Ocean FM News Reports

The construction of new Garda headquarter in Sligo seems to be a step closer today with the confirmation that the Garda Commissioner Harris has given his seal of approval to the project.   Back in September it was signalled that the Justice Minister Helen McEntee and the Minister with responsibility for the OPW, Patrick O’Donovan were in favour of the project.   Today members of the Slig...

A Public Consultation has taken place on a key development project in Collooney. The consultation took place at the Reading Wing Community Hall in St Paul's Church of Ireland in the town on Wednesday evening. It is hoped that a safe pedestrian crossing will be installed at the Collooney roundabout when works are completed. Speaking to Ocean FM News, local Sinn Fein Councillor Thomas Healy says the...

The Government are being urged to ensure that traveller families can benefit from electricity credits. The issue was raised in the Dáil by Independent Donegal TD Thomas Pringle, who said that many members of the traveller commmunity never received the 600 euro benefit. Deputy Pringle made the point that many people who were not as reliant on the electricity credit managed to receive it, while trav...

Increased taxes could be on the way for certain cars and SUV's.   The Sinn Fein Spokesperson on transport says that the weight of cars such as Volkswagen Golf's has increased significantly in recent years.   A number of different makes of cars are also now manufactured to a greater height and width and it's feared as a result will do greater damage if involved in a collision with other r...

As the Budget 2024 debate continues, the Government has come under fire for doing little to provide adequate health services in the North West.   There's ongoing concern the people from Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim have to travel to the likes of Galway for cancer treatment.   Sligo Leitrim Sinn Fein TD Martin Kenny says that has been provided in the budget is a drop in the ocean for what i...

There's a very real need to roll out the hot meals scheme to all primary and post-primary schools in Sligo and further afield.   That's according to Sinn Fein Cllr Arthur Gibbons who says a lot of children's circumstances have changed utterly in a short few years.   With the ongoing cost of living crisis and with many local families struggling in making ends meet, Cllr Gibbons believes t...

The Department of Health in the north is facing calls to reinstate its funding to the Women's Aid Federation. The funding, which totals £147,000 per year, supports local Women's Aid branches throughout the six counties. However, as of 30th September, that funding has been withdrawn. Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly Jemma Dolan is urging the permanent secretary at the department to commit to...

The Government has been called on to intervene and avoid strike action by a number of health and community workers. Just last week, workers in Section 39, Section 56 and Section 10 organisations issued a strike notice following a ballot its members represented by Fórsa, INMO and Siptu. Donegal Sinn Féin TD Pádraig Mac Lochlainn says many workers feel like they are being treated as second class cit...

The late Tom Niland has been described as a gifted farmer, a loyal friend and a quiet person who lived a contented life prior to that dark day in January of last year.   Large crowds gathered for his funeral Mass which is currently underway in Skreen this afternoon.   The 75 year old died in hospital last Saturday, 20 months after being brutally attacked in his home – he had been on life...

A Donegal TD is warning that gaps remain when it comes to legislation on sexual offences and human trafficking.   Deputy Thomas Pringle was speaking in the Dail yesterday evening during statements on the Criminal Law Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking Bill, which aims to strengthen the law around sexual offences and improve protections for victims.   Deputy Pringle says the approach t...

It's been confirmed that hundreds of businesses in Sligo have signed up to the Breast Feeding Friendly initiative.   The campaign, which was reignited earlier this week in Sligo by the HSE, encourages businesses to create a welcoming space for women who want to breastfeed in public.   Cavan and Monaghan have come on board while it's anticipated that Leitrim and Donegal will also follow s...

The Government is being urged to exempt first time buyers from property tax for the first five years after purchase.   The call comes from local Fianna Fail Cllr Rosaleen O'Grady who has been hearing concerns on the ground from young people who are keen to get on the property ladder but are finding it difficult to do so.   Cllr O'Grady says the move would save them a few hundred euro whi...

Transport Minister Eamon Ryan has failed to give a commitment to review the funding mechanism for major road projects like the N17.   It comes as the Minister was handed a bleak warning from the TII that failure to invest in improvements on the road will lead to more fatalities and serious injuries.   The route from Collooney to Knock features in a twelve page document compiled by the TI...

Up to 14 college students were left stranded in Manorhamilton again this morning as a result of buses being full. The students were forced to miss classes this morning in ATU Sligo as the 8am bus from Manorhamilton to Sligo had no space for them. With the college semester well underway, this is not the first time this has happened in the last number pof weeks. Speaking to Ocean FM News, Independen...

The Minister for Further and Higher Education is targeting a decrease in education costs in the Budget. Minister Simon Harris made the comments to Ocean FM News during his visit to Sligo this week. Improvements to student grants, core funding and decreasing the staff-to-student rato are also on the Minister's agenda ahead of Budget 2024, which will be announced next week. Minister Harris also feel...

There's concern that while efforts are being made to meet targets for social housing in Sligo are ongoing, it's not moving at a fast enough pace to deal with the vast waiting list.   111 dwellings for social housing have so far been delivered by Sligo County Council this year while other projects are in the pipeline for the year ahead.   But Cllr Thomas Healy says the lack of affordable...

The Taoiseach is being urged to sanction funding in a bid to save the Leitrim Community Car Scheme.   Operated by more than 35 volunteer drivers, in the last 14 months the service has carried 533 people to hospital appointments in the region.   However it wound down its operations yesterday due to a lack of support from both the Government and the HSE.   Sligo-Leitrim TD Marian Hark...

The Government is facing further pressure to strike a balance between increasing the minimum wage and ensuring that businesses in the North West stay afloat.   That's according to Independent TD Marc MacSharry who has been highlighting the ongoing struggle by various sectors in the region due to inflation and the ongoing cost of living crisis.   Speaking in the Dail ahead of the Budget a...

It's been claimed that some parents in the North West have had to give up work due to childcare crisis and the notorious school transport debacle. A mother of three in Leitrim has had to quit her job after ten years because of a combination of childcare costs and lack of school transport. In a similar case in Donegal, it's reported that another parent has also had to leave their job because their...

The manager of a major visitor’s attraction facility in the North west has called on the government to provide increased funding to the sector in light of a reduced footfall since the Covid -19 pandemic.     It’s being claimed that visitor numbers to Ireland’s leading visitor attractions in 2022 returned to only 58% of what they were in pre-pandemic times.   The data has been provid...

A suspicious attempt to purchase a boat in Killybegs may be linked to the country's largest ever drugs seizure off the coast of Cork. It's reported that two men made attempted to buy a boat however the buyer pulled out of the deal last minute after having concerns. Meanwhile, four men charged in connection with the drug seizure have been remanded in custody after appearing in court in Cork today....

Barristers in Sligo say they're disappointed with the Government over a lack of action on pay restoration.   Barristers who work in criminal law are on strike for the first time today in a dispute about the Government's failure to reverse cuts to their pay imposed in the aftermath of the financial crash.   Justice Minister Helen McEntee previously indicated her support of pay restoration...

There are calls for day care services to be extended at St. John’s hospital in Sligo.   Currently the service is operating two days a week but it’s tonight by both staff and service users that it should be increased to five days weekly.   The HSE is being urged to give the call consideration.   Cllr Marie Casserly says a lot of people rely heavily on the service and if there’s a cle...

oncern has been expressed with aspects of the proposed County Sligo Development Plan.   The 1000-page draft document details the plans and objectives by Sligo County Council from 2024 - 2030.   Yesterday evening, Cllrs gave the green light for the draft plan to go to the next stage.   It'll now go on public display in a bid to get feedback from relevant bodies and the general public...

The interim deputy secretary general of the GRA, the decision by their members not to engage in voluntary overtime time today and on every Tuesday for the Month of October is aimed to highlight the current frustration its members are experiencing with the Garda commissioner Drew Harris.   The Garda Commissioner and GRA are loggerheads over a proposed new roster Commissioner Harris is looking...