Ocean FM News Reports

A Donegal TD has launched yet another scathing attack over the Governments Housing Plan. Last week, Sinn Fein publicised a Department of Finance report which revealed the Government would not reach its 40,000 housing targets, days before the general election was called. The Opposition Parties have been accusing the Government of misleading the public over projected housing targets. Speaking in the...

Sligo has once again recorded the highest commercial vacancy rate in the country.  It comes as the national commercial vacancy rate is at its highest in 12 years according to GeoDirectory. Its latest survey found the rate had risen slightly to 14.5 per cent, the highest level since it began keeping records in 2013. There were 30 thousand 635 vacant commercial units across the country in quart...

A Sligo restaurantuer has warned that the cost of Irish beef may soon reach the point where diners will not be able to justify the cost and as result it could disappear from menus. Farmers are currently revelling in the soaring prices they are getting from factories however restaurants and butchers say they are going to have to pass on some of the cost to consumers It's thought that the cost of be...

All layers of the health service in the North West need to be adequately resourced before trolley numbers in hospitals can be properly tackled. That's according to Donegal Sinn Fein TD Padraig MacLochlainn, who has been reacting to comments from the Health Minister this week over the introduction of seven day rosters. Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill says this has helped reduce the number of pat...

An investigation has been launched after a derogatory statement about Conor McGregor has appeared on the Bundoran/Ballyshannon roundabout. The act of vandalism is believed to have been carried out at some stage last night. Anyone with information is being asked to contact Ballyshannon Garda station. Sinn Fein Cllr Michael McMahon says everyone is entitled to their opinion on Conor McGregor but tha...

People in south Donegal are being urged to attend the latest public meeting over the Donegal Education Centre. It's taking place tonight in the Abbey Hotel at 8pm. The imminent move of the centre from Donegal Town to Letterkenny has been described as a huge loss for the area with six women set to lost their jobs as a result. A number of TDs and other public representatives are also set to be in at...

The Department of Education seem to be shirking responsibility over plans for the relocation of the Donegal Education Centre from Donegal Town to Letterkenny. It follows an exchange in the Seanad this afternoon between Minister of State for Further and Higher Education Marian Harkin and Labour Senator Nessa Cosgrove. The Department say that various stakeholders were adequately consulted before any...

The government is facing renewed pressure to resolve the speaking rights row in the Dáil. The impasse means Oirechtas committees - to scrutinise legislation and other issues - have yet to be set up, two months on since the formation of the government. Opposition parties say the responsibility lies solely with the government, after it said it would table amendments to the current standing orders. S...

A Donegal Minister has stated that Conor McGregor’s appearance at the White House on St Patrick’s Day was not on behalf of the people of Ireland. The Minister of State for Sport, Charlie McConalogue TD, was speaking following his trip to Colombia for the national holiday. One of the objectives of the five-day trip was to deepen and strengthen economic and cultural relations between the two countri...

The government are being accused using one off energy credits last year as elections bribes   The Public Expenditure Minister recently ruled out any more once off credits to help people pay their energy bills.   That's despite Gas bills being 90 per cent higher and electricity bills are 60 per cent higher than they were five years ago.     Donegal TD, Pádraig Mac Lochlainn says...

Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal County Councils are included in a list of ten local authorities have never levied the owners of derelict sites in their areas, that's according to a report in today's Irish Times.   Local authorities are allowed to impose a derelict sites levy of 7 per cent on all derelict sites on their register since 2020.   They can also charge interest at 1.25 per cent per...

Concern is being raised in Leitrim over a power plant being granted planning permission in Kerry.   An Bord Pleanala have granted Shannon LNG Limited permission to develop a battery storage system and a substation.   The company want to construct a power plant, battery energy storage system and a re-gasification unit, on a 630-acre site between Tarbert and Ballylongford in Co Kerry. &nbs...

The Education Minister will be under pressure later to provide clarity in relation to the Donegal Education Centre debacle. The centre is set to relocate from Donegal Town to Letterkenny in the coming weeks, a move which has sparked outrage in Donegal Town. It's been claimed that staff currently employed there were not consulted as part of the imminent plans. The issue is set to be raised in the S...

A Donegal General Practitioner has highlighted the impact that a lack of GPs in rural areas is having on communities.   This follows an investigative report by The Journal, where it highlighted that each GP has an average of 100 extra people in their catchment area.   Concerns are being raised as people struggle to get a quick appointment with their local GP.   President of the Iris...

North West dairy farmers can no longer absorb the cost of dairy production increases. That’s according to the Irish Creamery and Milk Suppliers Association, who say that the price of food hasn’t increased with the rate of inflation. As a result it’s expected that the prices of products such as milk, cheese and butter will increase for consumers. Denis Drennan, President of the ICMSA, says rules an...

A Sligo Councillor says violent clashes which are alleged to be between supporters of Sligo Rovers and Derry City and are circulating on social media show the need for greater number of Gardaí to be allocated to the North West and Sligo in particular.   The footage in question is reported to have been filmed prior to last Saturday night’s Premier Division game between the North West rivals. &...

Beekeeping classes are beginning in south Sligo Tonight. They're for anyone interested in the hobby or learning more about beekeeping. There's ongoing concern over the future of the Irish honey bee as the result of imported non-native bees The classes begin at 8pm in the Community Room in the Tubbercurry Library. Christ Bunnett will be at giving the lessons - Ocean FM paid a visit to his house and...

It’s emerged that a north west Garda station was one of almost a quarter that that had fewer Gardaí at the end of 2024 than at the start of the year.   An Irish Independent analysis of Department of Justice figures show that Ballyshannon Garda Station recorded a decrease of 23 during that period.   While figures also indicate that county Donegal has a total of six stations with...

A teenager arrested in connection with a collision in which a man died in County Donegal has been released without charge. Another man remains in a serious condition in hospital. An investigation is ongoing. Last night, members of the community gathered for a candlelit vigil to pray for them. Ocean FM News was there:

The farmers market in Rossnowlagh takes place every Friday at the Friary Hall from 10am – 1pm. It only began in June of last year and three local women are central to how it came about - they are Lisa McCorley, Faye Dinsmore and Jamie Barns. These ladies wanted to bring something new and innovative to the area. This particular initiative in Rossnowlagh is more than the market itself, with other ev...

The founder of Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin has laid the blame for the US President, threatening to impose a 200 per cent tariff on alcohol exports from the EU firmly with the EU Commission.     Pat Rigney says moves by the commission to place a tariff on American Whiskey was always likely to lead to Donal Trump targeting Irish and European Alcohol products entering into the states. &n...

A new report has claimed that rurally based GP’s are facing an increasing workload and are having to treat more patients in recent years.   Ireland is one of just a few EU countries where the patient load for GPs has increased over the past decade.   A new report claims that GP has an average of 100 extra people in their catchment area, which has left doctors 'firefighting' to treat grow...

Calls are being made on the government to grant immediate pension parity to all school secretaries and caretakers.   While all secretaries and caretakers are now being employed directly by the Department of Education, there are still staff members excluded from the public service pension scheme.     The trade union Fórsa has resumed its campaign for pay and pension justice for such...

Up to 200 people gathered for a candlelit vigil last night in Letterkenny for two brothers who were struck by a car in the early hours of yesterday morning.   Anthony Gallagher died and his brother Martin is in a serious condition in hospital following the incident which happened at Lower Main Street just before 3am yesterday.   A section of the road was closed for a time but reopened ye...

People are being warned to be vigilant around the coast and inland waterways this Bank Holiday weekend. The Irish Coast Guard, Water Safety Ireland and the RNLI say sixty seven per cent of accidental drownings were preceded by land-based activities. Everyone is advised to check weather conditions, and to tell someone where they're going before heading out. Killian O'Kelly Water Safety Educator wit...