. Leitrim Councillor a...

Nearly a quarter of a billion euro is set to be spent by Sligo County Council over the next year. It comes as local representatives in Sligo are to sit down to dissect and vote on the draft Budget for 2026 later this morning. Among the highlights include over 150 million towards on capital projects with funding also to be spent on a range of other services. Crucially, there will be no increase to...

Inland fishers across the North West are set to benefit from increased funding. Over a million euro in funding has been announced for Inland Fisheries Ireland across the country. It has also opened a funding call for this year's habitats and conservation scheme. Speaking to Ocean FM News the Development Programme Director at the IFI, Barry O'Connor, said that this move will benefit salmon and sea...

St Mary's College in Ballisodare was one of twelve schools in the country to be invited to an anti-bullying showcase in Croke Park. The Cinealtas Showcase took place on Wednesday and involved Transition Year students in the school. The students set up an exhibition stand to showcase the efforts being taken to reduce bullying. Cathriona Fallon, a teacher at St Mary's, and TY students who went to th...

Over €2 million in EU PEACEPLUS funding has been announced for a new cross-border fire and rescue project benefiting Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal. Minister Marian Harkin says the “TACTICS Project” will boost joint training and cooperation between emergency services north and south of the border. The initiative will run until 2027, strengthening preparedness and response across the Northwest. Speakin...

It's claimed that ambulances carrying non-urgent patients were diverted from Sligo in recent days due to chronic overcrowding. It comes as the two North West hospital have not been mentioned in a national report on improvements in urgent and emergency care. The data shows incremental improvements and when compared to 2024, a significant reduction of 8% in the number of patients waiting on a trolle...