Ocean FM News Reports

Work on the water supply in north Sligo is to begin next week.   There have been huge issues with discolouration in the water in some areas in recent months.   A remediation programme is to start on October 3st until November 4th with works set to be confined to night time hours.   Local Cllr Marie Casserly says after many patch up jobs, its hoped that this project will fully rectif...

A Donegal TD is warning that small businesses in the north west will continue to struggle unless there is substantial Government support. A number of businesses have previously outlined their frustration with the government when it comes to supports. Independent TD Thomas Pringle says the recent budget did not include much support to small businesses. Speaking in the Dáil Deputy Pringle sought cla...

A Masterplan is to be developed in the early stages of next year for Sligo's City Campus. The City Campus will consist of a cultural and learning hub for Sligo Town, and will be located on Connaughton Road. Following the acquisition of land and the development of the Masterplan, up to 28 million euro will be made available to complete the project. Speaking to Ocean FM News, Fine Gael Councillor, T...

A Leitrim Councillor says it's unacceptable that entering into the October Bank Holiday weekend there are still third level students in Manorhamilton struggling with securing bus seats on services to Sligo.   As a knock-on-effect of the accommodation crisis in Sligo, many students attending the ATU have struggled to get seats on buses during morning services from a number of local towns trave...

It's been claimed that Sligo University Hospital is, in reality, consistently the second most overcrowded facility in Ireland.   The comments were made by Independent Sligo Leitrim TD Marian Harkin who believes that the true extent of overcrowding there isn't always reflected in the daily trolley watch report from INMO.   Speaking in the Dail, Deputy Harkin says the hospital is technical...

There have been further clashes in the Dail this afternoon between Tánaiste Michael Martin and Donegal Sinn Fein TD Pearse Doherty - this time over the housing crisis. Deputy Doherty made further claims that the Government has failed to tackle the issue but the Tánaiste lashed back, accusing Sinn Fein of not having a housing plan in place but just a 'collection of soundbites on a few pages'. Micha...

A list is to be made of landowners who are being noncompliant with hedge-cutting in south Donegal.   It follows a meeting held yesterday where there were renewed calls for a reform of the policing which is currently in place.   While most landowners are carrying out the works, a small minority are said to be letting the side down.   Some rural routes in the area reportedly impassabl...

The Taoiseach has defended Government investment in the North West. Leo Varadkar was responding to comments from Independent TD Marian Harkin, who was critical over what she termed a lack of positive discrimination in the region. Deputy Harkin highlighted the issue of regional imbalance and that GDP per capita in the North West is 17% below the EU average. But responding, the Taoiseach says the br...

A Donegal Councillor is predicting increased number of tourists visiting the county following positive review of the county in the renowned travel guide the lonely plant.   The publication ranked Donegal as the fourth best region in the world to visit.   It described the county 'a hidden gem' that offers a unique travel experience for local and international tourists alike.   Ballys...

A Sligo Councillor says the low number of HAP properties available in Sligo and Leitrim should be treated as an 'emergency situation'.   Cllr. Arthur Gibbons made the comments after it emerged that the number of Housing Assistance Payment properties available to rent across the country is falling.     The Simon Communities' latest Locked Out of the Market report found that there wer...

The Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, failed to show up in the Dáil last night to discuss issues concerning Letterkenny University Hospital for the second week running. Sinn Fein's Padraig MacLochlainn and Pearse Doherty brought the matter before the Dáil again last night after deferring it the week previously. However, no progress was made as the Minister didn't turn up for a second time. Bo...

Business owners in Bundoran and the wider North West are being urged to be on high alert over a gang potentially operating in the region.   It follows the robbery of a local pharmacy last week, with perfume, worth around two thousand three hundred euro, stolen during the course of the incident.   It has led to calls on business owners to be vigilant and implement various safety measures....

It's been claimed that Sligo University Hospital is, in reality, consistently the second most overcrowded facility in Ireland.   The comments were made by Independent Sligo Leitrim TD Marian Harkin who believes that the true extent of overcrowding there isn't always reflected in the daily trolley watch report from INMO.   Speaking in the Dail, Deputy Harkin says the hospital is technical...

A Status Yellow fog warning is place for the counties of Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal this morning.   The warning has been issued to the majority of the country with the exception of four counties in the east.   The warning will remain in place until 11 o'clock.     Cathal Nolan from Ireland's Weather Channel says dense fog patches are leading to very poor driving conditions in s...

The Taoiseach has paid tribute to Sligo man Anthony Burke in the wake of the sentencing of Yousef Palani at the Central Criminal Court yesterday.   23-year-old Yousef Palani, of Markievicz Heights in Sligo, received two life sentences for the murders of Aidan Moffitt and Michael Snee.   He also received a further 20-year sentence for causing serious harm to Anthony Burke.   Speaking...

A Sligo Leitrim TD will raise concerns in relation to the health budget later in the Dáil.     It's being reported that Health Minister Stephen Donnelly was refused additional funding for cancer services, maternity strategies and new drugs in budget negotiations.     It's claimed that Minister Donnelly also wanted to reduce the cap for the drug payment scheme by €20.   Det...

Ryanair has launched its winter 2023/24 for Ireland West Airport Knock. Ryanair will operate 10 routes, including new weekly winter services to both Lanzarote and Tenerife. This winter will also see the continuation of the airport’s hugely popular weekly service to Malaga. The airline will also operate services to and from the UK to Birmingham, East-Midlands (Nottingham), Edinburgh, Liverpool, Lon...

An investigation is continuing into an attempted theft and a vandalism incident in west Donegal.   Over the course of the weekend, an attempt was made to steal a boat engine at Portnablagh Pier while a memorial bench was also significantly damaged.   It's not yet known if both incidents are connected but people in the area are being asked to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity...

New policing powers designed to tackle stalking in Northern Ireland will result in victims no longer have to apply to courts themselves for orders against perpetrators. The stalking protection orders (SPOs), which came into effect on Thursday, will enable the Police Service of Northern Ireland to prosecute those in breach of an order at the outset of an investigation, before a stalking conviction...

The Labour Party has selected Nessa Cosgrove to run in the Sligo-Strandhill Municipal District in next year's local elections. The local party representative lives in Cartron in Sligo, and previously contested the local Elections in 2019 and the General Election in 2020 on behalf of Labour. The newly selected candidate believes that more women should serve on the Local Authority. She expressed the...

A Sligo Leitrim TD says proposals that will force new arrivals from Ukraine arriving in Ireland to secure their own accommodation after three months will simply not work.   Reports says that those fleeing the war from the Ukraine will only be offered State accommodation for just three months before having to find their own place to live.     It's understood the Government is working...

A representative for the LGBT community says the events of April 2022 will cast a shadow over Sligo and the North West for some time to come.   Padraig Rice was reacting after the Yousef Palani was sentenced yesterday in the Central Criminal Courts.   The Policy and Research manager with the LGBT says the murders of Aidan Moffitt and Michael Snee were ‘horrendous’ and had ‘a devastating’...

Gardaí have issued a statement following the sentencing of Yousef Palani at the Criminal Courts of Justice. 23-year-old Yousef Palani, of Markievicz Heights in Sligo, has received two life sentences for the murders of Aidan Moffitt and Michael Snee. He also received a separate 20-year sentence for causing serious harm to Anthony Burke. Speaking outside Sligo Garda Station on Monday afternoon, Supe...

A decision on planning for two new facility centres in Sligo is expected before the end of the year. The centres - in Rosses Point and Enniscrone - are two of twenty two centres nationwide that received a share of 22 million euro in funding from Fáilte Ireland. Among the resources available in the centres are indoor and outdoor showers, which are to be heated through solar power, serviced toilets,...

A Leitrim councillor says the hidden costs associated with building is threating to seriously endanger any progress in relation to addressing the housing crisis in the north west. A recent report from the Society of Chartered Surveyors shows rebuilding costs have jumped by 12 per cent over the past year. Drumkeerin councillor Padraig Fallon says increasing interest rates is also having a negative...