Ocean FM News Reports

The fire service in the North West has been deemed in a 'volatile position'. It comes as Donegal Fine Gael TD Joe McHugh voted against the Government this week on a Sinn Fein motion calling for better pay and conditions for firefighters. The Sinn Féin motion tabled in the Dáil called for a “financial investment package” for firefighters. The Government tabled a counter motion which Deputy McHugh v...

The government are being urged to re-start the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers Scheme. The calls come after a report from the Ombudsman for Public Services noted that the scheme has been non-functioning since 2021 after the appeals board resigned, and were never replaced. Speaking to Ocean FM News, Sligo Leitrim TD Martin Kenny claims that the government is currently in breach of its own...

Three seperate investigations are continuing into the Sligo train tragedy. Jessica McLoughin who was in her 40s was killed while her niece Rebecca McLoughlin remains in Sligo University Hospital. She is being treated for injuries which are not thought to be life threatening. Passengers from two different trains are being urged to come forward with information after this week's train tragedy in Sli...

The Eastern Garavogue Bridge project is set to proceed as originally planned, despite Minister Eamon Ryan stating otherwise. On his controversial visit to Sligo, Minister Ryan stated that the project would be better served for pedestrians and cyclists only. However, as design consultants are currently being appointed, the bridge will consist of a 2-way single carriageway with dedicated 2-way cycle...

The Taoiseach has accused the Sinn Fein Leader of having 'nothing good to say about Donegal'. Mary Lou McDonald visited Donegal last week for a number of engagements but highlighted a number of challenges the county currently faces in the Dail. Deputy McDonald was critical over what she termed as a general lack of investment and connectivity in the county and asked Taoiseach Leo Varadkar if the Go...

The Agriculture Minister believes that a resolution can be found surrounding the ongoing controversy over the Nature Restoration Law. The proposed law would set legal requirements for rewetting bog lands and restoring nature. The Irish Natura & Hill Farmers Association has outlined the potential threat to the future of upland farming if the law comes to pass. Farmers fear that rewetting such lands...

As retained firefighters continue their strike action its emerged that among the issues being faced by the fire services around the country are adequate facilities for women. In Donegal, two women who had applied to join the fire service pulled out of the process, partly because of a lack of facilities for them. Across Donegal, there are currently no facilities for women in any of the fire station...

A new charity shop is opening in Sligo tomorrow. The NCBI charity store has relocated to the Castel Street area of the town with the official opening getting underway at 10am tomorrow. Members of the Sligo team and wider NCBI Retail team will be joined by a local NCBI service user who will cut the ribbon to officially open the new location. NCBI Area Manager in Sligo Carmel McDonnell says it's an...

The local community of Ballisodare have been expressing their shock after yesterday’s rail accident. Jessica McLoughlin from Sligo town died after being struck by the 3.05 Sligo to Dublin train near Ballisodare. Her niece, Rebecca McLoughlin who's in her 20s and also from Sligo remains in Sligo University Hospital after sustaining injuries as a result of the incident. Speaking to Ocean FM, these l...

Three separate investigations are underway into yesterday's Sligo train tragedy. The woman who died has been named locally as Jessica McLoughlin who was in her 40s and from Sligo town. The younger woman in her 20s who was seriously injured is understood to be related to the late Ms McLaughlin. Investigations by Gardaí, the Railway Accident Investigation Unit, and Irish Rails own internal examinati...

Reaction of Councillor Thomas Healy following the incident on the Sligo train line.

The commitment provided by Ireland's fire service has been taken for granted for far too long. That's the view of Donegal Sinn Féin T.D., Padraig Mac Lochlainn, who was speaking following the decision by firefighters around the country to take industrial action as they demand better pay and conditions. Speaking in the Dáil, Deputy Mac Lochlainn said that the decision made by the firefighters to st...

Emergency services are currently at the scene of a major incident between Collooney and Ballisodare. Gardai, several ambulances and Rescue 118 are all in attendance. It's believed that the incident involves a train with passengers currently still on the train. As a result, the road between Collooney and Ballisodare is currently closed and diversions are in place. Speaking to Ocean FM news from nea...

There are genuine fears over the potential closure of some rural schools in County Sligo due to what's been described as constraints in rural planning guidelines. It comes as Culleens National School closed earlier this year while it's also emerged that Ballinleg National School has no new students enrolled for this coming year. Cathaoirleach of Sligo County Council, Cllr Michael Clarke says urgen...

There's just two days left for anyone wishing to take over post office services in Collooney to get their submissions in to An Post. Last month, the current postmistress confirmed her intentions to retire from her position after ten years in the role. The notice will run for six months and An Post is currently advertising the franchise for the service. The expression of interest portal will close...

Serious concern has been raised over revelations that 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. It effectively puts hundreds of students wishing to study here, in limbo...

A Donegal TD has described firefighters are the heroes in our communities. It comes as half of all retained firefighters are continuing to strike for a second day. If a resolution to concerns over pay and conditions isn't found by next week, all retained fire stations will close. Firefighters last night walked out as Minister Darragh O'Brien addressed a Sinn Fein motion on the issue. Speaking in t...

Firefighters in Leitrim and elsewhere have been described as always there at a time of crisis, serving the community which they are part of. The future of retained firefighters has been described as 'dark' unless a resolution to an ongoing dispute over pay and conditions is resolved. If a resolution isn't found by next week, all retained fire stations will close. Sligo Leitrim TD Martin Kenny says...

There's calls for extra parking spaces to be put in place at two of Sligo train stations. It's been claimed that the issue at Sligo Mac Diarmada Station is forcing passengers to drive out to Collooney station, only to find increased pressure on space there too. Sinn Féin Councillor Thomas Healy believes with an expected increase in the use of the rail network, a park and ride service at Sligo Mac...

Funding pledged to fix defective houses and apartments needs to be paid now. The Construction Defects Alliance says families are being forced to continue living in defective homes until final details of the government scheme are published, which won't happen until autumn of next year. A large amount of those affected are in the North West region. Spokesperson of the Alliance Pat Montague says the...

A lecture to mark the 100th anniversary of WB Yeats receiving the Nobel Prize for literature takes place today in the National Library of Ireland. The annual Joseph Hassett Yeats presentation also marks the birth of Yeats on this day in 1865. The sold out event is being live streamed from 7pm for everyone to view. Dr. Audrey Whitty NLI Director says it's gong to be very exciting.

Some reservations have been expressed over how well a new campaign will work in tackling the shortfall of doctors in the North West. It comes as the HSE has launched a national and international recruitment campaign this week to recruit consultants for the health service, urging many healthcare workers abroad to return home. The new campaign centres on the new public consultant contract and aims t...

Gardai are on the hunt for some cold hearted thieves after yet another large plastic ice-cream cone was stolen from a business premises in Donegal. The latest theft happened from outside Pizza Macs in Bundoran in the early hours of 'Sundae' morning June 4th. Three similar cones were taken from shops in Letterkenny in recent weeks. Gardai are investigating the matter and CCTV is being reviewed in t...

The HSE is under pressure to give clarity on its budget for a number of local posts which would assist in early intervention in terms of mental health for children and young people. It comes as its estimated that the current wait time for a psychologist in Sligo-Leitrim currently is up to 18 months. A number of children and young people in Sligo-Leitrim are said to be left in limbo due to the lack...

Years of inaction has resulted in a recruitment and retention crisis within the fire service both at a local and national level. That's according to Sinn Fein Cllr Thomas Healy who was speaking as half of the country's “retained” part-time firefighters are set to strike tomorrow. The first phase of industrial action began last week over issues relating to pay and conditions. Sligo, Ballymote, Tubb...