Ocean FM News Reports

The Taoiseach has accused a Donegal TD of failing to come up with a solution to the re-emergence of hotel price gouging. Last week, one hotel in the Capital raised the price of a room to a grand for the nights of the Taylor Swift concerts next year. There are fears that many fans from the North West and elsewhere will be priced out of going to the concert as a result. In the Dail, Independent TD f...

A Leitrim Councillor has reiterated his calls for adequate planning to be put in place so that a proper medical response will be ready to cater for any emergencies that may arise festival and concerts in the North West Councillor Felim Gurn, aired his concerns at a meeting of the  Regional Health Forum West. The Independent Councillor believes there is an ongoing issue with recruiting staff within...

The issue of access to hydrotherapy services looks set to coming near an end. Both hydrotherapy pools at Our Lady's Hospital in Manorhamilton and Cregg House in Sligo have been closed since prior to the Covid pandemic. Concerns have previously been expressed at the lack hydrotherapy facilities in the region. However, at Tuesday's meeting of the Regional Health Forum West, it was confirmed that rep...

The Integration Minister Roderic O'Gorman and Higher Education Minister Simon Harris will meet today, to discuss a reported 'rift' over student accommodation. Earlier this month in Sligo between four and five hundred students were informed by a provider it would no longer be offering student accommodation, as it plans for the apartments to be used to house Ukrainian refugees. Milligan Court and Be...

Little to no improvement is said to have been made in diabetes care in the North West. A number of posts in the region have yet to be filled while the retention of current staff is also reportedly challenging. Former Health Minister Simon Harris announced a second endocrinologist post back in 2017 for Letterkenny however it has yet to be filled. Speaking to the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in the Dail o...

The Agriculture Minister says there are no Government proposals to cut the national herd. Donegal TD Charlie McConalogue was responding to a motion in the Dail brought by the Rural Independent group. The group claims cutting the number of cows would pose a long-lasting threat to Irish agriculture. Minister McConalogue says he's working with farming groups to see what can be done to reduce emission...

RTÉ is still in covering mode, according to a Donegal TD. Pearse Doherty says nobody is satisfied with the statement issued by the state broadcaster yesterday, which said the former director general Dee Forbes was the only member of the Executive Board, who had all the information to know Ryan Tubridy's earnings. This afternoon TDs and Senators will question RTÉ representatives on the undisclosed...

A Leitrim Councillor is warning that there are not adequate grants available to those that need to upgrade their septic tanks. A report published today claims that half of the septic tanks in the country failed inspection last year with 20 per cent identified as a risk to human health and the environment. The findings are contained in an Environmental Protection Agency report on Domestic Waste Wat...

The closure of nursing homes in the North West and elsewhere has been described as a deeply worrying trend. In the last three years, there have been 31 private and voluntary nursing home closures resulting in the loss of 915 beds. Three of these closures were nursing homes in County Roscommon that served people in this region, with the loss of 67 beds. Speaking ahead of a Sinn Fein Motion set to b...

The county of Leitrim has registered one of the lowest failure rates in the country when it comes to septic tank inspections It’s emerged that half of the septic tanks in the country failed inspection last year with 20 per cent identified as a risk to human health and the environment. The findings are contained in an Environmental Protection Agency report on Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems....

The Higher Education Minister says he's working to ensure student accommodation is only used for students. The comments come as two apartment complexes in Sligo are to no longer provide student accommodation. Milligan Court and Benbulben Court in the town previously housed students attending Sligo ATU however management has confirmed it will not be offering accommodation for the next academic year...

A Donegal TD believes that the statement from the Board RTE due to be released around now will not provide any clarity on the ongoing controversy surrounding the hidden payments given to Ryan Tubridy. It comes as its been confirmed that former RTE Director General Dee Forbes will not attend the Oireachtas Media Committee hearings on the payments. A spokesperson confirmed that it's due to health re...

It's been confirmed that a new festival and events manager has been appointed to Sligo County Council. They are set to take up post in the coming weeks while the tourism officer is also likely to be appointed shortly. It's thought that the tourism sector contributes over €110 million annually to the local economy and generating almost 450,000 visitors. For that reason, local Fine Gael Cllr Thomas...

The new Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council has ruled out running in the next General election. Fine Gael Cllr. Martin Harley was elected as Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council yesterday. The Lifford Stranorlar based local representative ran in the last General Election in 2020 with speculation that he may throw his name into the ring, due his party colleague Joe McHugh's imminent departur...

The ongoing Garda operation at Slieve League and surrounding area has been described as a 'difficult situation for all involved'. A man in his 30s and a woman in her 20s are in currently in Garda custody over an alleged assault which Gardai believe happened at Slieve League at some stage between Saturday and Sunday. Gardai are continuing to appeal for witnesses or anyone with information to come f...

Availability of housing and accessibility by road and rail are the key barriers in attracting people to live and work in Sligo believes the newly elected Mayor of the Sligo-Strandhill Municipal District. Independent for change Councillor Declan Bree was unanimously voted as Mayor at Monday's AGM at City Hall. Councillor Sinéad Maguire was elected Deputy Mayor. Speaking to Ocean FM News, Councillor...

Sligo's double medallist at the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin, Noel Coen, arrived home on Monday evening to a special homecoming. Noel won gold and silver medals in Equestrian. Ocean FM Sport's Austin O'Callaghan was at the homecoming...

Fianna Fáil Councillor Paddy O'Rourke has been elected Cathaoirleach of the Ballinamore Municipal District. Councillor O'Rourke, who served as Leas Cathaoirleach of the District for the past year will now take over the role from Councillor Enda McGloin. Cllr O'Rourke was elected as Cathaoirleach at this morning's meeting of the Ballinamore Municipal District. Councillor Caillian Ellis was elected...

Archaeological investigations are getting underway today at a site intended for housing in Grange. The site, owned by Sligo County Council, is set to house 15 dwellings with construction expected to be completed by 2026. The investigative work is expected to take 5-7 days to complete. Local Cllr Marie Casserly says these type of investigations are normal:

A number of people in Sligo and Letterkenny have lost their jobs following the closure of all Argos stores in the Republic. 30 outlets around the country ceased trading at 5pm yesterday evening, bringing business to an end here after 27 years. The company recorded a loss of 12.5 million Euro in the 12 months to March 2022. 500 staff nationwide are now out of a job. Business journalist Emmet Oliver...

Eleven families in Sligo have received keys to their new homes as part of the Seaville Housing Scheme. The development, located at Finisklin, consists of 73 dwellings; Phase 1 - 14 dwellings was delivered four weeks ago. A further 18 dwellings will be provided to Sligo County Council for social housing in mid-July, followed by 16 homes in mid-August, with the final Phase of 14 in mid-September. Ta...

A government spokesperson says the contracts haven't been signed yet when it comes to Milligan Court and Benbulben Court, and discussions are underway with the Department of Higher Education. Sligo-Leitrim Independent TD Marc MacSharry says the government must act and put a stop to the plans.

The President of the ATU Sligo Students' Union is warning that students are being left 'frustrated' and 'anxious' as a significant amount of student accommodation will no longer be available from September. It was confirmed this month that between four and five hundred students lived in the Benbulben and Milligan Court facilities will be forced to find new accommodation for the new college term. I...

A Sligo-Leitrim TD says there is no justification for the way RTÉ have handled the payments they made to Ryan Tubridy. The comments from Martin Kenny come as the Director General of RTÉ Dee Forbes has been suspended from her position by the broadcaster's board after revelations about pay to the radio presenter and former Late Late show host. Former Chairperson of the RTÉ board Moya Doherty has den...

The president of the Students union in Sligo is warning that students are being left 'frustrated' and 'anxious' as a significant amount of student accommodation will no longer be available from September. It was confirmed this month that between four and five hundred students lived in the Benbulben and Milligan Court facilities will be forced to find new accommodation for the new college term. It’...