Professor Campbell gets his prize

NOBEL-winning Donegal man Professor Bill Campbell says he is hoping to return home to the town which inspired him next year.

The brilliant scientist was born in Ramelton - and revealed that he still begins every lecture by showing a picture of The Mall to students and academics.

He then tells his audiences where he's from, and how Donegal is still in his heart.

Dr Campbell, a graduate of Trinity College, was one of three winners of this year’s Nobel prize for medicine and was given his award on Thursday in Stockholm. He was awarded the prize along with Japanese scientist Satoshi Omura and Chinese researcher Tu Youyou.

The scientists developed avermectin — a drug which has lowered the incidence of river blindness and lymphatic filariasis in Africa and Asia. River blindness, a parasitic infection, is caused by microscopic worms and is spread by the bites of infected black flies. It can cause intense itching, skin discolouration, rashes, and eye disease, and often leads to permanent blindness.

Lymphatic filariasis, another parasitic disease, is spread by the bites of infected mosquitoes. In some cases, people who contract the condition experience a large amount of swelling of the arms and legs.

Dr Bill says he'd like to create a buzz around science in Ireland on the back of his success.

"I'd like to get back to Ireland next year and help promote science particularly among young people," said Bill.

"I'd like to get back to Ramelton too if I can; I'm very busy but I'd like to do that."

Donegal County Council will be hoping he does - they want to give him the Freedom of County Donegal.

And there won't be a problem finding accommodation for the Nobel Prize winning Donegal man.

His brother Bert (88) and Bert's wife Anne (famous for her gourmet food) run the award-winning Ardeen country house B&B in ­Ramelton.

Now that would be some day on The Mall.....

YOU'D wonder why they even invented Eircode - when you have Donegal postmen.

Quite simply we don't need postcodes.

Not when you hear the latest about a postcard sent from Missouri in the United States addressed simply: 'Albert, Carndonagh, Ireland'.

The card was sent from St Charles, which is twinned with Carn....and sent from the town council there.

The intended recipient is Sinn Fein councillor Albert Doherty. And he got it! They know how to find people in Inishowen where the An Post motto appears to be: 'We Will Look For You, We Will Find You....and We Will Give You A Letter!"

Earlier this year a letter was addressed to 'Yer man Henderson, that boy with the glasses who is doing a PhD up here at Queen’s in Belfast. Buncrana, County Donegal, Ireland" - Barry Henderson also got his letter!

JOB VACANCIES: Mantis Cranes Ireland Ltd has been established for 16 years as a highly-successful crane manufacturing company based in the Finn Valley area.

Alongside manufacturing the company operates a fleet of Self Erecting cranes and City Tower cranes servicing both the Irish and the UK construction markets.

In recent years we have also added the supply of specialised access equipment to our product portfolio.

The company is now recruiting candidates for the following positions:

Mechanical/Design Engineer

Role:

• Provide Quality Engineering support to our Production and Operations departments
• Liaise directly with Sales Personnel and Customers alike to establish client requirements and provide technical support
• Be the solutions provider and problem solver in relation to engineering related issues
• Provide cost effective engineering solutions and designs for new products and product development

Qualifications Required:

• Degree in Mechanical / Design Engineering
• Proficient in both Auto Cad, Solid Works, Word & Excel
• Minimum of  3 - 5 years experience in a related manufacturing environment
• Strong organisational skills with a positive can do attitude to problem solving

The successful candidate must demonstrate that they are capable of working on their own initiative to lead and manage a project with minimum supervision and support.

Salary negotiable depending on experience

Field Electrical Engineer

Role:

• Carry out scheduled and unscheduled maintenance to the range of cranes within the company’s rental fleet
• Carry out electrical diagnostics for fault finding and provide electrical support (by phone) to field service engineers and customers alike
• Give support for the safe installation and dismantling of cranes for both the Self Erecting cranes and the Tower cranes within the company’s rental fleet
• Provide support in the safe electrical installation on our range of access equipment

Qualifications Required:

• Recognised electrical qualifications
• Minimum of 3 years electrical experience preferably within an industrial environment
• Knowledge of PLC desirable but not essential
• Must be capable of working at heights

The successful candidate must be flexible in their approach and prepared to travel when required. Specific training related to our products will be given.

Salary negotiable depending on experience.

Send CV to jobs@mantiscranes.ie

Closing date for applications for both positions is18^th December 2015.

TOURISM: The local economy in Donegal could receive a timely boost, after Minister McHugh revealed that plans to redevelop Greencastle Harbour had taken a positive step.

Attending the meeting, Fine Gael Minister Joe McHugh TD told Donegal Daily, “I was very pleased with today’s meeting where the Irish Government committed to spending €2.5 million to a North West Development Fund, which will be complemented by matching funding from the Northern Executive.”

“There has been continuous engagement between officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, with regional stakeholders regarding the direction and priorities for the North West.

"At the meeting, I raised the development at Greencastle Harbour, and how there was a commitment given for continuing the works already commenced.

"I believe a cross-border approach, led by Donegal County Council, Derry City and Strabane City Councils, in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, with feed in from the Loughs Agency, could see this work begin again.

“I think it will be imperative that this work is supported by the Dept and at today’s meeting I outlined that I have already sought a meeting with Minister Simon Coveney and representatives of the group in Dublin to see how we could get things moving.

"The role of Greencastle in the North West cannot be overlooked. Fishermen are re-investing in boats and gear. The number of boats from Northern Ireland, Scotland and the South of Ireland landing into Greencastle is on the increase.

“Greencastle harbour is of strategic importance and is ideally situated to facilitate cruise ships and tourists who are onward bound to Donegal, Derry, and the Causeway Coast.

"As a result, all of these communities and local businesses will benefit from a tourism perspective. I strongly believe that this project should be a key focus of the North West Gateway Initiative and through the Development Fund, could help support this vital work, along with other key stakeholders.

The Wild Atlantic Way is bringing tourists onto the West coast by car and coach. MalinWaters and the EU “Cool Route” project is also expected to bring cruising tourists along the same route by boat.”

WE all have cameras these days - but photography is an art.

And amongst the best practitioners of this art form work for the The Irish Times.

This Christmas the newspaper is selling prints from its archives featuring some wonderful images from County Donegal.

Here's some of them....signed by the snappers concerned and framed for €100. All proceeds to The Simon Community and Concern Worldwide:

To order email editor@irishtimes.com

Floating Vote. ..Garda Jim Brennan; David Alcorn, the presiding officer; and Donal ? Dufaigh, a radio reporter, return from Inishfree Island to Burtonport, Co Donegal, with the General Election ballot box, containing two votes, in November 1992.Photograph: Frank Miller / The Irish Times.

Sunrise over Donegal town July 2015...Photograph: Bryan O'Brien / The Irish Times

Creevy Pier, Co. Donegal at dusk, July 2015.Photograph: Bryan O'Brien / The Irish Times

Angels walk to a nativity play in Glenties,Co Donegal.Photograph: Brenda Fitzsimons / The Irish Times

THE Donegal County Board has launched next year's Donegal Club PLUS Card - with additional benefits for members and their clubs.

The €200 cards will see half of it going back to members' clubs.

Card holders will be entitled to:

Daniel and Late Late host Ryan Tubridy.

Daniel O'Donnell has revealed he almost gave up singing - because he was so skint.

The millionaire entertainer, who turns 54 today, said he struggled so much to make ends meet in the 1980s that he almost quit singing to take up teaching.

"I made the first record in 1983 but it took until 1986 for things to gain momentum.

"But I had thought about giving up in 1985.

"IT was very difficult to financially survive and then all of a sudden it just happened," he said.

Daniel is planning to spend Christmas with wife Majella in Donegal before the couple head off for a long cruise in January.

Bridget's keyring

Loreto Milford Transition Year student Bridget Moran has come up with an innovative idea to raise money for Donegal Pet Rescue and Letterkenny Tidy Towns this Christmas.

As part of her transition year mini company, Bridget decided to design and source trolley tokens which are not only convenient for shoppers but also act as a commemorative coin to celebrate Letterkenny winning Ireland’s Tidiest Town.

Unlike some tokens currently on the market, Bridget’s product includes both €1 and €2 tokens on the same keyring.

They feature a picture of Letterkenny’s Polestar Roundabout with a congratulatory message. Keenly priced at €3 each, all profits go to Donegal Pet Rescue and Letterkenny Tidy Towns.
Bridget is seeking the support of local businesses to stock the trolley tokens, which make an ideal stocking filler this Christmas in addition to helping raise funds for two worthy causes.

For orders contact tidytokens@gmail.com or call 086 3204094

Councillor John O'Donnell on RTE Investigates programme.

COUNCILLOR John O'Donnell has been expelled from a local government umbrella group - after refusing to resign from it.

Two other councillors who featured in the RTÉ Investigates programme on Monday night had already resigned from Local Authority Members Association.

The councillors’ representative body said today that the membership of Cllr John O’Donnell, has been “terminated with immediate effect,” after he refused to resign.

The decision was taken atan emergency meeting of LAMA held in Tralee this afternoon.

Cllr O'Donnell had asked for payment for helping a fictitious wind farm company - set up by an RTE investigation team.

“The executive of LAMA are shattered and saddened by these revelations as we believe all of our members are throughout the country,” said LAMA general secretary former Mayor of Kerry, Cllr Bobby O’Connell.

“The LAMA executive, at its emergency meeting on Saturday December 12th has received resignations from Cllr Hugh McElvaney, Monaghan County Council and from Cllr Joe Queenan, Sligo County Council.

“These resignations have been accepted by the executive, unanimously. Cllr McElvaney who represents his county council on LAMA and had been an ex officio member of the board of LAMA attended the meeting in Tralee and tendered his resignation.

“Cllr John O’Donnell, Donegal County Council, has indicated he will not resign his membership from LAMA. The executive decided at its meeting on December 12th to terminate Cllr John O’Donnell membership with immediate effect.

“LAMA remains committed and determined to represent and promote the highest standards which is expected and shared by our members,” Cllr. Mags Murray Chairperson LAMA said.

On Friday a special meeting of Donegal County Council passed a motion calling for the resignation of Mr O’Donnell without taking a vote.

Today Cllr Michael McBride said he had also backed the motion calling for the resignation.

He said his speech in the council, in which he stopped short of calling for O'Donnell's resignation, was an agreed statement read out on behalf of all politicians in the Independents Group on Donegal County Council. He said the record would show that all councillors - including him - did back Cllr John Campbell's motion calling for O'Donnell to go. We are happy to clarify his position.

A Garda dives into the sea for the fundraising Polar Plunge.

Close to 100 plucky plunger took to the icy seas at Rathmullan Beach
today to get ‘Freezin’ for a Reason’ for Special Olympics Ireland.

The sport charity’s annual Polar Plunge event at the beach was a great
success with a huge turnout at the scenic beach in spite of the wintry
weather.

Plungers all raised funds for Special Olympics. The money
will help continue the charity’s programme of sport and competition
for athletes with intellectual disabilities.

Pupils and teacher from Loreto Community School, Milford doing the Polar Plunge in aaid of Special Olympics Ireland.

The festive event was run in association with the Gardai’s Law Enforcement Torch Run, an
organisation that has been in partnership with Special Olympics for many years.

Among the many faces who took the plunge were Superintendent David Kelly, Sgt Paul Magee, Olympian Danny McDaid, Councillor James Pat McDaid and super swimmer Anne Marie Ward.

Well done to all those who took part for what was a great cause and a wonderful occasion - even it it was ffffffffreezin!

Taking the plunge in Rathmullan for Special Olympics Ireland.

Josie McGranaghan and Angela McGee in Rathmullan for the Polar Plunge in aid of Special Olympics Ireland.

Josie McGranaghan braving the wintery conditions for the Polar Plunge in Rathmullan.

Members of An Garda Siochana Freezin' for a Reason in Rathmullan in aid of Special Olympics Ireland.

Braving the winrty conditions for the Polar Plunge are Cllr James Pat McDaid, Sgt Paul McGee and Olympian Danny McDaid.

Snow in Kinlough, Co Leitrim today

PARTS of Donegal will be getting more snow overnight, forecasters say.

Snow in the west of the county last night and this morning caused difficult driving conditions especially on the Barnesmore Gap.

There was also some snow in higher areas of Inishowen, the Finn Valley and the west of the county. However it wasn't a major snowfall.

More snow could fall overnight, says Met Eireann.

The major problem however will be ice on roads as temperatures drop to -4C.

Motorists are being urged to drive with care.

Cars are crawling on Barnsemore Gap.

THE DONEGAL Chamber Orchestra brought some extra festive cheer to the Courtyard Shopping Centre in Letterkenny today.

The orchestra played classical pieces by Warlock, Jarre, Torelli and Strauss - plus a large number of traditional Christmas music.

The Chamber Orchestra will be back on stage at An Grianan Theatre on Sunday (5pm) as part of the Donegal Music Education Partnership annual concert.

The chamber's repertoire will include:

Peter Warlock (1894-1930)
Capriol Suite for string orchestra (1926) (5')
- Basse-Danse
- Pieds en l'Air
- Mattachins

Maurice Jarre (1924 – 2009)
Somewhere, my love (Lara's Theme) from "Dr. Zhivago" (1965) (50th Anniversary ) (3')

Giuseppe Torelli (1658-1709)
Concerto Grosso Op.8 No.6 in g minor ''Christmas Concerto'' (1709) (8')
- Grave-Vivace
- Largo
- Vivace

Ireland's opening match at Euro 2016 will be against Sweden at Stade de France on Monday 13 June at 5pm after today's draw.

We will also play Italy and Belgium in Group E.

Minimum Pay Will Increase in January

DONEGAL community and voluntary groups who have employees have been told they aren't getting any extra funding towards new minimum pay rates due to be introduced next month.

The increase in the rate of the national minimum wage from €8.65 per hour to €9.15 per hour was recommended earlier this year by the Low Pay Commission.

The increase to the minimum wage is to come into effect from January 2016. It will mean groups finding an extra €1,000 for each full-time employee.

However community groups who are also employers have been advised that no additional funding will be forthcoming to assist with the increased salary costs.

"Thus the immediate impact of this change to the minimum wage is to marginally increase the wages being received while increasing substantially the amount of funding which must be sourced by voluntary committees to meet the new wage bill," said the Glenfinn Area Council in a statement.

"This anxiety with regard to continuity of vital community services and employment is common to all CSP projects in Co. Donegal."

A public meeting for representatives and mangers of CSP groups and public representatives will be held at the Day Centre, Cloghan on Wednesday 16th December at 8pm to highlight and discuss the issue.

"All those concerned within the community/voluntary sector as well as public representatives are to attend," sad the spokesperson.

ComNoirin O'Sullivan

THE High Court has ordered Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan to end an internal investigation into a sergeant.

Senior gardai have denied pressurising the sergeant's girlfriend into making a complaint against him.

Judge Paul McDermott granted the order last Tuesday to Keith Harrison, a Donegal-based sergeant who is on unpaid sick leave, today's Sunday Times report says.

Lawyers for the state conceded that there had been inordinate and inexcusable delay in progressing the investigation, the paper reports.

The state was ordered to pay the legal costs of both sides in the proceedings.

Despite objections by the state’s lawyers, Judge McDermott, who was a senior counsel for the Morris tribunal which investigated alleged garda misconduct in Donegal in the 1990s, said Harrison’s full costs were justified given the “obvious complex issues before the court”.

Harrison tells the paper today that he is "relieved" the case is over.

Letterkenny General Hospital

The Donegal Action for Cancer Care has slammed the Department of Health after it scheduled a meeting for December 22nd - in Dublin.

The group, which is a voluntary committee, was due to hold the meeting at the beginning of December.

But the group has now been told the meeting is scheduled for  three days before Christmas  at 3.30pm.

A furious DACC spokesperson Betty Holmes has said the group will not be attending the meeting because of their commitment to their families.

In this impassioned response to the Department of Health's move, Mrs Holmes said the Minister must come clean on the future of cancer services in Donegal.

This is the group's statement in full.

“Donegal Action for Cancer Care have worked very hard this year as we have for the last 10 years 8 months”, says Betty Holmes. “We are all voluntary unpaid and this year we continued to have very serious concerns regarding the future of key cancer services for Donegal patients at Letterkenny Hospital.”

"Such was our concern regarding cancer services for Donegal patients back at the start of this year that we requested a meeting at the Dept. of Health which we had in February with a follow meeting in August and at that meeting we requested another follow up in the first week of December……we have worked hard ensuring that we got these follow up meetings, they just didn’t happen!

We started chasing the beginning of December meeting in early November and two weeks ago we are now told that this meeting will be held on Wednesday 22nd December at 3.30pm in the Dept. of Health Dublin. We asked that it be changed but it’s a no! Maybe the start of 2016 has another agenda for them?

“We were more than annoyed & upset when we were told this. We still are. This was not what was agreed at the August meeting” said Betty.

“DACC will not be able to make this meeting due to it being 3 days before Christmas!! On this occasion we must put our families first. It is to us in DACC a “tick box” exercise to say it happened. Definitely highlights again that there is no understanding of where Donegal is at on the map!!”

"We must also ask what is the Minister for Health’s agenda expecting Consultant Surgeons to travel from Letterkenny & Galway Hospitals to Dublin for this meeting 3 days before Christmas. Surely these Consultants should in their professional roles have their patients in hospital as their primary concern?

"We then followed up this information with a detailed email with our questions attached on the 23rd November for a written reply. We have also sent the Bus Eireann timetable highlighting bus times to get to a 3.30pm meeting in Dublin…what it means is DACC members would have to leave home at approx. 8.30am get the 9.20am bus to Dublin so that they could be sure to be at the Dept. of Health for 3.30pm and then get home on the 6.45pm bus back to Letterkenny at approx..11pm…..no odds about our families who support us so much during the year with our DACC work.

“We think the public have a right to know what is happening & where DACC genuine concerns for cancer services are at” said Betty.” No point in saying you are committed to cancer services at Letterkenny Hospital and then this date for a meeting.” Total disregard for the people of Donegal! Imagine how the patients feel. Below is our introduction to the questions we have forwarded for this meeting to the Minister for Health, the Ministers Advisor, the Dept. of Health, to The Soalta & The Cancer Control Programme & The General Manager Letterkenny Hospital…

"DACC sincerely regret that due to family commitments we are unable to make the meeting at the Dept. of Health in Dublin on the 22nd December 3 days before Christmas. We are very aware that it was DACC who initially requested these 3 meetings as we felt it was very important to have questions & concerns regarding the future of key services at Letterkenny Hospitals answered.

"DACC have never in our ten year & 8 month existence requested a meeting or been invited to one we did not attend. 3 days to Christmas for a meeting, well you know our views on it. We will challenge minutes any more that do not reflect what was requested and agreed at a meeting. In August when we requested that the meeting would be held in first week in December, this was supported by Mr. Sugrue. The minutes didn’t reflect this.

On this occasion so close to Christmas Day our families, our children & grand children must come first.

Below are the questions we have already submitted when date was given for the meeting & we have requested written answers to please:

1) Update on the agreed actions from the 27th February meeting.

2) The Centralisation of the Referral Process for appointments to the Breast Unit at Letterkenny Hospital.

This new system is not working and is definitely not in the best interest of Donegal Breast Cancer Patients or indeed the Breast Unit at LGH. Saolta as you know tell us it is all working well, it is not the case.
What we are asking please for the following information please:
• The number of patents referred to the Breast Unit at Letterkenny Hospital?
• The number of patients when requests received are considered urgent & non urgent?
• The number of patients whose appointment request is sent to Galway on a daily basis?

• The number of patients whose appointments are allocated by Galway twice weekly that are Urgent & Non Urgent?
• The number of patients whose appointments are given to attend at the Breast Unit Letterkenny?
• The number of patients whose appointments are given to attend at Galway from Letterkenny’s referrals?
3) Prostate/ Urology Services at Letterkenny Hospital.
While we are delighted that there has been action on this with surgery starting again at LGH on Friday 13th November and promises that the clinics would start with a “couple of weeks”.
In Feb this year there are 425 men with prostate cancers & 160 women & men with bladder cancers that needed to be followed up. We were assured that the resources that were needed to treat the patients at Letterkenny Hospital would be made available.
• What is the official start date for the clinics to resume at Letterkenny Hospital? Couple of weeks is now.
• How often will clinics be held at Letterkenny Hospital?
• How many of these patients from Feb. have now 9 months later been seen by a consultant elsewhere?
• How many new patients are there since February? We believe this figure is in hundreds.
• How many of these have been seen if any to date?
4) Re re-introduction of Prostate/ Urology Surgery at Letterkenny Hospital.
We have some concerns that the weekend appears to be the only time available at Letterkenny Hospital for this surgery and do wonder why it has changed to the weekend when it wasn’t before?
• Is this intentional weekends so that it is hoped that it will not succeed?
“We have been told that this is an interim arrangement whilst The Saolta Group finalise a group wide strategy for urology services – end of 2015”.
For us in DACC we did raise our concerns that the group wide strategy for Urology Services will not mean taking them from Letterkenny Hospital to Galway…..this would not be acceptable to us in DACC at all. The Saolta Group reassure us that they are committed to maintaining a urology service in Letterkenny for the patients of Donegal.
• What does “committed to maintaining urology services at Letterkenny Hospital” actually mean? Details please.
5) Letterkenny University Hospital- New Name
With Letterkenny Hospital now re-named as part of the Saolta University Hospital Group can you outline to us the benefits this will have for Letterkenny Hospital?
• What additional resources/ services will this re-branding provide to Letterkenny Hospital?
• Is this about strengthening services at University Hospital Galway?
6) Letterkenny Hospital as 9th Centre of Excellence
DACC are now calling on you all clearly within your professional roles please to very seriously look at Letterkenny Hospital becoming the 9th Centre of Excellence. We first raised this back in 2009 and while it appears to have fallen on deaf ears we have & are keeping it to the fore please.
• We now ask for your support with this & that very serious consideration is given to it.
• And if not why not to be outlined in great detail please.

We have attached our DACC map again, with pages outlining distances & indeed discrimination for Donegal patients & Letterkenny Hospital…… Not just a reason by any means to have a Centre of Excellence but with the excellence that already exists at Letterkenny University Hospital including its top rate Cancer Services as well as its Clinical & Research Academy and now Radiotherapy at Altnagelvin Hospital in the autumn next year, LGH as the 9th Centre is another major step forward in healthcare.

No reason Belfast can’t be the 10th completing the circle around Ireland??

We are sure that you all will want to do what is in the best interest of the cancer & other patients; it’s about health care and not unrealistic strategic plans while services are removed, become unstable & patients unable to access treatments & care.

7)We note with interest that within the previous Minister for Health’s document “The Establishment of Hospital Groups as a transition to Independent Hospital Trusts” “ recognition of the geography of the region, Sligo and Letterkenny General Hospitals will be managed as a distinct unit within the West/North West. The precise management arrangements will be determined and agreed by the interim board of the group. The synergistic service model developed between Sligo and Letterkenny hospitals should be retained. Letterkenny Hospital, because of its geographic location, similar to Kerry and Wexford General Hospitals, should retain its full range of ED, medical, surgical, maternity and paediatric services”.

Another point the reports reference to Kerry & Wexford Hospitals geographical location is nothing like Letterkenny Hospitals.

*From Kerry Hospital to Cork University Hospital is 1 hour 42 minutes, 115 km.

*From Kerry Hospital to Limerick University Hospital is 1hour 22 minutes 95.5 km

*From Wexford Hospital to Waterford University Hospital is 58 minutes 60.6km.

*From Letterkenny Hospital to University Hospital Galway see attached in this document.

“ We really felt that we have a responsibility to let the people of Donegal know where the cancer service needs of Donegal people are at on the Ministers agenda, we won’t let any of those in highly paid jobs with responsibility for these vital services off the hook , we will keep working hard in 2016 & beyond. We are repeatedly told that cancer services are secure at Letterkenny Hospital we do not believe so. What we see is that the focus is on building up the so called 8 Centres of Excellence and nothing else. All you have to do is look at how health services across the board are being cut, withdrawn, waiting lists, operations cancelled, etc. Health affects everyone of us from before we are born till we die, how our health is affects everything else we do in life. It should be the number one priority for all Governments” said Betty.

BUSINESS: Are you still looking for that perfect Christmas gift - then why not drop into Stevens Jewellers and check out their fabulous and vast range of offers on top designer brands.

Stevens Jewellers has a huge selection of gifts to pick from this Christmas - and the hugely successful business also celebrates its FIFTH year on Letterkenny Main Street.

They are stocking top watch brands such as Michael Kors, Daniel Wellington, Storm, Lipsy London, Citizen, Superdry, Police and Ben Sherman and more in Store!

Rose Gold is the top trend this Christmas and Stevens Jewellers is stocking Rose Gold Jewellery in Michael Kors, Dyberg/Kern and this years top Irish Brand Knight and Day Jewellery as well as the top selling Chrysalis stacking bangle range available in Rose Gold, Yellow Gold and Silver in many different symbols and designs.

BUSINESS: The award winning Silver Tassie Hotel and Seascape Spa will be offering 10% OFF all Hotel and Spa Gift Vouchers and Spa Products!

The amazing deal will last for only ONE day - and will take place this Tuesday 15th, December 2015 from 9am to 9pm.

So make sure and save the date in your diary - and avail of some wonderful offers on products and vouchers at our award-winning Seascape Spa.

With something to suit all tastes and budgets this is the perfect gift this Christmas.

Vouchers can be used for food, drink, accommodation, luxurious pampering His or Her treatments, Spa products, gift sets or hampers.

Vouchers can be bought at the Hotel or Spa reception, over the phone or online www.silvertassiehotel.com

This one-off offer will be available only on Tuesday 15th December from 9am until 9pm, so don’t miss out! 

The Silver Tassie Hotel & Spa , Ramelton Road, Letterkenny, Co.Donegal.

074 91 25619/ 0749126251. A member of Select Hotels of Ireland.

Deputy Pearse Doherty.

The European Commission has decided to include the Gaoth Dobhair Sewerage Scheme as part of an infringement case against the government over its failure to deliver the project.

The decision, which was taken following the submission of a report to the European Commission by Sinn Féin MEP Matt Carthy, means that the institution has now formally launched infringement procedures against Ireland as the delay to progress the scheme is in clear violation of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.

The move has been welcomed by Deputy Pearse Doherty.

“Back In May my party colleague MEP Matt Carthy brought this matter to the attention of the Commission when he submitted a report to the Commissioner in Brussels in which he argued that the inaction by successive governments to introduce the scheme was in violation of EU legislation, namely the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.

“The Commissioner, Mr Karmenu Vella, subsequently responded to this submission in June in which he said that in light of the evidence provided by Matt Carthy in his report that it was the intention of the European Commission to include the Goath Dobhair Sewerage scheme to the outstanding infringement cases against Ireland as he agreed that the failure to introduce waste water infrastructure in Gaoth Dobhair contravened EU legislation.

“The Commissioner stated in his response that a formal decision to proceed with this case would be made once authorities here had the opportunity to respond to the report as is part of normal procedure in such cases to find an early resolve.

“I understand that the Commission last week wrote to Matt Carthy to confirm that it has now formally included questions concerning the situation of compliance surrounding the Gaoth Dobhair Sewerage Scheme to its infringement file and that as part of this procedure a letter of formal notice for non-compliance has now been issued to the government.

“The Government now has a number of weeks to respond to the Commission’s notice following which, if it fails to satisfactorily prove to the Commission that it is making all necessary progress to resolve the issue, then the European Commission may then decide to refer the matter to the EU Court of Justice in order to initiate litigation procedures.

“While I of course welcome the Commission’s decision, it is completely unacceptable that successive governments have allowed this situation to manifest to such an extent to get to this stage where we now have infringement procedures being brought against the state as a result of complete inaction and utter incompetence.

“The people of Gaoth Dobhair have been waiting for over 40 years for a much needed sewerage scheme to serve the region and this ridiculous delay by governments illustrate the complete lack of concern which Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Labour have for the area: not only for its economic development but also for its residents.”