 Thank you. This is the 9 to 9 show on Highland Radio. It's Donal with you until 12 noon. Lots to happen. Lots to cover on the show today. But before we do anything else, let's get the 9 o'clock news update and say good morning to Donna Marie Doherty. Thanks Donal. Good morning. A man charged in relation to an alleged hit and run in South Donegal is due in court this morning. He was arrested on Sunday following the incident in Bundorn on Saturday night in which a nine-year-old Ronan Wilson died. The man aged in his twenties is due before a sitting of Carrick and Shannon District Court at half past ten this morning. Housing has been identified by members of Donegal County Council as the most important issue to be addressed by the authority, resulting in a special meeting which will take place on the 11th of October. A lengthy discussion at the September meeting began with officials seeking clearance to borrow almost seven and a half million euro for land acquisition. Two motions were also moved with Councillor Cairn Brogan seeking to have a housing return to a single department, that is with no other responsibilities, while Councillor Marie Tres Gellher called for housing plans to be drawn up for the short, medium and long terms. A number of councillors questioned whether the authority has the resources to respond to needs and opportunities. Among them was Councillor Rena Donahey, who told the meeting a potentially important site for social housing in Bunkrana was on the verge of being lost. I have been offered very good land, very suitable service land in Bunkrana for housing. I've spoken to the council about this, we're not moving quick enough on it and there is a big possibility there that this is going to be lost and it would be awful if that did happen. I have now been told that that land is going for public auction and if it does go for public auction there certainly is a chance that we're going to lose it for social housing. The Alley Arts and Conference Centre and Sturban Visitor Information Centre has been relaunched as part of a campaign to promote the town and the wider Sperrens area. Tourism manager with the council, Margaret Edwards, says there is much to offer visitors in the area in terms of cultural, historical and environmental experiences. She says when considering Sturban and the Sperrens, both compliment each other well. While Sturban has an urban offering, the Sperrens are filled with activities closer to nature. Even driving through the Sperrens is what all scenic routes that you can take and there's a whole range of routes that are there for you to look at and choose from. There are cycling routes as well. As I said before, walking and angling are also hugely popular with visitors to the area. So I think there's a really interesting mix of things that people can do so they can really have a bit of that kind of more urban and the Sturban town itself but also get out into the Sperrens and really explore. Looking to weather, the heavy rain will gradually clear this morning as brighter conditions with sunshine and scattered showers west extends eastwards. Some showers may be heavy and thundery, highest temperatures of 14 to 17 degrees in fresh and gusty southwest winds. That's all for now. The next news update is at 10 o'clock. In the meantime, take a look at our local news on our website highlandradio.com. For myself and the news team, good morning. The Euro millions mega draw is back and it's pretty big. It's actually massive. This Friday, the 29th of September, the Euro millions jackpot will be a guaranteed 130 million euro. It's just too big to miss the national lottery. It could be you play responsibly play for fun. The county's number one talk show, the nine till noon show on Highland radio. And a very good morning to you. This is the nine to noon show here on Highland radio. It's the Donald Kavanaugh with you on till 12 noon today as ever a lot to get through. But as we always say, the absolute heart of this program is your views, your perspectives, your take on the news of today and the issues you want to see and hear discussed. You can contact us via text or WhatsApp on 0 86 60 25 thousand. You can call us on 0 7 4 9 1 25 thousand. Caroline producing and taking your calls and you're taking your calls as well this morning. You can use the double 3 5 3 7 4 9 1 25 thousand to code if you're dying from outside of the Donegal area. If you wish to contact us via social media, it's at Highland radio on Twitter or X Highland hub on Facebook. We're also on other social media platforms and you can watch the show unfold on our Facebook pages and also on our YouTube channel, Highland Radio Ireland. As ever, we will begin with a look at the newspapers on this Tuesday morning, the 26th of September. Don't forget by the way, because it's a Tuesday, we will have our garter slot coming up after the news at 10. That's at our 10 past 10 or so when we will be giving you the chance to help Gardi with a number of incidents and appeals that have happened around the area over the past seven days. We'll begin our newspaper review this morning with the Tuesday Donegal Democrat and the main headline tributes paid to precious Ronan, the nine year old boy who was tragically killed in a hit and run in Montoran on Saturday was Ronan Wilson. There's quotes there from the GAA Wolf Tones club. We spoke to their chair yesterday. Obviously, it went to press too late last night for the update that a man has been charged and is due in court shortly. And Gardi are appealing for more information on that particular horrific collision. Also on the front, interesting one major revamp planned for Biddy's Banner as part of a major Glen Column kill development, the bar in Glen Column kill there, a three story building to include accommodation and a transport hub could be constructed on an adjacent site, we're told. Also on page three children traumatized as speeding truck hits curb at Duncan Evie school. You heard that discussed in detail on the program last week with Greg, a number of people who were present on the day spoke to Greg about their experience. And by all accounts, that was a potentially horrific situation that developed in Duncan Evie last week. I beg your pardon. Looking at the nationals, the Irish independent this morning, wooden eight homes now in arrears on their energy bills. There's been a huge spike in the number of households getting into arrears on electricity and gas bills. Figures from the regulators showed that 256,000 residential electricity customers. That's one in eight were in arrears in the three months to June. That's an increase of almost 55,000 compared with the first three months of the year. Also, Larry ready to embrace Ryder Cup Challenge. We saw the ladies show the way with the Solheim Cup at the weekend and a fantastic comeback from them led in no small part by Leon McGuire. And can the men emulate the ladies success and take the Ryder Cup while they're all arriving in Rome. Nice picture of Shane, Larry greeting Rory McElroy ahead of the next couple of days competition. Also two arrested as trawlers suspected of carrying drugs runs the ground. Two men have reportedly been arrested after a trawler suspected to be carrying a large consignment of cocaine run aground off the county Wexford coast. Irish Times this morning, main headline is lower tax rate considered for landlords fraught pre budget negotiations made worse by expected one billion euro health overspend. Concern big health hike would mean fewer spending increases for other departments. Now landlords could be paying less tax on rental incomes in an effort to persuade them to stay in the market under proposals put forward in advance of budget talks intensifying this week. Now that's an interesting one because on the one hand, they feel they do need to bring in measures to attract more landlords into the system. On the other hand, many, many people potentially facing eviction, many, many people facing huge rent increases will look at landlords to get tax breaks and that will evoke a very, very different reaction from them. And as I said yesterday, I certainly don't envy Pascal Danehu and Michael McGrath as they try to bridge a number of gaps and try to square a number of circles and reconcile a number of contradictions when they are drawing up the budget which has to be presented in the coming weeks. Both suspected of carrying cocaine runs aground. More details on the searches continuing today in the waters of Wexford following the discovery of what Garthier believed to be a large consignment of cocaine on board a boat which ran aground. The vessel got into difficulty on Sunday night near Blackwater. The rescue and surveillance operation continued into the early hours of the morning. Two men were winched to safety and brought onto a naval service vessel. It's understood a number of people were rescued from the water. They're all being questioned by Garthier in County Wexford at the moment. Looking at the Irish Daily Mail. Alarm grows at Garthier Watchdog Office break-in. Demand for full disclosure over incident and security of sensitive files. John Lee writes that whistleblowers and politicians have called for full disclosure into a break-in at the Garthier Watchdog's headquarters. The break-in at the Garthier County Ombudsman Commission GSOC offices took place earlier this month. And it's understood a number of people with highly sensitive files in the Garthier, in GSOC's possession have written to the body seeking information about the matter. Labour Party to D and former Minister Alan Kelly has tabled a number of questions this week seeking information from the Justice Minister Helen McIntee about the incident. And I strongly suspect, I strongly suspect that we are going to see more and more on that story. That has the look to me of one of these stories that starts off small, but becomes huge. And I think that's going to become really big in the days to come. Irish Daily Mirror, new allegations brand six assault claims grow. Scotland Jard has opened a probe into several claims of sexual assault into Russell Brandt. The Met said it has received a number of allegations in London and from across the UK about the star it added detectives have launched an investigation into allegations of sexual offences. No arrests have been made and brand denies all the claims. Also IRA bomb victims father backs rugby fans singing zombie, but not the players. A lot of debate I noticed yesterday on national media about the fact that zombie was played at the end of the Ireland South Africa match in Paris on Saturday night. And the crowd has to be said we're singing along with gusto. And there is a lot of courage on this Sunday. The quote from the Chris Colin Perry, whose son Tim was killed in warring along with the three year old Jonathan Bell. He said he doesn't want the team using it as their anthem. He says I think probably many of the fans singing have no idea of its origins or what it's about and the song zombie written by Dolores written after the Warrington atrocity of course. And those of us of an age will well remember that atrocity and the aftermath of it. Irish Sunday morning similar story to the earlier one from the mirror. Cops probe brand sex assault. Cops last night confirmed they're investigating fresh claims of sexual assault against Russian brand. Very similar there. Also QT's figures drop by a third. Patrick Kielty's late later ratings fell by a third for his second episode in charge. Some five hundred and forty eight thousand people tuned in to see guests including four Williams down from the average of eight hundred and thirty thousand who watched his debut a week earlier. Look that was always going to happen. That was always going to happen. The first late show with Patrick Kielty everyone you know myself included. Let's be honest I watched it and I usually would not watch the late show much I will maybe catch up on stuff on the RTE player later if I hear there was an interesting guest on but by a large on a Friday night I would not be be watching the late late show so I made a point of staying in and watching it the week before because I wanted to see how Kielty did on his first and I think a lot of people will have no one could base anything on the first episode. I think really to make a judgment on Patrick Kielty and what figures he's going to get what you really have to do is wait until about four episodes in and then at that stage tabulate your this numbers two three and four that will give you an idea. The first one was always going to be inflated because a lot of people were going to be looking him out of curiosity would he say anything about the RTE controversies which he did and in fairness I thought naming the band Grant Thornton and the flip flops was a particularly nice comedic touch. But you know it was always going to fall and you know it's I'm not surprised I mean that it dropped by a third I mean I would almost say that to actually keep the drop at only 33 percent I think was actually quite good in my view because it was always going to be a hugely inflated figure for his first as for me last Friday I was in Straban I was in the the alley in Straban watching the Seeger Sessions revival and what a show I mean let's be honest about it Patrick Kielty could have brought a flying saucer down from Mars and interviewed E.T. on the program and it wouldn't have been as good as what we experienced in the alley on Friday night and the Irish Daily Star this morning 140 million euro snowstorm clever headline two men have been arrested after a fishing trawler with an estimated 140 million euro worth of cocaine on board ran aground amidst highway winds in Wexford on Sunday night and again UK police probe more sex assault claims against brand and bomb boys dad backs bomb boys dad backs Irish fans yeah I'm not quite sure I'm all for an alliterative headline and for preciseness and I understand what tabloids have to do when it comes to their headlines but bomb boys dad I'm not sure I would have phrased it that way it's the lines of noon show it's quarter past nine back in the moment the newspapers are courtesy of Kelly centra mountaintop letter Kenny the seastore national large forecourt of the year for 2022 save up to 100 euro this week at Callahan's electrical dot com with discount codes code Highland 20 for purchases over 229 Highland 30 when you spend over 399 and Highland 100 for sales over 1000 euro shop and save online at Callahan's electrical dot com with your exclusive Highland radio discount code the Folger Ireland employer excellence program is now open to tourism businesses of every size from the smallest attraction to the largest hotel join hundreds of others already attracting top talent with the employer excellence program the mark that will help you hire registered Folger Ireland dot IE forward slash employer excellence the Dunnegal Texel sheep breeders will hold a sale of 83 rams in Refo Mart this Friday the 29th at seven with approximately 50 s is scheme eligible rams available on the day online bidding via the Mart Bids app that's this Friday at Refo Mart in the next 15 seconds you're going to find out where is the best place in the northwest to buy a bed or mattress it's rest text beds and furniture mountaintop letter Kenny where comfort meet style if you fancy going out for a bit of lunch today or any day hop into Kelly's diner in never Kenny there's great choice and great value on the packed menu choose from fresh gourmet sandwiches a hot chicken wrap or bacon and cheese baked potato try the Kelly's signature special with hot turkey slices and smoked bacon for maybe a chicken and bacon Caesar salad treat yourself to some lunch at Kelly's award-winning diner mountaintop never Kenny highland radio time checks with expressway travel route 32 from letter Kenny to Dublin when you book online and travel for less expressway bringing you the time at time is 17 minutes past nine now let's talk about the health service because Sinn Fein are launching their alternative health budget setting out the party's plan to reform the health service in a Sinn Fein led government and we're joined on the line by deputy David Colnan who is the Sinn Fein spokesperson on health deputy Colnan good morning good morning Donut first things first we're told that at this point in time as we speak as ministers McGraw and a Donut who sit down to figure out their spending priorities and what they can afford to in budget 2024 the health service is one billion over budget already uh is that something that you're factoring into your own um discussions and your own deliberations well we have had meetings with the senior officials in the department of health and the HSE in preparations for our budget and unfortunately we can't get an actual figure on what the overall will be so yes we will make a provision but it has to be based on whatever figures are in the public domain or figures that we get from the department there is a much wider problem and that last year I predicted exactly this will happen so in our alternative budget last year we proposed a package of measures of one point two billion euro and to ensure that hospitals had the capacity that they needed we know that the trolley crisis and the pressures in emergency departments are all year round we know that part of the problem in emergency departments is a lack of alternative care pathways for example adverse GP care which I know is an issue in Dunnegall and in other rural areas as well so we had set out a very ambitious but but realistic plan on putting those investments in last year the government provided just 300 million euro of additional spend and now we're we're looking at about a billion euro of a shortfall so we've been proven right that those investments were necessary I also pointed out to the Minister for Health because it's not all about additional investment we also need to reform how we spend their money there are hospitals that are doing exceptionally well and I've had no patients on trolleys now for a long time that means to be the case in more hospitals and we have to mandate that best practice but equally we're spending huge amounts of money on outsourcing on agency and management consultancy and a whole range of areas where it's only in recent weeks now that the head of the HSE is putting in place cost containment measures to try and control those costs so there are lots of things that need to be done it isn't all just about making investments yes they are necessary but equally it's about containing runaway costs in certain areas that can be contained but also making the reforms to ensure that we get banged for for the money that we are investing in healthcare the comment you made about the trolleys is interesting one because Arkeen hospital in Waterford has had a record of zero or next to zero patients on trolleys in the in the emergency department for quite some time now letter Kenny is regularly in the 20s 30s and sometimes even higher it can be in the top five in the country indeed third highest in the country yesterday sligo also tends to be open around about the top five what's the difference between what's happening in Waterford versus what's happening in letter Kenny and sligo that Waterford can manage to return zero patients on trolleys day after day after day well i've been tracking what's been happening in University Hospital Waterford since i first got involved in politics and i've seen very similar problems that exist in Galway and Limerick and in some hospitals in Dublin it used to be the case in Waterford so it isn't always the case that Waterford had no patients on trolleys so it took a lot of work and i think that the key ingredient was teamwork between consultants nurses and other specialists in the hospital we had consultants who worked longer voluntarily on shift on call maybe later than normal in terms of comparisons with other hospitals that means decisions can be made quicker we also made best use of the capacity that's there but i think the other three ingredients were really good relationships with community services so that's very quickly if patients needed step down and recovery beds they were made available and then there's an all year round very constructive relationship with UPMC which is a private hospital and that was opened up through relationships as i said all year round that could then treat public patients in some specialties and i think the combination of all of those measures and good management to be fair as well has resulted in what's called a better patient experience time so i've been saying to Steve and Donnelly and the head of the HSE that yes we need more investment in healthcare and our budget that we launched will again set ambitious but i would argue realistic investments which are needed to reduce the cost of healthcare and put capacity not just into acute but primary and community care but we also have to be mandating that best practice and looking at what's happening in Waterford it's very similar in Kilkenny and Raha has done very well in recent times as well and then mandating that best practice across all hospitals but equally Donnelly i'm conscious that there are particular problems in some rural areas we know that hospitals like the one in your own area find it difficult to recruit staff, remoteness is an issue and there's also capacity constraints in hospitals in some hospitals that doesn't exist in others so we're not always comparing like what like and the job of the minister is to ensure that they make the investments which are necessary but the interesting thing is the interesting thing is a lot of what you were saying about what worked in Waterford does not seem to have involved extra investment it doesn't seem to have involved extra money it seems to have involved if anything imaginative thinking it was partly that there was additional investment so we kind of got lucky before COVID where there was a new wing that was opened up in in Waterford and it was for the first time we have a palliative care unit which is really really important and the top three floors of that provided for 200 additional acute inpatient beds and if you talk to hospital management they say that was really really useful during COVID because they were single isolation room beds they were obviously really important during that time period but now we're making the best use of them at a time when you know there's huge pressures on the hospital we had additional pressures with what happened with a fire in Wexford as you know last year and University Hospital Waterford was stretched but I'm conscious that there's good work being done in in the hospital in Donegal staff are fatigued and they want to be supported I don't at all call into question the management of the hospital I'm very conscious after traveling to a whole range of hospitals and I traveled to Donegal last year at the request of peer authority and party McLaughlin and some of our councillors in Donegal and we visited the hospital we met with management and I know that they are doing their best but they have capacity constraints partly to do with staffing and beds and that's the point that we set out in our alternative budget and as we know when we speak of capacity when we speak of capacity obviously it's one thing to talk about beds and as you said the new wing in Waterford 200 extra beds beds are one thing but the real key here is actually the nursing the backup the ancillary the domestic and the medical staff to actually ensure those beds can work and that appears to be the problem in many hospitals that maybe you can get physical beds in but can you actually get the staffing and get the people in to actually service those beds well I think the recruitment of staff is probably the single biggest challenge now facing the health services and that's why in our alternative budget we set out a very very detailed workforce plan and I would argue possibly the best that has been produced today in relation to what needs to be done and the scale of ambition so I've met with anybody who is involved in this area including senior people in the HSE and the department but also people involved in training colleges and there is the ability to very substantially ratchet up training capacity that needs to be done because we need to be recruiting and retaining more health care professionals and I welcome the fact as well that we have a new public only contract for consultants and I want to make sure that public hospitals are truly public and that we remove private health care once and for all from public hospitals but my point is if I was the Minister for Health my job is to look at each and every hospital what are the capacity deficits what needs to be done to ensure that your hospital has the resources that it has as best we can over a number of years and then it's up to management and staff then to make the best use of those resources by using the best practices which exist in other hospitals and that's the type of focus that I want to bring to health care and I've been talking to the head of the HSE about exactly those ideas it's not at all beyond the realms of possibility that you could be health minister within the next 18 months in the event that that were to happen are you confident that you can implement these measures because a lot of people will remember in the past opposition health spokespersons had very interesting plans I remember well James Riley when he was in opposition had great plans in terms of the money following the patient and he was going to reform and restructure the health service and I think with all due respect to the man it's fair to say he's not gone down in history as one of our better health ministers well my job is to make sure that we put forward the very best health plan that we can so last Friday I launched two documents one which is a very substantial document which looked at the medium to long-term priorities that I have and what I would do if I was Minister for Health and all of that is in preparation for an election manifesto and what we would hope if we do get a mandate a program for government and then we launched our budget proposals which is year one implementing those measures I will spend the next number of months and I gave that commitments to the 80 different groups that were in the room which make up health care trade unions advocate groups patient groups the proposals that I put forward went down very well but what I said in the room and I'll say it very publicly I'm not going to put forward any measures which are not costed in the first instance but not practical or realistic or deliverable and I believe that there is huge potential in health care I see it everywhere I go there's huge innovation and the research I but also I think on the front line in health care and I want to be a minister that delivers an Irish national health service I think it will take two terms in government but I believe the heavy lifting can be done in year one which is why our first term in government which is why in our budget proposals this year we provide for over 240 million euro of measures to reduce the cost of health care which involves 400,000 additional medical cards reducing the drug payment threshold from 80 euro to 50 euro which cuts the cost of medicines for all families abolishing prescription charges and that scale of investment would be needed year one year so I can only be judged on what we do if we get our chance and I completely understand that people are skeptical about whether or not we can ever fix the problems in health care I can't allow myself to be a skeptic I have to be constructive and positive and have a plan and no doubt like we've seen over the last number of weeks challenges will present themselves and crises will happen and you have to respond to them but if you have a credible plan and you have a government and a finance minister and peer authority would be the finance minister I would imagine in the Sinn Fein government then he has been very supportive of the plans that I put forward but I can only be judged on it if we get our opportunity and that's a big if that's a matter for the electorate and we're not presumptuous about the outcome of the next election Before I let you go we've won query in from a caller it's a point that's on under discussion a lot of the moment while reform of the health services needed our caller says Can you ask David Colnan what his position is on Sinn Fein's gender recognition bill which allows 16 year olds take parents to court to allow them change their gender and proposes the children under 16 be allowed that right also his position on children being allowed access to puberty blocking medicines Well that's not our position and we don't support that I did meet with specialists in the HSE who work in this area and it is a very complex area and also a very emotive area those services in Ireland were suspended a number of months ago and I think they are being reopened again or recommenced there is a new strategy that's been looked at to support people who transition from all of the wider and health supports that they need that's going to be an expert-led clinical-led review and I support that so in any of those areas I will be led by clinicians and experts and obviously that's the best way to approach all of these issues and I completely understand that the use of puberty blockers is controversial for some it's very rarely used and it's not something that I would want to see widely used at all I think we need to make sure that all of the supports are there for children including the psychological supports the children need but any health supports in this wider area of transgender health care rights in my view have to be clinically led and expert-led W. David Cullinan thank you very much indeed for speaking to us this morning thank you thank you that's W. David Cullinan there he is the Sinn Féin health spokesperson and they've launched their alternative health budget now before we go to a break I want to read you a statement because last week on the news we spoke to W. Niall Blaney who had been involved in meetings of Ovarokthus members and the BPFI the Banking Payments Federation of Ireland and we understand that a proposal for allowing of homeowners affected by defective blocks get some capital from the banks and special terms and conditions by which they can do so a proposal at the moment is before both central bank and the government and we could have an announcement very very shortly in terms of a what's been described as a targeted proposal and package now over the course of the interview with W. Blaney after that meeting took place it was listened to by members of the redress focus group banking and insurance and as you know there's a number of redress focus groups who have been looking at the defective block issues and they've just sent us saying a statement update from the redress focus group banking and insurance since our inception in February 2023 the redress focus group banking and insurance has engaged in detailed discussions with the banking sector regarding the shortcomings of the defective block redress scheme despite various public statements from members of government about the need for mortgage providers to contribute to the solution our group saw no evidence of adequate engagement with the banking sector to date our group has brought a fresh approach to discussions with the banking sector focused on the issues created by defective blocks within the legally bounding terms of conditions of our mortgage contracts the banking sector under the umbrella of the banking and payments Federation of Ireland BPFI have entered into a positive process of engagement with us the engagement is ongoing and BPFI is coordinating its member banks in creating bespoke products and processes that are needed to address our issues this process is ongoing nothing has been delivered as yet last week the banking and payments Federation of Ireland brief members of the EROCTHIS in relation to the current status of its work and that is a consequence of engagement with our group of volunteer home owners our group notes that in his comments on Highland Radio last week Senator Nalbeni failed to reference the key role our group has played in discussions on this matter to date members of our group have volunteered countless hours including four separate trips to Dublin to meet with the BPFI Minister of Finance the EROCTHIS Finance Committee and most recently on the 12th of September we met with the central bank it was incorrect of him to suggest that this initiative is yet to involve homeowners it's 32 minutes past nine we'll take a break watch the show live now on youtube facebook and at HighlandRadio.com there's only one thing as good as a two-way holiday and that's looking forward to one so get next summer sorted and secure your two-way holiday today choose beach lakes and cruise breaks across a wide range of destinations including Mexico direct from Dublin plus all your favorites like holiday villages splash world resorts and our own two-way blue hotels secure now with thousands of free child places and a low booking deposit of 25 euro per person that's next summer's holiday sorted two-way live happy decencies apply it's the right price tiles on wood flooring biggest ever sale up to 50% of everything in store all tiles all wood flooring all outdoor slabs cladding and bathware everything slashed in price this sale is not to be missed the right price tiles on wood flooring biggest ever half price sale is now on Christmas has on the radio already now we wouldn't do that to you it's actually the sound of the keys your new 241 Skoda waiting for you to collect in early 2024 whether it's the fully electric eniac the seven-seat Kodiak or the legendary Octavia avoid disappointment and avail of our special offers by ordering early Skoda let's explore your local Skoda dealer is dmg motors Clairod Donegal town call 074 9721396 or go to dmgmotors.ie the queen of country in Irish Margo comes back to Donegal for one night only join Margo live and concert on Wednesday the 4th of October in the Margo Hotel letter Kenny with special guests David James and Shuny Cramsey this is a show not to be missed that's Margo live at the Margo October 4th tickets available from Hotel Reception or online at eventbrite.ie the county's number one talk show the 9 till noon show on Highland Radio and you will come back to the show 086 60 25 000 for your texts or whatsapp messages 074 9125 000 if you want to call us 0035 374 9125 000 if you're outside of the Donegal area now yesterday we referenced figures which had been published showing that for the first time since 2007 the average national price of a three bed semi-detached home has surpassed 300 000 euro after housing prices rose again in the last quarter in many areas house prices are now where they were pre the last slump as it were now Donegal the average price is just over 150 000 euro which is about half the national average and Donegal does have the lowest national price in the country to discuss the figures and where we are at the moment in terms of the housing markets let's go to zoom and say good morning to Barry McDonald who is a director of REA the real estate alliance Barry a very good morning to you good morning Donald thank you for having me on it is our pleasure looking at these figures and what they're showing us are you surprised that we are now at levels where we were say 10 15 years ago during almost where we were at the last boom I suppose I'm not because we've all read almost daily about the housing prices that continues to plague our country and the supply is the major issue it's on the tips of the tone of every estate agent around the country and every buyer around the country and if I can just Donald give your listeners a bit of a background on how we compile our figures it'll just give them an idea of what it's based on so we're a group of independent estate agents right around the country we've the state agents from up above in Donegal right down to Kerry and across to Dublin and what we do we started this in 2013 where we go out to these agents they're all active they're all selling residential property right around the country and we ask them a number of simple questions but the main one being what are you getting in your area for your average three bed semi and we've compiled that data along the way and what's interesting about our survey is it's based on sale prices that they're getting right now these questions were asked for our estate agents just last week and we're publishing them this week and it's not based on guide prices anyone who's looked to buy a house in the last 10 years will tell you guide prices can be so misleading it's not based on sold prices because there's that time lag and published sold prices it could be two, three months before you see what a house actually sold for it's based on what we're agreeing deals for right now so we found it to be in our view quite accurate as a kind of a yardstick of where the market is at at the moment and just this quarter our headline figure is that the average three bed semi is now in excess of 300,000 which reflects where it was as you mentioned there at the peak of the boom back in 2007 or eight in terms of the spread of OREA agents around an area like Donegal which is a very a mix of rural and urban are you satisfied that you have sufficient branches serving sufficient markets that you can get an accurate overall view of the county that it's not excessively rural or it's not excessively urban if that makes sense it does no and I appreciate exactly where you're coming from so our agents in Donegal you know we don't have a big number of agents right across the county and this would be the situation right across the country we don't claim that we're bang on the money it's not a scientific assessment of where things are but they are active agents they do they do see what's happening on the ground they are aware and actually what they're also doing is they're talking to their competitors who might be you know 20 miles down the road active we'll say in in the likes of them Bally Buffay or somewhere and they're talking to them about what's going on and quite honestly if you look at it it generally tends to reflect what we're all reporting on two or three months later based on sale prices one of the questions that was asked of us yesterday when we initially referenced the figures when they were published was what impact is the effect of blocks crisis in Donegal having on the average prices in the country one suggestion that the defective blocks crisis might be bringing down the price of housing in Donegal the other suggestion was that because the defective blocks crisis may create a shortage of housing it could actually have the opposite effect and may in fact increase the prices is there anything you can sort of say in terms of if there is an impact well there is yeah no and I actually I spoke to an our agent in in up in the Bunkranna area in Milford and Bunkranna area Paul McElhaney about this issue and he said look there's no doubt you know if you got a three bed semi in good condition we'll say maybe a newer house it's certainly worth an excess of 200,000 if it's in the right location in good condition but there is no doubt there are mica affected properties are properties that are just in bad condition that are selling for 100,000 or even less and that's clearly dragging down that number that headline number of 157,000 which is quite stark I think it's the lowest in the whole country but on the flip side of supply and supply is an issue right around the country there's no doubt about it where I spoke to the agent all the way down in Kerry and the word he used for the supply problem is chronic buyers just cannot find houses and the problem is they're just not building them the value isn't there to build them there is sporadic new builds development going on in Donegal but it's very, very minimal it's down around Bundor and it's down around Donegal town and the rest of the county really has seen no new development at all unless you might get the odds holiday home development one-offs and things like that where the value is there and it's worth the build cost so I mean the message really would be if you're looking for a good three bedroom semi-summer like letter Kenny or Bunkrana don't necessarily expect to get it for 157,000 yeah for sure for sure your spot on there yeah I mean Donegal always would have been sort of bottom three usually Lytrim and Longford maybe would have been slightly less than Donegal in terms of prices in various surveys over the years I haven't seen Donegal at the very bottom for a while so we were just wondering if there was an impact Sligo is an interesting one because it had the biggest increase in the country over the course of the last quarter yeah and I spoke to the agent in Sligo town Roger McCarrick and he could tell us that you know that is really down to supply there's no new developments and for whatever reason there's just pent up demand in that particular area I suppose look the wages are a major factor our agent in Donegal could tell us the wages on an average basis are just not as strong up on Donegal so affordability is a major issue for buyers and whereas in Sligo they might be slightly better and just for whatever reason Sligo didn't see much increase in value over the last two years compared to other parts of the country and then all of a sudden it's just had a jump in the last three to six months which has driven up their average prices the interesting thing is even though we're talking about Donegal being the lowest in the country and at 157,000 compared to the national average of 300,000 the fact is the national rise in the last quarter was 0.65% in Donegal the actual rise was 3.4% so even though it's the lowest in the country it is increasing at a fairly more substantial rate than the national average and that was a trend we saw right across the country to be quite honest with you Donald so like obviously Dublin city is the biggest you know location market in the whole country and Dublin actually I suppose the Dublin had typically led the charge on price value increases over the last number of years like we've seen increases in value certainly since the start of Covid and maybe even before that and every quarter we saw Dublin going up by a percentage more than the rest of the areas around the country that we assessed however Dublin's become a major problem affordability is just beyond the reach of most first-hand buyers the average three-bed semi detached house in Dublin is now clocking in at over half a million it's 504,000 euros and when you build in the interest rate rises we've seen over the last 12 to 18 months it's just beyond the level of affordability for most young couples or individuals looking to buy a home we know that Donegal County Council is holding a special meeting next month to discuss the issue of housing and the supply of housing social housing obviously first and foremost it being the council but the non-availability of private housing also raised it being a contributory factor in more people now seeking social housing because of the non-availability and the supply situation in the private market a lot of talk about trying to incentivize builders incentivize construction get more land banks open get more houses built what do you think is going to happen in the medium term say the next three to five years nationally in terms of are we going to see a huge increase in the number of new bills across the country and an ancillary question then for Donegal what impact is the ongoing redress scheme for defective block homes going to have in terms of the fact that many many construction firms and builders are going to be tied up working on defective block issues and demolitions and rebuilds rather than actually building new homes could we see a situation develop where the rest of the country accelerates more than Donegal does in terms of the availability of new stock there is a risk of that and there's certainly no doubt just to take the first part of that question where values are lowest is where the biggest problem lies you know the market just isn't there for private home development and we do need to look to the state to figure out a way that we can provide new housing stock to all areas of the country not just around Dublin and maybe Cork can go away where the values are highest but to look to more rural areas like Donegal and Lytrum and Langford and figure out how can we make the how can we provide a housing stock for we'll say our young first-time buyers who want to stay in those areas and build an active community Dublin's not for everyone you know and we need to we need to promote these kind of more rural lifestyles and because of obviously remote working and connectivity and issues that have improved you'd really like to see a situation where a level of housing is provided for those people but unfortunately looking to the private sector is not really the answer because at an average value will be as obviously the headline 157,000 or be it 200 or 225 it just doesn't stack up the regulations and building requirements that are put in place there to build a new home any builder would laugh at you they'll tell you there's no chance they can build be it a three bed semi of 120 square meters for that kind of money it just doesn't stack up and as a result any private development we're going to see are going to be in those areas where a house is worth certainly in excess of 300,000 at least on the redress issue the micro redress issue yeah I think that's going to tie up an awful lot of what happens in in Donegal over the next number of years is that hopefully gets somewhat sorted out and I think builders that have been active in the past will perhaps have their attention diverted to those issues going forward and we just might see even less new development up there but I think it's we have to look for for state intervention in all aspects of that and of development of new homes because the reality is this defective block issue is not going to be resolved this year or next we're in a process that's going to be minimum five to six years and probably a lot longer it certainly would appear to be that way now I know there's parties involved trying to work through things there but I know many of your listeners are well aware of that whole situation and and and really it's it there's no quick fix unfortunately in terms of the looking at the national situation and Barry you as director of the real estate alliance have have been sort of monitoring these trends now for a long time are we now in a situation where effectively we're going to move into a new housing boom and we're just going to restart the cycle or do you think the situation is going to regularize itself because as you say on the one hand you have unsustainably high prices in Dublin that people can't afford and you have unsustainable low averages in Donegal that will just not incentivize builders or investors to actually become involved in the housing market so you seem to have issues on both sides of the coin in terms of maintaining the situation where it stands well I really hope and think that we'll see a kind of a balancing out situation and I want to be careful not to sound like some of the government politicians back at the peak of the boom who spoke about kind of soft landings and things like that but it is a very different situation you know with demographic change we're seeing a huge level of demand continue to be the case I'm active in Dublin as an estate agent myself and I'm active also down in Waterford and but in Dublin in particular I'm based in the suburbs of Dublin and we've seen exceptional levels levels of demand over the last four or five years there and it hasn't stopped I talk regularly to a particular friend of mine who's a very active mortgage broker and he's obviously a little bit ahead in the chain as to people's thought process with regards buying and he's telling me that that pipeline hasn't changed the levels of we'll say of agreements on mortgages as at an all-time high level despite the mortgage interest rates increasing and just people I suppose if you look at it you've young couples they want their own house they're currently renting at exceptionally high levels of rent they've all heard the horror stories of friends getting eviction notices and having to leave quite quickly or else there's people who are stuck at home and they want to move on with their lives they want to get out of Mum and Dad's house and get their own place so demand is still exceptionally strong there is new development going on in places like Dublin so I think you'll probably see like our report this particular quarter where we're seeing the regional areas increasing at a stronger rate than what we're seeing in Dublin and I think that will continue to be the trend and I think we'll see a balancing out around the country and certainly places that have a certain level of accessibility to Dublin will probably rise quicker than the more rural and with you know inexpensive areas like Dunneval and Leitrim and Langford as we discussed we might see more areas around the midlands and the Dublin hinterland where they will increase and catch up a little bit with the likes of the capital city finally a question from a caller that on the one hand is a very short question on the other hand could take up an entire program how would you go about valuing a mica or defective block affected house would it be effectively the site value less the cost of demolition how would you go about valuing if someone were to put a house and declare this is a defective block house and put it on the market how would you value that so we base when it comes to residential property typically we you know it's quite an inexact science that the measure of valuation it's opinion based and often it's based on comparative to other properties that have sold of similar nature now I've never had to value a mica affected property because of where I'm located however I have in the past had to value we'll say properties that were affected in other ways and we were obviously aware of the situation that happened with the new developments back in 2005 six and seven with the pirate and certainly that was an issue when there was different ways of looking at it you could look at site value if obviously the cost to refurb what was there was too high sometimes it makes more sense to knock and rebuild and you counter in the cost of demolition and then you look at what the site is left behind and other cases the cost to put the house right if you like isn't as high as a brand new build and as a result you just have to try and take that into account like I said you know no agents will tell you it's an exact science and it is more often than not based on comparison we might see a house up the road that's all of similar size with the mica affection in a similar way and you just compare to what kind of appetite there was and inspires for that I suppose the big difference really sadly is in the Donegal, Mayo and other countries situation with the mica and other defective deleterious materials it appears that demolition and rebuild is a lot more prevalent in this case than it was in in the pirate case but Barry we appreciate your comments Barry McDonald thank you very much indeed for speaking to us this morning thank you thank you very much indeed we're going to take a short break back after these let's talk about lamb quality assured lamb there's so many ways to enjoy its natural flavour like tender lamb pieces for a midweek teriyaki stir fry or succulent lamb chops delicious with minty couscous and for the weekend the leg of lamb with rosemary that the whole family will enjoy for great meal ideas visit boardbia.ie forward slash recipes and always choose lamb with the boardbia quality mark so you know it's produced at boardbias highest standards verified at every stage why leave all the magic moments or great scenes you've captured on your phone sitting there or in the cloud when you can have them printed at McGee's chemist using the McGee's app or one of the in-store kiosks you can upload your photos from your phone google photos facebook or instagram and have them printed instantly within an hour or end by 10 and ready by 5 see McGee's.ie for more details hold your memories in your hand with McGee's chemist, letter kenny tickets get your tickets Arsenal, Chelsea, Leeds, Liverpool Manchester United, Spurs and more bound games and all the goals scored don't be shy only takes a minute to win it it's Cabri FC's biggest football ticket giveaway ever plus thousands of other prizes to be won every game week just head to matchtheminit.cabriFC.com to get your match minute if a goal scored in that minute you win enter today season sees apply my spelling always stopped me from doing things but thanks to my class with Donegal education and training board I've learned how the computer can help it was hard to take the first step but now there is no holding me back literacy changes lives make a change in your life today by contacting Donegal ETB and find a class that suits you if you'd like to volunteer to help someone make that change call in to your local Donegal education and training board further education and training centre supported by adult literacy for life the government of Ireland and the European Union just want to let you know that the back road between Strunorder and Crossroads Village will be closed between Wednesday and Friday that's tomorrow the 27th until Friday the 29th the alternative route will be from Strunorder to Kiligordon so the back road between Strunorder and Crossroads Village will be closed between Wednesday and Friday and you're asked to use the route just the main road there between Strunorder and Kiligordon instead now we have in the past discussed the dumping of tar on the outskirts of Duhuri and it has sadly once again become an issue and joined by Councillor Mihaal Khaalamgala Asbuk who's been looking at this particular situation on Zoom Mihaal a very good morning to you Imagine why did you want to go to Duhuri Yeah imagine why Mihaal Mihaal once again tar dumped there at the Winnomar of Heritage site it's not the first time it's happened you want to see this stopped No unfortunately it's not the first time it's happened it's happened quite a lot we've seen incidents there in the past where unfortunately the fantastic work that Costa Barbara and the Duhuri are doing not just in relation to the village centre itself but on the outskirts of it which this clearly is where we were on radio not so long ago when unfortunately somebody decided to remove their sign but here we are talking about this spot yet again in a very negative way instead of a positive way it's anybody that knows it it's either in the Duhuri it's a mahalia a very isolated area a very beautiful beautiful area and it's one of my favourite areas actually that route when you look back up at that gorgeous wee cottage that's up there with the red 10 roof but what we're experiencing is that some companies are coming along need that be if they're out working for the council or else they're out doing private work and they decide that the wee bit of tar is best dumped on our community a beautiful part of the western eagle but unfortunately we're not just talking about Duhuri we're also talking about other areas that this has been happening for a very long time when I was lucky enough in 2014 to get elected it was one of the first issues that I started talking about so much so that I remember on the first roads in the parish of Anagra that there was half a load of tar dumped over in Kinkasla which I reported immediately I landed on site and the tar was still hot and unfortunately nothing was done for it it lay there for years and at the time I felt very much so that it was a nose come along who cares position taken by certain people were on the council about it so I kept at it because even if you look at other isolated spots like Koolinarigal on the way to Liddikeni in Lissacana there's been quite a lot of dumping but the council agreed that they would move in this but instead of removing the tar what they'd done was they broke it up and made it a barrier that nobody else could come into that area and dump on it and it's the most unsightly thing ever to be honest which I was extremely embarrassed by it but if you look around and what I think it's really important is that this isn't just an isolated incident in Realtat in West Ciufano that it's also happening in other parts of the county which needs to be identified and I've asked at meetings that we would map out exactly where all this tar has been dumped and granted I am not naive enough to think that the council has the resources to just go out in the morning and remove it we don't because the Fianna Felf and the Gail government badly on their funds our council so but we need to start a step-by-step program to see this being removed and I'd like to hear denigol county council put it on the general common radio and talk this out with yourself or Greg or apparently with myself to hear what is the program long-term to remove this here we can't have two different policy where we have fantastic staff who are doing great work and regeneration programs throughout our county trying to help development Kaushafarbraha developed villages and towns and adopting mileage and then paying them but yet other sections of the council just ignoring that should the council be providing areas where tar can be left across the county areas which are not in areas of scenic beauty places that it would make sense that the tar can be put and maybe even reused well no I would sorry don't but I wouldn't agree with that at all what I think what has to happen is that the companies that are involved in this or the individuals need to stop being self-centred and thinking of sure who cares let's dump it in this area sure what matters they need to take them back to the yard where they come from let them do what they have to do by law and make it as environmentally correct as possible but the idea of dump and tar and the community that has worked tirelessly to better it now there are loads of people who are probably listening here now and are saying geez I could badly do what tar my road because there are hundreds of roads out there that unfortunately that we're never going to get to to LIS in my time anyway because again of the family from the girls under funding of that program and it's costing people quite a lot of money because your car your shocks your bushes and there's plenty of garages causing the mind springs to mind who are thinking saying nothing sure it's helping my business in a joking manner but but it is costing families we're in a crisis a living crisis caused by capitalism we're putting further burden on families by not having proper roads and we're putting further burden on the council by having to find the money to pick up this tar and dispose of it properly well maybe we'll get this conversation going with the council and see what happens in the mean meantime Councilor Michal you're going to talk a little bit about what you're thinking about I'm going to talk a little bit and it's just the last word I just would like to give massive recognition to all the community groups out there but especially the one we're regularly talking about who have done cartwheels and if anybody finds themselves passing through the delivery there's a fantastic wee shop there and a wee bar there and rural areas see that needs to pass and trade don't be shy and stopping I'm going to talk to Michal Mr Blue Sky the Euro millions jackpot is an estimated 40 million euro clear responsibly in store in app or at lottery.ie the national lottery it could be you do you need a UK address save hundreds of euros on custom charges shopping online with space hub dairy we provide a full virtual office address mailbox service for all your business and personal use save your business hundreds possibly thousands on custom charges with space hub dairy call 048-7187-8077 for more details Milford tiles wood flooring and bathware Milford retail park new wood flooring just arrived Itmull AC laminate 999 a square yard 10mull 1250 a square yard 12mull 1499 a square yard beautiful Itmull AC4 gloss laminate 1699 a square yard all in stock fitters available Milford tiles wood flooring and bathware 08-3-091-0707 live on air online and on the Highland radio app this is Highland radio news good morning it's Donna Marie Daughey with the news at 10 o'clock a man charged in relation to an alleged hit and run in South Donnie Gull is due in court shortly he was arrested on Sunday following the incident in Bondorn on Saturday night in which a nine-year-old boy lost his life the man aged in his 20s is due before a setting of Carrick and Shannon District Court at half past 10 businesses in the North West are struggling with rising operating costs that's according to Ibeck concerns were raised at a budget briefing meeting hosted by the organization in Donnie Gull Town in which businesses and TDs were in attendance the issues outlined included the need for government to support businesses with the increase of employer costs imposed by policies these include the living wage and pensions auto-enrollment Helen Leahy head of regional policy says small and medium enterprises are going to find it difficult to absorb the additional overheads Ibeck recognizes the government's decision to move to a living wage but we want to see the transitionary period between now and 2026 to include measures that will help businesses especially so small to medium enterprises that will find the hardest to absorb the significant extra cost a number of child care providers are closing their doors this morning as part of a three-day protest calling for an increase in government funding members of the Federation of Early Child Care Providers and Parents are making their way to Lesterhouse for a demonstration at 12 o'clock the group is urging the government to increase the current funding of 69 euro per child per week so owners can afford to pay their staff and soaring bills the Alli Arts and Conference Centre Instagram visitor information centre has been relaunched as part of a campaign to promote the town and wider Sparends area tourism manager with the council Margaret Edwards says there's much to offer visitors in the area in terms of cultural, historical and environmental experiences she says when considering Strabane and the Sparends both areas complement each other well while Strabane has an urban offering the Sparends are filled with activities closer to nature even driving through the Sparends is one of those scenic routes that you can take and there's a whole range of routes that are there for you to look at and choose from there are cycling routes as well as I said before walking and angling are also hugely popular with visitors to the area so I think it's a really interesting mix of things that people can do so they can really have a bit of that kind of more urban and the Strabane town itself but also get out into the Sparends and really explore the integration minister says he can't rule out the use of a tented accommodation for refugees this winter the department of integration currently uses tents with the accommodation options are low recently Ukrainian refugees removed into tented accommodation at the site of electric picnic in Strad Valley in County Leish minister Roderick Ogorman says the state will source alternatives where possible tents are not optimal I'd rather we weren't using tented accommodation but the system is under real pressure now so I'm clear we'll always try and use tented accommodation as a last resort but when the system is under very real pressure I can't rule out options in terms of providing shelter for refugees and looking to the weather heavy rain gradually clearing as brighter conditions with sunshine and scattered showers extend eastwards some of the showers may be heavy and thundery with highest temperatures of 14 to 17 degrees in fresh and gusty southwest winds that's all for now the next news updates at 11 o'clock in the meantime keep up to date on our website highlandradio.com for myself and the news team good morning the obituary notices this Tuesday morning September 26th the death has occurred of Grace Ann McGarvey niece Sweeney Belliness Fel Cara Grace Ann's remains will repose at her home in Belliness Fel Cara from 11 a.m. today and tomorrow Rosary both nights at 8 p.m. House is private each evening after the rosary and on the morning of the funeral funeral mass at 12 noon on Thursday at St Finan's Church Fel Cara with burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery the mass can be viewed live on mcnmedia.tv or Sweeney funeral directors and embalmers facebook page family flowers only please the death has taken place of Lexie McCloskey 91 Ard Namoyle Park Shantallow his remains are opposing at his home funeral from there tomorrow at 12 o'clock for 12 30 p.m. rake wean mass in our Lady of Lourdes Church Steele's Town interment afterwards in St John the Baptist Cemetery Cary Gert family time please from 10 p.m. to 11 a.m. family flowers only please donations in lieu of flowers if wished to the foil hospice the death has taken place of Sinead McLaughlin knee Monteith for Hillview Bunkranna remains will repose at her residence this morning from 11 a.m. until 9 o'clock tonight house private on the morning of the funeral funeral from her residence tomorrow morning at 10 p.m. a.m. going to St Mary's Church Cock Hill for 11 o'clock rake wean mass with burial afterwards in the adjoining graveyard funeral mass can be viewed online at churchservices.tv the death has taken place of Michael McFadden Killalt and Ardsbeg Gortahork his remains are opposing at Sally Brennan's residence in Ardsbeg Gortahork funeral from there tomorrow morning for 11 a.m. rake wean mass in Christ the King Church Gortahork with burial afterwards in the adjacent cemetery rosary at 8 o'clock tonight house private after the rosary and on the morning of the funeral funeral mass can be viewed live on mcnmedia.tv the death has taken place of Paul McHevitt Movil Paul's remains will leave the eternal light chapel of rest mountaintop letter Kenny today at 2 o'clock going to the home of his mother Rose Ballinale Movil funeral mass will take place on thursday at 11 a.m. and St Pius the 10th church Movil followed by burial and Balli Breck Cemetery funeral mass can be viewed live on movilparish.com the death has taken place of Kathleen McFadden 270 Bridge End Remelton remains are opposing at her home funeral mass tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. and St Mary's Church Remelton followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery funeral mass can be viewed live on church services.tv family time from 10 p.m. and before the funeral tomorrow family flowers only donations if desired to the orthopedic ward letter Kenny University Hospital care of any family member the death has occurred of Mary Ferry knee McAvoy Balli McCull upper letter Kenny formerly of Frithill Park Belfast we're posing at her late residence today from 12 noon until 9 p.m. with Rosary at 9 o'clock funeral from there tomorrow morning going to St Eulence Cathedral for 11 a.m. rakeway and mass which can be viewed live on church services.tv followed by burial in Cornwall Cemetery family time please on the morning of the funeral family flowers only please donations if wished to Hillcrest House Residents Comfort Fund letter Kenny or the Dunnegull Alzheimer Society care of Pasco Blake funeral director the death has taken place of Mary Josephine Witters Borland Breeda Glenn Moville Mary's remains are opposed at her home today from 12 noon until 3 o'clock and from 6 o'clock until 10 o'clock funeral service will take place tomorrow at 12 noon in Greenbank Presbyterian Church Quigley's Point followed by private cremation family home private on the morning of the funeral service please the death has taken place of Rosalind McCafferday Kilmakrennan Road, Milford reposing at the family home family time from 10 p.m. to 11 a.m. today and on the morning of the funeral Raquie Mass and St. Peter's Church Milford at 11 a.m. tomorrow morning followed by interment in Milford Cemetery house is private to family close friends and neighbours family flowers only donations in lieu to the Dunnegull Hospice care of any family member or McElwee funeral directors mass can be viewed on churchservices.tv the death has taken place of Robbie McCantless Brea Mallonhead Robbie's remains are reposing at Liam Collins funeral home station road Karen Donah you are welcome to pay your respects today from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. with removal to Cloncher Church of Ireland Mallon Town Robbie's funeral service will take place tomorrow afternoon at 2 o'clock followed by burial in the family plot in the adjoining graveyard family flowers only donations in lieu to the Dunnegull Hospice care of any family member the death has occurred of Margaret Glacken Drum Duff Mount Charles knee McDermott Baraka Cluhen her remains are reposing at the family home in Drum Duff house private this morning before the funeral removal to the church of the Blessed Virgin Mary Frost's this morning for rakeway and mass at 11 a.m. with burial afterwards in the adjoining churchyard for more details regarding wakes and funerals please go to highlandradio.com Golden crispy and downright delicious that'll be our scrumptious bird's-eye chicken goushons made with 100% chicken breast encoded in the crunchiest of crumbs you could say they're the ultimate champion of the chicken universe feeling bougie serve with a salad feeling cheeky dunk into a sweet chili dip or just enjoy as a midnight snack you know where to find us in the frozen aisle of course the county's number one talk show the 9 till noon show on Highland Radio welcome back to the second hour of this morning's program Cora says Mihal is 100% correct about the issue with dumping of tar if it was the local community groups or individuals dumping it they'd be fined it's a disgrace some companies appear to get away with this for years with no penalties the same thing happened overnight in letter kenny according to a caller near this test center on the pierce road it appears to have been four to five loads of car that were dropped off it should be easy enough to track down who is responsible another caller saying and this is a point that Mihal himself was making dumping tar when we have roads full of potholes you can't be serious and that's a point that Mihal himself made as well Cora asks why do the real estate alliance not have to test houses prior to selling properties in Donegal if you buy a property after the date of January 2020 you don't qualify for the micro redress scheme this is very unfair I suppose the answer to that is the real estate alliance are agents they organize the sale of an asset from one person to another person and they act as the agents through whom that sale is made it's all about I suppose the seller making disclosures and the buyer making him or herself satisfied that what's being sold is as declared the agent is there to facilitate the sale I suppose that would be the answer to that whether that's satisfactory to you Cora I can't say Cora says you have the Sinn Fein spokesperson for health on a so-called deputy well in fairness a so-called deputy deputy is the phrase that is used to describe members of our national parliament I think in fairness there is no so-called about it deputy is the word and it's a title that pertains to the job to which the people have been elected and it's a title to which they deserve and they deserve it because sufficient thousands of people have given them the votes to bestow that title on them so in fairness whoever whatever party they may be any party or none anyone who is a deputy in our national parliament deserves the title it's not so-called however in fact we have deputy sheriffs who are elected to answer solely to and follow the order of the sheriff the party leader they don't really represent those who supposedly elect them and that is what is really wrong with Irish democracy the deputies turn their back on the voters who elected them so as to take care of the big boys in Brussels and thus stick it to the voters who pay all the bills and that's from Raymond Raymond all I can say to that is the voters have every right when they get the opportunity next and in the case of our councillors it'll be in early June of next year in the case of RTDs it'll either be the autumn of next year or the early spring of 2025 but I suspect it will be autumn next year you will get your absolute chance to decide to transfer your vote from one person to another Collar asks could you ask if Donegal County council have sold on Martin's filling station which they bought under compulsory purchase for the new bridge 10 years ago the response from the council is the filling station and housing question will not be sold as lands or part thereof are required for the TNT project with the house currently leased and the TNT project is the wider project of roadworks around letter Kenny and indeed the Twin Towns of which the Bonnegie link will potentially form a part we yesterday it was asked I heard in the grapevine during the week the tenders are out for the bridge over the Swilly at letter Kenny apparently this bypass falls under the A5 upgraded linking letter Kenny to Straban and on to the A5 the council has responded there is currently no tender for a national road bridge in letter Kenny as the TNT project is only a planning stage the tender may relate to a non-national road bridge in the town so there is a tender out for works on another bridge in letter Kenny and it could be now we do know that there's been talk about doing some upgrade works on the bridge over the Swilly at Old Town now I'm spitballing here I do not know but I'm thinking that could be works to upgrade the bridge over the Swilly at Old Town that may be the situation I might be further out than Fan and Lighthouse when I say that but certainly as I said and I was indeed I was in live for gesture at a council meeting yesterday evening and I did discuss this was a number of councillors and they confirmed absolutely not we are nowhere near tenders for the Bonnegie link and that bridge which will form a central part of it it's 16 minutes past 10 the community guard of the slot coming up very shortly but before we do anything else we'll take a break and at the start of that break if you play Highland radio NCBI Radio Bingo grab your books grab your pens and we will hand you over to Kanas it's time for NCBI Bingo on Highland radio it's Tuesday the 26th of September you're playing on the Brownsheet the reference number is S12 it's game number 39 the numbers are 17 52 38 9 43 61 6 89 14 and finally 82 phone your claim to 9104833 before at tonight leave in your name contact number and the name of the shop where you purchased your book and we'll call you back the next working day get all your NCBI Bingo information at HighlandRidio.com Join the winning team at Michael Murphy Sports and Leisure they're recruiting experienced full-time staff to fuel their passion for sports you can apply today by emailing jobs at MichaelMurphySports.ie that's jobs at MichaelMurphySports.ie Foilside at the centre of more for your Euro with great value gifts so it's worth making the journey wherever you live with convenient parking late night and all your favourite brands you're better off shopping at Foilside see foilside.co.uk The Donegal Texel Sheep Ridders will hold a sale of 83 rams in Ruffo Mart this Friday the 29th at 7 with approximately 50 SIS scheme eligible rams available on the day online bidding via the Mart Bids app that's this Friday at Ruffo Mart this is the 19 inch on Highland radio it's time for our community garter slot so before we do anything else the community garter information slot is brought to you by Sheridan security systems protecting what you value most call today and get your zero wire alarm system from 299 euro Sheridan security 91 26025 The community garter slot on Highland radio delighted to say we are joined in the studio this morning by Sergeant Charlene Anderson from Bunkrona garter station Charlene good morning good morning Donal it's great to have you and Charlene sadly we know what the main headlines have been in the news over the past number of days and we have to start with two road fatalities and we're starting this morning in Moville that's correct Donal so the first appeal this morning is in relation to a fatal road traffic collision involving Ellarie in a car that occurred on the R238 at Moville in Donegal on the morning of Friday the 22nd of September at approximately 8 a.m now the driver of the car was a female in her late 50s and she was pronounced dead at the scene Ellarie driver email in his 50s was removed to the hospital for assessment so repealing to anyone who may have information in relation to the incident particularly any road users who may have dash cam footage anyone that was travelling on the Moff to Moville road at the time of the collision we would ask them to contact Garthien Bunkrona on 9 3 2 0 5 4 0 or as always people can contact the Garthien Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 and now to the south of the county and that horrific incident that happened on Saturday night in Bondora yes so Garthien Ballishan and our appealing for witnesses following a fatal road traffic collision in Bondorin on Saturday the 23rd of September shortly after 9 20 p.m now Garthien emergency services were alerted after a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle on the Atlantic Way Bondorin the pedestrian was a boy age nine years old and sadly he was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later now the vehicle involved in the collision failed to remain at the scene but a man in his 20s has been arrested in connection with the incident and has been charged to appear in court this morning so we're appealing to anyone with information once again anyone who may have witnessed the collision any road users or indeed pedestrians who may have camera footage including dash cam footage anyone who was travelling in the area of the Atlantic Way Bondorin on Saturday evening between 8 45 and 9 45 p.m and we'd asked them to make that footage available to us they can contact Garthien Ballishan on 07198 585 30 and it's important because sometimes if people hear an arrest have been made they may think to themselves it's okay it's sorted I don't need to come forward with whatever I may have they probably don't need it the reality is you want to get as much information as possible and anything anyone may have whether or not there's been arrest whatever point the investigation is at you can always do it more absolutely and you'd be surprised the small wee bit of information the small nugative information can sometimes you know prove extremely helpful to Garthien and irrespective whether somebody is arrested or not if somebody was there if somebody witnessed this if someone has any information in relation to it we just asked them to to make that information available to us and just on behalf of and Garthien Ballishan we'd just like to extend our sympathies to Mary and to Roland's family this morning and to their friends and the wider community and at this sad time to letter Kenny now and an incident that happened on the old town road on Friday last that's right Joan so Garthien and letter Kenny are appealing to anyone who was in the area of the old town road letter Kenny on Friday the 22nd of September between midday and 12 15 p.m. and who may have dashcam footage so we received a report and it was in relation to a collision that occurred and we're interested in hearing about any sightings of a dark-colored car with a possible partial range of 161D or 161DL in that area during that time so should anyone be in a position to assist us with this information or footage we'd ask them to contact Garthien letter Kenny on 9167-100 and staying in letter Kenny coming right up to date actually an incident in the early hours of this morning that's correct so Garthien letter Kenny are investigating an incident in which a man was allegedly assaulted by a group of males at the Port Road letter Kenny at approximately 3.10 a.m. this morning and the injured man was taken to letter Kenny University Hospital to receive treatment for his injuries now none of which I believe to be life-threatening at this juncture so we appeal to anybody who was traveling maybe on the Port Road in around that area this morning the early hours between 3.00 and 3.30 a.m. who may once again have dashcam footage or may indeed have any information in relation to the incident they may have witnessed it and we'd ask them to contact Garthien letter Kenny on 9167-100 heading back up to your own patch and an incident in Bunkrana at the weekend that's correct so this time Garthien in Bunkrana are seeking information in relation to a criminal damage incident this occurred in Marion Park Bunkrana on Saturday the 23rd of September shortly before 9 p.m. now a resident of a house in that area was upstairs watching TV when they heard a smash the front window of the house had been broken and a young male who was described as being tall wearing a black baseball cap and blue jeans fled the scene so we just appeal to anyone who was in the area some people may be out walking that time of night people might have travelled through the area through that estate and we'd ask them if they have any information in relation to this particular incident to contact Garthien Bunkrana on 9320540 Drumne Hall in Lether Kenny at Berglary at a business premises a while back that's correct so once again Garthien you're investigating a burglary then this occurred at a business premises in Drumne Hall Lether Kenny between 7 p.m. on Monday the 18th of September and 4.50 a.m. on Tuesday the 19th of September now the front PVC door of an office was damaged and entry was gained a cash box containing a sum of cash was stolen from within the office so we just appeal to anyone who may have observed anything suspicious any suspicious activity in around the area to contact Garthien in Lether Kenny now the area in which the business is situated it's on the outbound lane along the Stretcher Road on the N56 just where the road works are done at the moment between the dry arch and the Polestar around about and a number of incidents at business premises in the Trentoboy area of Drumne Keenan that happened later on Tuesday night of last week that's correct so between the hours of 9.45 p.m. and 11.45 p.m. on Tuesday the 19th of September a number of business premises in the Trentoboy area of Drumne Keenan were entered by three males and motor vehicle batteries were stolen so we just appeal to anyone who may have observed any suspicious activity in the area on the night of the night in the September to make contact with Garthien in Lether Kenny on 9.167.100 and just an appeal to people in terms of if they see any suspicious vehicles around we're getting to the later nights now the nights are coming in it's getting darker earlier and earlier and you know perhaps if you see a suspicious vehicle in the area be it in the rural area or indeed even in an estate in a town if there's something suspicious happening outside no harm to let the local guard the station know absolutely so just our appeal this morning is just to members the public to contact are they immediately should they see any vehicles or people in the area that might have rise for concern unfortunately with the darker evenings we often see your eyes in burglaries and as criminals like to use the cover of darkness to their advantage so to appeal to anybody to be alert and just to take and the necessary security precautions at their homes and at their businesses suppose lock up light up for winter ensure your doors are locked and your windows turn on your lights you can now buy plugs and automated plugs and lights and devices of that nature alarms if you have them make sure that they're working correctly switch them on when you're leaving your premises or your home and just to be vigilant and once again if you do see anything suspicious or you feel something gives rise for concern give us a call and we'll absolutely check it out Back to Ineshawn and a car theft Sir Garthy in Car and Jonah appealing for information in relation to the theft of a car which was a black Volkswagen Golf registration number AK52HLN from the Gorthlare area of Car and Jonah between September 4th and September 25th now the owner had parked the car on the 4th and it was only when he returned to collect it on the September 25th that he realised the car had been stolen so should anybody have any information in relation to the current whereabouts the vehicle we'd ask them to contact Garthy in Bunkrana on 9320540 and just once again on that registration number is AK52HLN and it's a black Volkswagen Golf and it happened over the course of the past three weeks basically that's correct the owner came back yesterday having parked up on the 4th to Milford now and calves going missing from farms yes we received this report recently from two farmers who contacted Milford Garry the station to report that they both had calves missing over the weekend of Thursday the 21st to Sunday the 24th of September now both calves are missing from the Golan area in Milford one of the calves is described as brown with a white face and a distinctive mark under its right eye the second calf is completely white in colour with two black ears and it's very young and quite small so should anyone have any information in relation to the whereabouts of the animals we'd ask them to contact Milford on 9153060 to finish an open day taking place at the garth of the station in Latter-Kinney some crack to be had this weekend yes so Latter-Kinney Garday are hosting an open day on Saturday the 30th of September and it's between 12 and 4 p.m. now there is a sensory hour between 11 and 12 during which time the lights and sirens will not be used should anyone have any requests requirements in order to be able to or safely or comfortably attend the sensory hour we'd ask them just to contact Latter-Kinney Garday the station in advance we have a number of VIP guests now I just don't see your name on the list no no I'll do my best to try and include you on it but we have our little blue heroes they're going to be our VIP guests at the event on Saturday I suppose what people don't know is they might think that we just have one or two little blue heroes we actually have 14 little blue heroes in total so we would hope that a number of them will be there on the day to meet in great people we'd also have face painting and Soka Garda you might come down for that event I'm way ahead you girl I was at the Soka Garda stand at Relay for Life in June I heard you were so good I heard you were so good that you have to be here on Saturday there's going to be live music arts and crafts and there's also some of our specialist units will be in attendance we'll have the mounted unit arm support public order units roads police and units community police and units so look it's we hope that it's going to be a great day we'd like to think that people would turn up on the day we'd be delighted to meet you all and it's a great opportunity for people to meet us in a different capacity not when we're attending calls and meeting people but just when we're I suppose in our own environment they can come in they can meet us they can see what we do and the specialist services that we have within the organisation and also on the day we'll be joined by a number of outside agencies so we're hoping for a really good turnout but what I will say is there will be no parking unfortunately at letter Kenny Garda station now there will be disabled parking there but there just won't be they just simply wouldn't be enough spaces at the front of the station but there is parking and just like Colbert car park is right around the corner yeah and unfortunately there's roadworks being done at the end of the road so hopefully that might be rectified by Saturday I think roadworks are 7 a.m. to 7 at 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. I was actually walking this morning and they were just pulling up the cones at about quarter past seven so yeah the cones do come up in the early morning and I do actually think no it's due to finish on Friday night Saturday morning so the work should be actually that the high road should be beautiful if you resurface just in time that's the plan anyway now given the weather forecast we'll have to see what happens but Charlene thank you very much as always it's been a pleasure and if anyone can help with any of those contact the guard of the station in question and I've no doubt if you can contact any guard of the station that the message will get passed on and just to finish would you repeat the confidential line number again if you would it's 1800 666 111 Sergeant Charlene Anderson thank you very much indeed and a very good morning to you thank you Donna thank you the community guard information slot is brought to you by Sheridan security systems protecting what you value most call today and get your zero wire alarm system from 299 euro Sheridan security 911 26025 watch the show live now on youtube facebook and at highlandradio.com at Shannon airport we know what makes a dream holiday it's not just a huge choice of destinations like Lanzarote Malaga Paris New York Edinburgh and Newcastle it's the hassle-free experience that makes getting through our airport a dream so whatever dream holiday you're packing for head for Shannon airport Donnelly Shannon airport making it easy creative landscaping works are the donning all distributors of millboard cladding and decking thanks to its unique polymer resin construction this decking and cladding doesn't deteriorate like natural wood and won't be beaten for durability it also has superb slip resistance even when wet and every board is produced using recycled materials live life outside with millboard at Creative Landscaping Works this name and letter Kenny see creativelandscapingworks.com join us for the Highland Radio Hooli in the beautiful resort of Sulu from the 14th to the 21st of September 2024 for a week of non-stop country music and crack join me David James alongside some of the biggest names in country music we've got the legendary Margot the sensational John McNichol the fabulous Robert Mazzel Claudia Buckley Olivia Douglas Hugo Duncan Jim Devine Sean Cuddy and many more your package includes seven nights of pure luxury at the four-star Saul Costa Gerrata Hotel with dinner and breakfast included you'll have access to all the incredible shows poolside entertainment airport transfers and a delicious dinner every evening all lists for just 817 euro per person sharing don't miss out on this unforgettable experience book your spot today by contacting country music tours on 074-919-955 or email info at countrymusictours.ie The Highland Radio Hoolian Saloon 14th to the 21st of September it's the country music extravaganza you won't want to miss we'll see you there This is The Lion's Hill Noon Show on Highland Radio Donald Kavanaugh with you on till 12 noon today now there is a special meeting of Donegal County Council going to take place on the 11th of October and it is to discuss the issue of housing and specifically discuss the need for more social housing in Donegal and answer a number of questions I was in Lifford for part of yesterday's meeting the discussion started I think the show was still on the air when the discussion actually started and a discussion lasted well into yesterday afternoon officials have taken a number of questions from members and they'll be coming back with answers and further discussion on the 11th joined by councillor Martin Harley who is the Cahirlach of Donegal County Council Martin good morning morning Donald Martin a very lengthy and in-depth discussion yesterday it started with officials seeking clearance for a 7.5 million euro loan for land acquisition then we had two motions one from councillor Brogan calling for a dedicated housing department within council the other from councillor Mary Threskuller calling for plans in both the short to medium and long terms for the development of housing all that came in together and a lengthy discussion followed ultimately a special meeting taking place was that a good day's work from your point of view yeah for Donald it was a very good day's work suppose as you say the original discussion came under their corporate matters regarding the loan for two sites the councillor purchasing in Leonard County for building 300 social housing units so and then we decided then it took two motions regarding housing as well we had a three hour overall over three hours of discussion regarding it and everybody out there knows that that's a massive issue at the moment housing so if we look back to 2008 it's only 15 years ago at that stage we had we had 70,000 something like 70,000 houses too many built in the country and we know all about the growth to states that we had at the time and then of course we had a period then where we had no houses built at all so we're back now we're at a stage where there's such a lack of housing plus the fact we have unfortunately the Ukrainian situation which is devastating for the people from Ukraine and the asylum seekers that are in the country so and our own people trying to get housing so we have a it's all throughout Ireland we have a massive problem for need for housing and then of course what happened as well after the recession of 2008-2000 a lot of the people who were involved in that on the housing industry changed changed out of it so we have a lack of trade people as well now so it's in the massive situation that we have at the moment on it as you said it started as a discussion under sort of the council's own corporate arrangements and a number of points were made that maybe changes could be made within the council structures to streamline things councillor McGowan made a comment for instance that sometimes he gets the impression that the housing department and the planning department aren't talking to each other and you can get different arms of council seemingly acting in ways that almost contradict each other is there scope there do you believe for internal change within the council perhaps taking on board councillor Brogan's suggestion of a single housing department with no other responsibilities but that there needs to be more internal communication with council to ensure that every opportunity is seized and everyone knows what everybody else is doing you want to see the problem and I don't know it's councillor Donal-Coyle kind of hit on the face very much so was the fact that there's so much bureaucracy and the fact that you have to go to tendering for architects you have to tender for this you have to tender for that where it's like a if I'm a if I'm a believer tomorrow morning and I go out I just tender I go to one I go to one person and I tender I don't have to give it to three people the council have to tender everything out to three people you have to get three different people the options because of to keep things right for a private contractor doesn't have to go through all that so as you've seen where councillor Donal-Coyle said that during his talk was that he had to go through that money yeah you're really the time frame the time frame is massive you're looking at for four and a half years councillor Donal-Coyle mentioned for one site for 34 houses so that's part of the problem that needs to be and I don't think it's not this case that one department would work on with other the other the other point that you made it start to Donal-Coyle was that we have a dedicated council housing housing director that's a very good idea I think that's very important because then we had a discussion on sustainability and two environmental and one of the same people who were involved in housing their acquisitions was involved in that there so it's not a work involvement it's too much work involvement for one department to be covering so many different areas so I think that's a very good point that councillor Brogan made a number of topics were raised obviously and no discussion on housing in Donal-Coyle is going to take place without discussion of the defective blocks issue a lot of questions have gone to management that meeting now is going to take place in October on the 11th Wednesday the 11th that's effectively two weeks tomorrow are you confident that there will be answers from the executive and finally councillor are you confident that this meeting will mark a watershed where the council's focus on housing will become as it were more positive and that we'll see positive benefits come from this intense focus that's going on housing both at yesterday's meeting and on the 11th yeah I would hope to see well a lot of the questions that were asked just I'm sure they will all be answered on the 11th let me just take a listen left it on the 11th at 10 am but what I would what we really need to see is I mean the council's hands council's hands are tied as well because you're depending on central government to give you the funding and as you've seen yesterday not alone did we get look for a loan for that we're looking for an overdraft because central government just can give you the money at the time they only give you the money at the time of the party it comes in so the money needs to come down quicker I mean they they keep saying the money's there the money's there but somebody else asked the question is to us do they do they tend you do they give you the money for the interest for the waiting period that's a problem because council budgets are are tough at the moment you take it from 2014 that's nine years inflation has risen 20% but the amount of money comes from central government to the council is still the same the rates bill is the same rates haven't gone up since 2018 which is which is five years and you're expected to do the same amount of work and more with it on the same amount of money so I think central government had to get their finger out and realise that that the work that's going on in all the counties has been done by the councils the councils are working with 20% left and they were working with nine years ago and they're still expected to do the same and more and that is a big problem Donald Councillor Martin Harley thank you very much indeed for speaking to us this morning we'll be very much focusing on that meeting on the 11th and looking with interest I'm hoping it'll be a public meeting I presume it will be it will be it will be and we will certainly be covering that one Coher look of Donegal County Council Councillor Martin Harley thank you very much indeed for speaking to us on that this morning that's Councillor Martin Harley there right let's change that completely you'll have heard in our review the papers reference to the the trawler that ran aground on a sand bank off Blackwater in Wexford on Sunday it prompted a response from the orn li and the rescue 1-1-7 helicopter however what people didn't expect to happen was this to lead to one of the biggest drug seizures we've seen reported in the state in recent times joined by Porick Burn who's a journalist with independent.ie and the Wexford people Porick good morning good morning how are you very well indeed Porick I'm sure local journalists will have been delighted to see they've got a nice story to write about a rescue and a trawler running aground and only as they were writing that story did they realise that the story you actually had on your hands was a far far bigger story than that yes it's a bit of a crazy one it's been a it's been made a bit of a mad couple of days so I guess how this initially started was as you say something simple a trawler running aground in difficult weather at around half 11 on Sunday evening I think I had the first message in relation to this at about 6 a.m. that maybe there was something unusual about this so as it transpired Ruffler Harbour or NLI and the Coast Guard Woman 7 Helicopter approach to assist this trawler that had become stuck and they were actually they received contact from a naval vessel that was tracking the trawler and the naval vessel asked them to hang back not to go aboard the trawler not to winch anyone off until they arrived unseen now as I say it was very difficult weather so we had big swells big winds the RNLI did their best to try and get a tow line attached to the to the trawler but the two men on board from what I hear had had very little experience see-faring experience so I don't think they really realised what was what was being asked of them and eventually it culminated in the two men being lifted from the deck of the trawler winched aboard the L.E. William Butler yes the naval vessel and into the arms of naval officers and Guardee from the National Drugs Bureau as well were on board does that suggest that Guardee possibly were tracking this trawler that this didn't come out of the blue as far as the the Guardee were concerned that they knew what was happening here and they were already unseen yes well that's what I'm led to believe anyway that this was a an intelligence led operation that the that's the Guardee and the Navy were monitoring the activities of this trawler there are stories emerging today that it appears the trawler had only recently been purchased and may have made a trip out to meet another vessel that had come across the Atlantic to collect this shipment of suspected cocaine as you said the the figures that are being mentioned this morning are kind of astronomical anything up to a hundred and forty million euro now I would say that that's that's subject to confirmation from Guardee who are remaining very tight-lipped and the whole thing that the kind of the line that they're taking on at the moment that this is an ongoing operation sort of being inappropriate to comment but I would anticipate that in the coming hours we'll have we'll have a press release revealing the extent of it but by all accounts it looks like it's going to be a very significant drug seizure anyway as you said the two that were on board the trawler don't appear to have been in any way experienced seafarers when it raises the question is that the reason the trawler run aground yeah well it could be I mean from what I gather from talking to sources within the RNLI and that's locally it seemed like you know even the most basic thing of when they were when they were firing across the toll lines and that the the two lads on board didn't didn't really understand what what to do with them at all and told that one of the men was an English national the other was believed to be Eastern European and from what I can gather locally from local sources there both those men are now in in custody they have been arrested so I would anticipate that we should have some significant movement in the next couple of hours and development in relation to the extent of what this operation is but in the meantime from what I can gather the air core and the navy and that are are around the the wreckage of the trawler which is still on the sand bank I guess the kind of facing the race against time now at the moment with the a big storming coming they'll want to get this thing wrapped up as as soon as possible you know do you know if they've managed to get the suspected cocaine off the trawler or is it still on board well from what I can gather there's a couple of theories in relation to that and it was reported yesterday there were some reports that bales of cocaine were seen floating at sea off the coast and now from from what I've heard the the and navy sent out a couple of ribs to investigate that but it certainly seems suspicious but the in the meantime they haven't actually managed to land anyone on the on the strict controller yes from what I can gather because the weather conditions have been quite challenging it's very windy and that's other they're finding it difficult to winch people down onto of course as I say I'd imagine they're facing a bit of a race against time now because they'll want to they'll want to get whatever is on board that trawler and get whatever is floating around at sea secure pretty quickly before before the storm blows in I know yesterday we did have air core helicopters and an air core plane performing big scoops up and down the Wexford coast scan on the sea for whatever they may believe have been dropped there so there's been a lot of military activity in the past couple of days around Wexford it's kind of come a bit of a hot topic locally absolutely and we we all recall was it off to carry your core coast some years ago when something similar happened and there were bales of cocaine floating around in in the water for a while and ultimately inspiring the film The Young Offenders I think in many ways but that's great yeah yeah which is a great film by the way if anyone has to see seems like it would well be a similar yeah similar situation I'm sure there'll be people calling them the beaches of Wexford no doubt well I mean we yeah and we had a role in Donegal earlier this year where now it was only a trifling I think four or five million but there was bales found on beaches in Donegal earlier on this year but as I say the figures trifling all the only a few million now compared to what the Wexford figure appears to be in the mean you know it's really it's really crazy when you actually step back and look at some of the figures even some of the some of the seizures that are going on down in Rassler your report I know the revenue and Gary customs officers and that are all are all doing great work down there and there's been some major seizures in recent times but I think what it serves to do with a lot of people is to make you step back and think you know if if these are the ones we're discovering how much is actually coming in unnoticed and I suppose that's the worry and think about it all you know I've said this before there used to be a theory I don't know if the theory still holds but there used to be a theory of what they call the 10% theory that what's seized is 10% of what's out there so if there is a hundred million Euro worth being seized there's 900 million Euro worth that isn't that's that used to be the sort of the prevailing theory whether it still is or not I don't know in the meantime Porick Burn thank you very much indeed for speaking to us this morning no problem thank you very much it's our pleasure that's Porick there he's a journalist with independent.ie and the Wexford people let's just take very quick note we're going to take a short break back after these with some more of your comments and our next guests at Screwfix you can click and collect over 10,000 trade products in as little as one minute so whether it's a power drill in Port Leish or guttering in Galway when you need it yesterday just click at Screwfix.ie and collect at your local store seven days a week Ties and Sees Applied visit Screwfix.ie for full details do you need a little extra help staying in your home? At Bluebird Care we offer a wide variety of Q-Mark approved personalised home care services across Donegal and our fully trained and committed staff will always meet your care needs with kindness, compassion and dignity to get your personal home care assessment plan visit BluebirdCare.ie or call our care team today on 07491 29562 and bring care home Supports are now available to refurbish vacant or derelict properties drop in to one of the events being hosted by Donegal County Council between Monday 25th of September and Thursday 5th of October 2023 to find out more details no appointment is needed for details of locations and dates visit DonegalCoco.ie or visit our social media Rock a Perth Blackface Sheepreaders Association will hold their 10th annual show and sale of top quality Hogwarts, Age Joes and Yolams and Brock a Livestock Mart on Friday the 29th of September show with 3pm sale at 6pm Welcome to the spa at Orchids one of Europe's largest spas at the Hollyroot Hotel Bundorn discovered tranquility in our Japanese themed garden boasting seven treatment rooms seaweed baths and a secret garden with an outside hot tub and sauna now let me take you to the heart of Bundorn where you'll find the Hollyroot Hotel Spantleisure Centre detonation our exclusive midweek hotel specials more information at HollyrootHotel.com It's the 9 till noon show on Highland Radio a very good morning to you just a few comments before we go to our next guest lots of debris on the road between Rye and Remelton this morning looks like it's come off a lorry rocks and stones no other people's cars are wrecked now the callers it's nearly 40 years waiting on a tender to go out for the badly needed bonnigie link serious questions need to be asked here after billions already spent why is Sinn Fein so quiet about this too in fairness I think members of all parties at Donegal County Council have been very very vocal on this as have our TDs I think all parties have been pushing pushing pushing to get it done and you know it absolutely the progress from government is slow but we'll see what happens in the election campaign and directly after it callers is just back from Northern Spain and comparing the quality of roads we're 50 years behind in quality in quantity Spain and Ireland joined the EU at the same time how come Spain is doing better asks a quarter now we're going to go to a boss believe it or believe it not because you'll have heard on the news that there is a team from the early childcare providers Federation heading to Dublin for a protest outside Leinster House Elaine Dunn is one of those on the bus Elaine good morning good morning Elaine you and your colleagues are traveling to Dublin we've heard a lot in recent weeks and particularly before the start of the the new term about the need for investment about the need for a solid look at the amount of money being put into early childhood are you anyway confident that you're being listened to and is today going to make a difference yeah and I have to say that we're definitely being listened by different chiefs and ministers around the country absolutely they're now starting to understand where the problems are do I think that the Department of Children and our Minister listened to us I I don't know because we've had no communication from them whatsoever regarding the issue Minister Gorman is saying that he's put in you know one billion over so many years and but like it's not coming on to the ground and if it's not coming to us then where is it going if we're closing for three days because of lack of funding then there is a lack of funding and there's definitely a breakdown somewhere of the funding model that's it's not working for us so all pressures are close today to facilitate this action outside Leinster House 4,000 people I have to say it's not all crashes it's the crashes that oh just yeah just a part of it sorry I I just read that briefing was wrong there and now as we said 4,000 expected to converge on Leinster House today the protest is at 12 noon I'm sure you're fairly close to to Dublin and Leinster House now at this stage among the issues you're raising is that promises have been made by many people but it appears they haven't been fulfilled yeah look you know when you see the core funding it's year two now since the September and all we've got this year from and the Department of Children of Intergovernment and Government was a three cent increase per hour per child so like you look at the small early childhood care and education services so they're getting 69 euros capitation a week per child so that's for 60 an hour okay so then we some of the people arrived to Dublin this morning they said there's a car park outside Leinster House and it's for 15 hours to park a car there and that's how much we're getting paid to look after children and our services I mean that's an unviable business you know and it's just as simple as that it's unviable we've asked the Department of Government to increase past capitation to 100 euros per child per year and it must be indexed links from here on in you know what I mean so we're hoping that they're listening we don't want to continue to keep closing our doors we don't want to have to keep traveling to Leinster House to get our voices heard there's localised also protests over the coming days also I want to go to Rebecca Fleury who is an educator at Smart Steps and their girl school came in a place to name her four locations in Ruffo Drum Keane Remelton and Churchill Rebecca good morning good morning how are you very well indeed thank you Rebecca you're traveling to the demonstration outside Leinster House as well today important from your point of view that your presence is made in Dublin and that those entering Leinster House today for the the opening of the the weekly all session are left in no doubt as to the seriousness of your determination absolutely we're on the bus here now from Donegal just coming into Dublin we're just fed up we're tired we're exhausted I spoke to our colleagues just of mine here on the bus you know we have families ourselves we don't have a minute to ourselves with our family you know we didn't get into child care to sacrifice time with our own children there's not enough money for staff to get the pay they deserve and we want to see that change because our staff are wonderful and we want to make sure that they're supported is it your belief that the the department and the government takes your professionalism as seriously as they should because it seems on the one hand they want to talk about you as being child care professionals but on the other hand the wages they want to pay and the subventions they want to give don't seem to back that up no what's happening is you know they are introducing the pay scales for the sector and this is a great thing to see it's long overdue the problem is that they're fighting you know shift to and the organizations are fighting for a higher wages of you know 15 percent increases this year whereas the government's only willing to put up core funding by three and a half percent I mean it doesn't add math there it doesn't add up how are we supposed to improve paying conditions for staff without losing out our services suffering funding for quality child care positions Louise Gately it works at the child the small world child care center in Donegal town Louise good morning to you good morning Donal Louise in terms of your work on a day to day basis how much more difficult is it now to provide the service you're expected to provide given the level of subvention and support that you're getting it's very very hard like we have an amazing team who works like you know they put 100 percent into every every day but I mean they are leaving the sector and it's purely down to the you know to the stress and the amount of paperwork and you know additional work that is you know put put onto them um you know it's extremely underfunded like ECC and in in support um and it's just I think everyone just feels like it's everyone's like a sinking ship it's just everybody slowly sinking and being buried under mass mass amounts of of paperwork Elaine the suggestion is that 260 childhood centres nationally are going to close their doors this year because of inadequate funding that's a huge number yeah look what we lost 56 services within the federation alone in june but here you're not the massive number of closure that have not notified the department or too slow their closure because they're just so fed up within four sides of business I mean that's a huge number in that month alone 29 services last year from september to december closed down also I mean there's obviously there's a problem here and it needs to be rectified it needs to be rectified fast you've got to work with us on the ground to ensure that the staffing crisis is looked at and the staff wages are looked at and that the providers are viable businesses yeah for parents and children obviously I know your focus is on Dublin but we've had a request asking if there's any demonstration to support the preschool action taking place in letter Kenny today are you aware of anything happening locally no we've invited everybody as many as possible to come to Dublin yeah so the focus obviously is on Dublin but I know a number of people actually asking if there is anything they can do to show their support locally yeah I think I do believe well what I would ask is that if you're going to support us locally is to wear the colour orange and support us that way and put up posters within your windows of your home or if it's in the service to push up the posters asking saying what you're looking for so the parents can see and they can understand that there is an issue here is it fair to say that today is the first salvo as it were in what's going to be an ongoing campaign that this isn't just going to be a one-off protest let-off scheme and then go back to normal this this is the start of something that's going to grow oh no absolutely this is going to grow we've no choice I mean if we don't close them three days now we'd be all gone permanently in no time at all so like what choice do we have and like we're fighting here for the child for the parents for our staff and to keep our doors open that's what we're fighting for today this isn't just about providers this is that children have a right to be educated and if those lovely services nationwide as rural and urban islands are closing down and the space has become unavailable then that damages the workforce and predominantly women that have to leave the workforce so obviously like we have to do something here so it's women it's women and that are predominantly going to take the effect so that's why we protest with our very warranties like some Ministers go on and keep and they're not warranties they absolutely are warranties Rebecca from your own point of view you have four locations with smart steps under Kim and at least the Nienra you're looking across the four locations and I'm sure the same pressures are being felt in each of those locations do you fear for the future yes I do I mean the same pressures with different service types most predominantly school age and unfortunately school age childcare is the lowest funded of all one of the things that we'll highlight here is that there's a graduate uplift if we hire graduates which we're trying to raise quality of our services if we run a school age service we don't get an increase in funding for hiring graduates so ultimately we're a sector where they're trying to improve quality they're actually bringing in regulations to the school age sector and they're then on the other hand reducing quality because we can't afford to hire those graduates so you know there's a bird in the hands or you know they've given us one thing and taken away in another way if you know what I mean where we're getting quality and then we're not getting quality and Louise Gatley giving the final word to you this morning ultimately what's the message you want Minister Rodry Gorman and others to take away from this action today I suppose that the major thing is just I suppose fairness we're just looking for you know to get the the relevant funding that we require for the for the work that we we put in you know we are like we are inspective like such high high standards and you know we have an amazing team and things like that but I mean it's just we want to be paid and I suppose funded for the early educators that we are we are educators we are we're not glorified babysitters we are educators of the next generation coming up that's that's what we want Louise Gatley Rebecca Flurry Elaine Dawn all of you on that bus coming close now to Lenster House ahead of that protest that takes place in an hour's time at 12 noon thank you all three of you for speaking to us this morning thank you thank you thank you and we'll certainly be following up on this story in the weeks ahead as I said it's two minutes past 11 o'clock and was profound apologies for my lateness I say good morning to Donna-Marie Doherty thanks to you all good morning Garde are appealing for information regarding two road fatalities that occurred during the week in Donnie Goll the first happened in Moville on Friday morning on the door two three eight when a lorry and a car collided the second happened on Saturday night on the wild on the Atlantic Way in Bondorn a hit and run claimed the knife life of Ronan Wilson a nine-year-old boy Garde ask anyone who was around these areas particularly those with dashcam footage to contact Garde businesses in the northwest are struggling with rising operation costs according to Ibeck concerns were raised at a budget briefing meeting hosted by the organization in Donnie Goll town in which businesses and TDs were in attendance the issues outlined included the need for government support for businesses with the increased employer costs imposed by policies including the living wage and pensions auto enrollment a number of childcare providers are closing their doors this morning as part of a three-day protest calling for an increase in government funding members of the federation of early childhood providers and parents are making their way to Lester house for a demonstration at 12 o'clock the group is urging the government to increase current funding of 69 euro per child per week so owners can afford to pay their staff and soaring bills the alley arts and conference centre Amsterdam visitor information centre has been relaunched as part of a campaign to promote the town and wider Sparens area tourism manager with the council Margaret Edwards says there is much to offer visitors in the area in terms of cultural historical and environmental experiences and finally repeated incidents of tower dumping in Duhere has sparked outrage among locals and a video shared online months of tar can be seen on either side of the road with some beside a tourism information board councillor Micheal Collin Meghila Asberg says this has been a problem since he was first elected nine years ago those are the latest headlines the next news updates at 12 o'clock until then good morning thank you very much indeed Donna Murray will be available online at HighlandRadio.com for more information contact the advertising team on 07491 25322 or email advertising at HighlandRadio.com HighlandRadio we're here for you are you tired of the gym get stronger in just 20 minutes per week with bit 20 train once a week with a personal trainer in a climate controlled gym the surroundings are quiet and peaceful and the machines are spotless we guarantee measurable results within three months are your money back so what are you waiting for try fit20 today visit fit20.ie to book your free session change is the only constant in business so whether you're starting or growing your business our dedicated business teams will always be here to support you every step of the way because the best businesses never stop beginning search Bank of Ireland business Bank of Ireland begin Bank of Ireland is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland welcome to the Dunnegal Lost and Found Sounds brought to you by Spexaver's Hearing Experts who are helping the community rediscover the joy of ordinary sounds Peter in Bolly Bafé writes to say he smiles every time he listens to the sound of his kettle boiling for his morning cup of tea and in other great news Catherine in Milford has rediscovered the sound of popcorn popping just in time to watch our favourite films whatever sounds you've lost Spexaver's Hearing Experts could help find them again book a free hearing test today at your local Spexaver's Well before the headlines we were discussing the issue of early child care with a number of members of the Federation of Early Childhood Providers who are en route to a protest in Dublin Outside Lancaster House today just highlighting the situation they're in at present we're joined by one more Suzanne Costello is with Barnesmore Montessori School Suzanne good morning Good morning, how are you? Very well indeed Suzanne you are in Dublin as well for this demonstration and you're making the point look you don't want to be there Absolutely not I do not want to be on a bus on my way to a protest up in Dublin City I want to be in Barnesmore providing my quality child care service that I have done so since 2005 but my quality staff there's no way I want to be going up to Dublin protest and that's not what I have envisaged for my professional life I didn't think I'd have to be doing this but we're having to do it time and time again because we're being let down time and time again by the government they're not doing what they need to do to provide the funding to keep our services high quality and keep our staff high quality In terms of the protest that's taking place I mean what we've heard from your colleagues that spoke to us there before the news headlines is that promises have been made in the past but they've not come to anything is it your fear that you'll go to Dublin you'll be told what you want to hear by ministers you'll be told what you want to hear by officials you'll come home confident that something's going to change and then nothing will Well look we are hoping something's going to change but I'm not holding my breath because they've said it before and they haven't done that and about it I think it's no coincidence that it's a mostly women-led workforce so I think you know they're not taking this seriously so I'm not holding my breath but if things don't change there's going to be an awful lot more businesses going out of business and there'll be a lot less childcare for parents to choose from you know and children all over the country and their parents have the right to choose what child care they put their children into where rural setting and our children who live in rural minus more have a right to choose a rural setting to send their children to they shouldn't have to be driving them all over the county to get them into child care places and even though we're using the word child care we're using it in the context that you're not even though you're providing child care first and foremost you're not just babysitters as the point has been made you are educators you run a Montessori school you're providing a very vital part of those young children's formative education yeah absolutely we are you know care is in our title as well but it's also care and education we are providing we are providing a very important foundation stone for our children coming through our schools you know oh a lot of things so you know we're not just care we are definitely not just babysitters you know most of the staff that we have have degrees you know level 6, level 7 level 8 degrees you know so that's not just a babysitter you know and do you have issues and concerns about retaining staff given the fact that you're constricted in what you can pay them because of the levels of of of subvention coming from the department absolutely I mean like why would you say if you're not going to get the money that you could get you know if you go into another area and you know other stuff and a lot of our staff are will be leaving to go into department jobs like inspectors and into public and into both of the services where they'll get paid the right wage so why wouldn't they leave you can't blame them or leave the country altogether and go to Australia where they value their early childhood educators well we'll see what happens as a result of the the protest and demonstration today are you hoping to get talking to the minister at some point or at least for some of your representatives to get talking to minister I'd say some I would I would hope that he would show up but who knows you know let's see what he what he thinks does he show up yeah well we will be watching with interest Suzanne Costello another one of the people on that bus heading down to the protest at Lenzter House as we say getting under way in in the next hour in Lenzter House there Suzanne thank you very much indeed for speaking to us today thank you thank you very much thank you Suzanne and you can hear there from Suzanne and also from the corners we had before one as well from Elaine and from Rachel and pardon me from Anna as well who were also on the bus you know the depth of feeling is there and the depth of conviction is there and the demand for changes there just a couple of things I want to get through before we take a break a nice email here this is Stefano Alberti from a town at near Milano writing I have a request I am taking online English lessons from a teacher based in Dunfane in County Donegal I know she listens to your radio station and the 26th of September is her birthday could you please say happy birthday to her her name is Evelyn Cullen now as it happens I know Evelyn Cullen so Evelyn happy birthday to you and happy birthday to you as well from Stefano in Milano and we also want to say happy birthday to Kira Freel in Clonmani and Kira is for today and that's from Mum, Dad, Olivia and Alana now a little earlier a person was asking about Martin's shop outside Letterkenny now we're told Martin's shop area is included in the recent road plans available in a public consultation exercise it's marked for the location of a park and ride site for cars to park up and take a bus into Letterkenny in a bid to reduce congestion that makes absolute sense it makes absolute sense to use a site like that for something like park and ride with the view towards adapting it for the wider road building 10T project when that finally comes to fruition I mean as I said yesterday I think realistically realistically speaking it'll be five to ten years the minimum before we can actually get that 10T project actually done and it will be a really really important one and but it's going to take time it's minimum five and probably closer to ten if not longer before we see meaning for work on the 10T and if in the meantime it's possible to use the to use the site at Martin's there for a park and ride it makes absolute sense to use it in that way now we referenced before during the paper review earlier the Duncan Neely story which was covered extensively obviously last week and it remains a major major concern parents and children as you know had a close call last Wednesday when a truck almost failed to stop at the red light in Duncan Neely now we're joined on the line by Martin Quigley who is a parent of two children Martin we discussed at the time the huge worry that parents had and the shock now it's a week since the incident people are thinking long term now and you're now looking at taking specific measures on a daily basis to protect your children yes we've actually started on Monday we have made a pullman signs and we've flagged out stone down traffic and actually stopping traffic while the kids are crossing and we actually have a parent too that is doing the lollipop crossing now we've taken action now ourselves we were promised now a guard to come out to the area and a speed ban from Monday onwards but we have seen nothing now I was chatting to the guard yesterday and they said there weren't enough of them at the minute to come out now you're all we want is to make sorry and you're hoping other members of the local community are going to come out and join you over the coming days as you make that very important point oh yes I would love the very parent grandparent and the people of this community to come out and join us and to better stop this crazy daven through the town the point before somebody else sorry the point was made last week that the incident that happened was potentially a very serious one but it's not an isolated incident that anywhere can have an isolated incident where one idiot does something which is completely not really dangerous however the point you're making is this wasn't an isolated incident this kind of driving potentially happens on a daily basis it does and when the lights turn red they're jump they're when the winds are trying to cross they're jumping the lights and there's not every car but a certain amount of cars is doing it off and on it's not an ongoing occasion yeah have you noticed a difference in driver behaviour since you actually started as parents literally standing there holding signs well we didn't actually notice it yesterday morning it was more to the two o'clock onwards we've actually slowed down a lot of Laurie Boss's vans and actually they have more respect now seem to be at the crossing and this morning again it was unbelievable the big change of the speed of the traffic obviously you're you're on the road between Donegal Town and Killy Beggs a lot of traffic I'm sure too going into Killy Beggs so you know the concerns always going to be that maybe someone is using the road that doesn't know there's a school there and is it the fact that the problem here is perhaps people who are driving toward Killy Beggs rather Killy Beggs that don't know the area don't know where the school is are not familiar with it well if you're familiar with the area the GA Pitching O'Gonelly from there the whole way up to the school there's seven signs between speed signs to reduce your speed and the school signs now there is seven signs all the other because I counted them yeah and now there's no excuse like yeah I mean I know in some areas there can be a school in a hidden area and I do know and I know that road is fairly straight going into the town as well so it's not as though there's a lot of awkward bends and you come around to bend and suddenly there's a school there without any warning I mean certainly as you say it's reasonably straight heading for it so yeah definitely yeah because the saints are well visible for anybody who's driving yeah are you I mean do you see a situation developing where there will be a long term decision made by parents to stand there or is this going to be a short term thing that just makes the point and then hopefully it will educate people and it'll just slow down the traffic and you can revert back to normal after a while to be honest the with this going on now for years I can't see us now we're definitely not going to back down we're going to be out in force stopping traffic for every day until the council comes out and does something to that road we're actually not going to stop because we've been promised this and then we told there's no money and then all of a sudden they were just just being told there yesterday that they're looking into a marriage refund and is that for ramps or what sort of initiatives do you believe that money should be used for well we were told way back that because of the main road they can't actually turn ramps and that is the problem that it's actually a national an NTA an TII sorry transport an I Ireland road so yes I mean that is the case the council can't put a ramp on that unless they get special clearance from TII and transport infrastructure Ireland tend not to agree with that would you like to see a situation where the local community meets with TII and the council and the road safety design office and others maybe to try and thrash this out at the highest level oh yes 100% and we would actually like if the council could try to put and speed cameras into the area yeah that would slow down traffic rapidly it would make a big difference on people driving that is either you fly to you speed to the town you could get points in relation or you take your time and manage yeah and maybe that might be more effective in the long term than a ramp you believe I think now honestly that would be more effective with your relations at risk then obviously Gar thee would have a say in where speed cameras are located Gar thee I'm sure would be into supporting any initiative to reduce the speed there well I would hope so now to be honest yeah and I would like to get them all I'd like to get them all to get involved and keep us up to date and what's going on rather at the minute we're getting a sitting number not knowing exactly what's going on yeah Martin it's certainly I mean it's been well highlighted now and I mean between ourselves and other media outlets both radio and the papers as well you know it's out there in the public domain and I think people will have read about and heard about what could have happened last week now hopefully that will give people pause for thought and we will see the sort of change in attitudes that's needed in Duncan Neely to try and make it a safer place but Martin thanks very much indeed for speaking to us today and all about it thank you very much for having me on thank you Martin that's Martin there in Duncan Neely and I mean you know I think when parents feel the need to actually stand outside the school at the pedestrian crossing holding homemade signs in order to guarantee the safety of their children that really when push comes to shove tells us all we need to know the county's number one talk show the 9 till noon show on Highland Radio join us this Friday on Around the Northwest for a special show live from the Radisson Blue Hotel in Etter County Paul and his staff are celebrating 20 years of the hotel in the heart of the town with refreshments and some live music from the letter Kenny ukulele orchestra that's all happening this Friday the 29th for a milestone celebration at the Radisson Blue Hotel letter Kenny live on Around the Northwest enter the Virgin Media Playhouse and unleash our best offers it's time to play with our 100 euro gift voucher to spend your way when you choose full fibre 500 meg broadband for just 39 euro a month for 12 months and no activation fee so switch today at virginmedia.ie virgin media it's playtime TSNC supplies the virgin media.ie subject to location and availability new customers only 12 month contract 500 meg broadband 70 euro thereafter ends October 11th 2023 how we use electricity can be smarter cleaner and greener at Electric Ireland we can help guide you there you see our new net zero hub has all you need to know about smart meter plans home EV charging solar panels and much more making your usage clearer your trips greener your home cozier and your world brighter find our net zero hub at electricarland.ie hi Paddy here at Shea and Connolly cars in Donegal town are you looking to upgrade your car with Shea and Connolly cars you'll find mix and models for every budget great finance options and they also accept radiance check out Shea and Connolly cars.com or call into us at Shea and Connolly cars from down her road Donegal town Highland radio time checks with Expressway travel route 32 from Letter Kennedy Dublin when you book online and travel for less Expressway bringing you the time asked 22 minutes past 11 o'clock a recent survey found that over two-thirds of the waste in general waste bins could have been placed in recycling or organic waste bins and food waste and commercial general waste bins is 30 percent in household general bins it's 17 percent I want to speak to Selene Horner who's a scientific officer with the Environmental Protection Agency Selene good morning to you morning Donegal how are you very well indeed thanks many people Selene will say oh yeah I have the three bins in the house now and I'm very fastidious about separating and I'll you know put my cans and my cardboard etc into the recycling I'll put the food waste into the compost and I'll put the general waste into the general but you think we could be doing more yeah it sounds like you know what you're doing yeah but unfortunately the study we just have finished we've basically taken the waste out of a representative sample of households and businesses and sorted it out into the different types of materials and what we found is like two-thirds of the waste in the general bin shouldn't be there so it should either be in the recycling bin or the organic food waste bin and it's important information for us because we need to know how close we are to our recycling targets at the moment we're at about 41% but we have to get to 50% in the next you know two years so we've a big challenge ahead of us but I suppose we know where the waste is going at the moment now it's actually not going into the green bin where we needed to go and the food waste isn't going into the brown bin where we needed to go so this is sort of a wake-up call for us and I think that we can rectify our habits if businesses and householders take a bit of time to sort their waste out properly now we have a gloriously complicated situation in parts of Donegal actually where one major provider back in the days when there was just one bin the big wheelie bin was green so here the green bin is the general waste the blue bin is the recycling and the brown is the compost so I was well I'm in county Whitlow and there's a purple bin involved so I hear your pain but I mean generally you know your residual waste is the stuff that can't be recycled that's what we're calling the general waste bin and we're finding that two-thirds of the waste in that should go to somewhere else so it's either into the food waste or into the recycling and if you're unsure about what you can put into the recycling there's a website called mywaste.ai and it lists nearly every item under the sun and where it should go in terms of recycling and obviously what we're interested in as well as the people won't create so much waste in the first place I think we're all used to the sort of over packaged thing and DPA said before we need big producers and supply chain managers in retail is to really help us to reduce the amount of waste that we have to sort in the first place but then I think everybody needs to make sure and businesses as well as households need to make sure that they have three bins and that they learn how to use them properly by using something like mywaste.ai and then we need sorry one concern some people may have is that it's sometimes packaging once the food is taken out can be contaminated certainly with things like if you take meats or whatever out of plastic packaging there can be residual juices or whatever now in most cases that's fine you can clean that with a paper towel or whatever and then put it into the recycling but I get a lot of questions about pizza boxes where there'd be residual fat maybe soaked into the box and people would be genuinely I think concerned that I mean if I put a pizza box into recycling that has fats and sort of maybe tomato sauce soaked into the cardboard am I running the risk of contaminating that bin and ultimately yeah if you put it in like that you are but I've been at some of the waste facilities and you know they don't need it to be absolutely immaculate what they need it to be just white clean or if you think the lid of it is completely destroyed and you can't recycle it you can tear that off and recycle it maybe the rest of it in general the rule is that recyclable should be clean dry and loose because yeah it is important that we don't contaminate other materials with dirty materials that are not cleaned out properly so we have actually measured that as well and interesting we found something like 17,000 tons of liquid in bottles left in bottles during the recycling you know that's 17,000 tons of material that was being transported around inside our bin trucks and processed so we really do need people to make sure it's clean, dry and loose and then put it into the right bin and when it comes to be it cans of beer or whatever you know if you've had a can at home give it a rinse shake it out maybe leave it drained for an hour or two and then put it into the bin yeah I mean we don't have to be completely facility it's just a quick rinse we'll do and then to make sure that everybody has a brown bin that's one of the things we're in danger of missing as our food waste targets and I think a lot of places don't have brown bins at the moment so this year by July all businesses are entitled to getting a brown bin and all households by the end of the year regardless of the size the size of the town or village should have a brown bin so if you don't have a brown bin you should contact your contractor and ask them for one because that's the important thing to get out of the main general waste bin and into the brown bin so that we can reach the targets with regard to that In terms of the plastics in the general waste how much of this is laziness how much of this is people going I couldn't be really bothered and just sort of chucking it and going ads grand and sure it's only it's only a carton it's only this and I suppose if if a hundred thousand people go it's only with a plastic lid that's 100,000 plastic lids Well that's what we're finding you know in the general waste bin for businesses 15% of that is plastic and 17% in the household bin is plastic so it's a significant amount that's not getting recycled and I think you know we know everybody's quite aware of climate change nowadays I think you know 84% of people have said they're concerned and willing to do something for the environment but recycling our plastics is a very strong climate action you can take because if it gets recycled it's not getting incinerated you're saving the emissions that would go to the atmosphere if they were burned so it is a strong action we can all take to sort of put in place some of the concerns people have about you know climate to actually you know segregate and recycle your plastics it's a strong action you can take Yeah Caller expressing some cynicism saying that we don't recycle the stuff we send for recycling a lot of the time they can't recycle it and it's actually put into landfill I mean how much that goes into recycled bins do you believe actually does end up in general landfill Well what happens with our recycling is it does get segregated now there's a complexity with the range of plastic in particular there's a huge range of different types of plastic like an interior they can all be recycled but it depends on the waste contractor getting a market place for it so you know they all get bailed up they get sorted but if they can't get a market for it then they're not likely to be able to spend the time to sort the material so that's the issue that they really do face it's sort of market led I mean I think what we'd be looking for is a reduction in the complexity of plastic types so that there one clear plastic type used or maybe two or three or whatever but at the moment we have multiple and what happens is that the waste operators get paid per tonne for all of the plastic gets recycled and that's operated by repack and repack have been to the facilities that recycle the plastic waste so they would only pay for you know authorised plastic that's recycled so obviously there's going to be some gaps but I mean the majority of the plastic that we are reporting is recycled to and to you know certified facilities yeah Claire asking in terms of coal bags what should you do with those because it doesn't I mean you know you can get those sort of I'm not is it jute no it's not jute these they're kind of woven plastic it's like a woven plastic sort of thing is there anything that can can they be put into general recycling or if especially if there's residues of coal dust in there is is that feasible I'm thinking that they may be very contaminated and difficult to wash unless you're going to hose them down or something yeah and yeah unless you can make it clean dry at least I wouldn't put it into the recycling because it's dangerous I would have to be honest no I would have to be honest I tend to put coal bags into general waste being honest about it Claire asking in the brown bin for food I put the waste into a plastic bag is this wrong can you ask your speaker now I know you can buy small bags that are actually compostable yeah well if it's a compostable plastic bag that's that's fine but in general plastic bags shouldn't go into the brown bin because of the fact that they'd you know just can't break down and they just cause problems for the composting process yeah but I mean if you go into any shop now if you go over to where they have the sacks you'll see they'll be called eco bag or green bag or something but you can buy compostable bags that are absolutely fine and they actually feel different if you're looking at them they feel quite different and they'll usually give sort of a time frame that they've rebroken down and so if they're designed for the brown bin I think that's that's fine to use yeah in terms of the I beg your pardon in terms of the promotion with the best will in the world not a lot of people are going to go to mywaste.ie and look up you know what's on a website is there a need for more promotion on TV maybe more promotion online putting up the grids putting up those in poster form because as I say you know if we say people can go to mywaste.ie a lot of people realistically speaking won't does this need to be on TV do we need to see a lot more in terms of promotion here yeah I think there is I suppose always going to be a need to remind people about what they can recycle and to keep it sort of front of the brain because you know it's obviously we're all busy with our busy lives but I think as you've got plastics, paper, glass, aluminium all those things can be recycled and I think people will intuitively know now you need your glass in the bottle bank and that's another thing that we're kind of trying to bring attention to is that the need for more easy access to recycling centres a lot of the recycling centres you know it's easy enough to buy your waste at the shops and stuff but it can be harder to get to the civic community sites so we are calling for better access for people to civic community sites including you know where you can bring more of your bulky goods but in general I think people need to remember that if it's glass if it's plastic if it's metals steel aluminium all of those things can be recycled and should be recycled because you know we can't keep taking things out of the earth using them once and then throwing them away because it's just causing too much in terms of our climate emissions and it's a waste of good materials you know they can be used again and again and we'd like to see more of these reusable refillable options so that people don't have so much waste to deal with you know they might just go to the shops with the reusable box or jar fill it up with your cornflakes or whatever and bring it home have your breakfast with the cornflakes you don't necessarily need all this extra packaging so that's what we would like to see and there are some shops around the place doing that type of refill and reuse because that's the best way to avoid plastic and to avoid waste generation in the first place you know yeah I remember when I was very very young when you bought biscuits they actually had a big tin box with a sort of a glass cover or a purse fixed cover and you went into the shop and you bought a half pound of biscuits for a pound of biscuits and you brought your own bag they took the biscuits out of the tin boxy thing put it into the bag and you brought your biscuits home and the box full of biscuits stayed in the shop we're really going backwards in terms of the packaging there's actually no doubt about that yeah it's that kind of thing it's ideal and you know we've got into the habit of bringing our shopping bags with this but surely it wouldn't be too much of a stretch was to bring if your reusable containers like you're talking there with you when you're going to the shops the even things like your detergents some shops have that and where they refill your detergents in the same bottle and in the last few years and you don't need to be generating that much waste and I think that's the kind of frame of mind that we need to be getting into that we don't just need to use each container once that we can give it a longer life and then reduce the amount of waste that we're generating that would be very handy indeed Selene Horner thank you very much indeed for speaking to us this morning thanks very much our pleasure that's Selene there from the EPA now a few comments before we go for a break a lot of parents put their own children at risk by stopping in the middle of the road to let them off at some schools the boys school and convent in letter Kenny one of those mentioned Horner says I had my grandchild out shopping at the weekend at the retail park in letter Kenny I was shocked to discover that there are no public toilets there I'm told the councillor working on this it's a bit like the Swilly bridge is it going to take 20 years from announcing it to it actually being done now I do know that there is the planning notices up actually if you're at the retail park if you're heading over towards Marks and Spencer just beyond deals you'll notice there's a bike rack well if you look there there's a little white notice that's an actual planning application for the development of toilet facilities including a changing places toilet for those with disabilities and that is there in the retail park so the planning application is up we believe the funding is in place so that does appear to be all systems go it's 25 to 12 going to take a short break back after these watch the show live now on YouTube Facebook and at highlandradio.com wash was 1510 now 1050 and money off vouchers every week at the app too so pop in for great savings in store online this autumn at super value hotel span leisure center don't miss out on our exclusive midweek hotel specials more information at hollywoodhotel.com McElhaney's home value event has begun online and in store with amazing offers that you do not want to miss a massive 30% off la crusie tableware 50% off selected bedding and towels and 20% off the entire Orla-Kylie collection visit us in store or shop online at McElhaney's.com for the biggest home value event of the year for exclusive offers only available at McElhaney's department store ballet buffet save up to 100 euro this week at CallahansElectrical.com with discount codes code Highland 20 for purchases over 229 Highland 30 when you spend over 399 and Highland 100 for sales over 1000 euro shop and save online at CallahansElectrical.com with your exclusive Highland radio discount code it's the 90 noon show on Highland radio a very important day is coming up it is the memorial day for victims of homicide 614 people have died by homicide in this country we're told since 2005 and on this Saturday all 614 names are to be read out at a special memorial event at St Anne's Church on Dawson Street in Dublin we're joined by Michael Lachlan he's a member of ADVIC the Advocate for Victims of Homicide Group and John's son James was killed in Slago in 2018 John a very good morning to you Hi Donald yeah it's Michael oh Michael I do beg your pardon I do beg your pardon no problem Michael it's good this is going to be a very important day for your family and for others in your position that's right unfortunately my son was killed in Slago in February 2018 so the first memorial service we attended was in 2019 and subsequently with Covid it takes place every two years so with Covid there wasn't one in 2021 so this year we're all meeting up again and looking back on the first memorial service it was so moving when you're in a church with so many families who have had homicide come to their door and it's just so emotional and it's kind of another family within the family now we've met so many friends and we're so supported to each other to remember our loved ones who are no longer with us unfortunately you are and you may confirm this for me which you are now working with ADVIC the Advocative Victims of Homicide Group and as is the case so often for people who have experiences like yours you would have begun receiving support from ADVIC now you've gone through the process and come out the other side where you are part of ADVIC giving support to others well that's right I had to get through my own bereavement of losing our son and ADVIC were with us very early on after our son was killed and they gave us a lot of support in terms of counselling and help with the legal side of things in terms of the criminal justice system in terms of coroner's inquests you know the murder trial etc and I always said that fortunately came to our door and I said when I was in a position to help ADVIC in the future I would join the committee of ADVIC which I did and you know we're just here unfortunately for families who have homicide come to their door and it's a fantastic organisation it really is you know we really look after people we give them counselling and then we deal with the justice system in terms of you know you suffer the loss of someone and then say in 10 years time or 15 years time or whatever when the parole board hearings take place ADVIC are there to help people with that as well and it is something that maybe we don't think a lot about that when it comes to an inquest when it comes to a trial the legal people that are there they know what's happening the coroner knows what's happening the judge knows what's happening the court staff knows what's happening but the people who are smack in the middle of this the families you've probably never been in you've possibly never been in the court for your life before you haven't had to know what's going on I couldn't have said it better myself don't I I couldn't have said it better myself you just thrown into it and as you say the people behind the scenes know exactly what's going to happen when it's going to happen what happens because they're doing it you know that's their jobs you know they're in it all the time when you're thrown into it you just don't you just cannot comprehend the hassle and the bereavement that you continue to have waiting for things to happen I mean our coroner's inquest didn't take place till four years after our son was killed and it got cancelled at very short notice five times and it's just you know you're just waiting for this to happen and that's happened to Mr and it just it just causes more trauma to families who have suffered you know and it shouldn't be enough to happen really and important that for someone who sadly may find themselves starting on that journey they have someone like yourself as you did in your turn when you were starting off there is someone there who's been through that experience who can actually sit down and say look this may happen that may happen this is how it may feel this was my experience this this is how it panned out so at least you're getting some forewarning and you're getting that forewarning not out of a book not from an educator you're getting that forewarning from someone who's got the sort of empathy that can only come from someone who's been there exactly town a hundred percent a hundred percent Michael this is taking place in St Anne's in Dawson street in Dublin on Saturday as you said it's going to be a very emotional day and I'm sure to hear you know 614 names read out it's going to be very stark it's going to take a while your own son is going to be among those names that are read out but it's going to be a stark reminder of the impact of homicide and we wish you and others involved with with Advik and particularly thoughts with those perhaps who are going to such a service for the first time those who have had this experience relatively recently those starting off on that road that you sadly have been on now for for five years and more you know our thoughts are with you and with them and we wish you well this weekend and that's Michael Michael thank you very much indeed that's Michael Lachlan there okay all the best thank you Michael and Michael Son as he said Michael Son was killed in Sligo in February of 2018 he was 36 Ishka Aaron is Ireland's national water utility responsible for delivering clean safe and reliable national public drinking water and wastewater services for Ireland for any questions about public water services after reporting issue in your area we can be contacted 24 hours a day seven days a week on 1800 278 278 or visit water.ie delivering water services for Ireland connect hearing is open for free hearing tests our audiologist is available Monday to Friday for wax removal services at our letter clinic in the courtyard shopping centre we also offer a home visit for those who are unable to visit us our hearing is our social sense are you finding hearing more of a challenge call Ursula today on 07491 13296 to make an appointment good hearing helps us to connect to our family friends and loved ones connect hearing connecting you to life 17 euro each when it's rugby night it's game on at centra shop smart feel good centra live every day enjoy call sensibly the eagerly anticipated brand new production of the Broadway smash hit musical sister act is on its way to the board gosh energy theatre in Dublin join Highland radio as we make way to this unforgettable show on Friday 23rd of February 2024 your trip includes luxury transfers bed and breakfast at the four star city north hotel in Dublin your ticket to the show and a shopping trip to Dublin city centre for more information call Highland radio on 07491 25000 or visit Highland radio dot com it's the nine to nine show on Highland radio just a few comments before we go to our next quarter I know people should clear drains near them along the road I'm not fit to do that on my own I need help all the water is running down the road I would pay someone if they were to help out so says the quarter there may well be some supports available through the council perhaps speak to your local councillor about that I mean I'm not sure people you know you're responsible to clear the drains on the roads outside your house but maybe if you were to speak to someone in the council they may be able to give you some guidance on that that's all I can really suggest caller says I'd laughed at the comment made on the roads in Spain they have 350 days of sunshine we have 350 days of rain there is no comparison caller says could you highlight the fact with all the emphasis on using public transport why do people need to wait in the pouring rain for a bus there's hardly a bus shelter anywhere now very good point I know certainly there is work being done to try and sort out something for letter Kenny particularly where the local link buses meet there just beyond the station roundabout but certainly there are gaps if you pardon the slight one right around the county where there should be bus shelters and aren't now I want to go to Sydney because Sydney has a story to tell that I suspect sadly is being echoed in many many areas of Donegal Sydney good morning hello Sydney your your following note has a home care package but the problem is actually getting people to actually fulfill that package yes my father-in-law has a home care package for the last three and a half years he had an issue with his bed my father-in-law has dementia and he needs a larger bed than normal because dementia patients don't recognize the side of a bed and when the home care team requested that the bed be changed to a smaller bed he had a four foot they wished him and three foot the the requested to be changed the dementia society advice for a three foot six to four foot for dementia patients as they don't recognize the side of the bed but home care team requested three foot they arranged for my father-in-law to go into a nursing home for a week's respite while they changed the bed during that week the three foot bed arrived my father-in-law was in the nursing home and we all expected as a family that he was coming back out the following week as the bed is there when the week was up we request we asked about him coming home again and we were told there was no staff available anymore now this gentleman had had a fairly large care package as he had he was incapacitated unable to walk wheelchair bound and using a hoist now he is at home he spent four weeks in the nursing home and respite taking up a respite bed other people requested required the family brought him home now the family is a very small family it is only his wife myself and his daughter we've brought him home but this is a month now and the home care team has not returned and we are in a situation that his wife's in her it is and we both have other occupations to go and we're in a situation that seems to be replicated throughout the county and presumably he needs help with dressing he needs help with washing he needs to be hoisted at times I mean it isn't as though it's just supervising he needs help at every stage of the day-to-day living process yes every stage and the thing in it though is with hoisting they have to be too there to do the the procedure yeah due to health and safety they have to be too there for to do all procedures because he needs to be hoisted at the situation that some families find themselves on but the HSE don't seem to I'll be nice about it and say they don't seem to care the elderly seem to be as we have found it out how you put it optional they they don't give the care this care this gentleman had a care package was enter into respite for a change of bed and they moved the care package on they moved the staff on now he's got a city sitting now with a 25 hour a week care package and no staff to to do it and these are internal HSE staff this isn't a private agency these are yes HSE this is an internal HSE staff yes and the the issue and the matter being that it's leaving a lot of care on an elderly lady that should be getting care herself yeah have you had any luck with the HSE in terms of are they able to tell you that maybe something may happen into the near future or are they just holding their hands up and say sorry we don't have anyone they are putting us back on the long finger all the time anytime we were chatting to the HSE while he was in the nursing home unit we were told that they were getting staff they were getting staff they were getting staff the last week he was in the nursing home unit we were told that they had five staff and they needed one more and they were could we please as a family leave him in the nursing home unit for one more week and they would have the staff that final week came and we rang them and we asked about the staff oh we don't have no staff now and we just made the decision as a family it couldn't stay there because he's not he doesn't need nursing home care in each care and his own home and along with that his wife made a kind of promise to him when he started to take the dementia that she'd do her best to care for her on my home and it would be actually saving the HSE and the government a fortune but I say caring for my home rather than caring for my nursing home care but we have asked for representation from the local county councillors which put on representation but got no answers we asked from our local TDAs they put on representation got no answers we are at a stage as a family we don't know where to turn I mean there are private agencies that offer this care but I mean obviously they are very very expensive and I'm sure you probably don't have the budget to be able to do that over the course of the long term the private agencies we priced a few for a house package would be in their region of 1,100 euro a week the HSE is willing to give a grant and that would mean that they would have nothing more to do with it of 360 yeah and the reality is 360 is not going to buy anything in the private market in in in this regard no no no not it would hardly get them on the door as a farmer would say it would hardly get them on the door but the situation now is that the gentleman is at home in needs care and we're we were on the telephone on a regular basis to the HSE and to the home care units and every time we run them we were getting a different advice so we decided to email them as this would create a paper record once we started to email them they never respond they never respond so we do not know now we are sitting now on as he is now at home it's his first week at home with no home care and as you say it's unsustainable for you and for your wife his daughter and and certainly unsustainable for his own wife your mother-in-law who was in her 80s herself that i mean you know it's unsustainable in in the long term that that can be maintained so no it's not sustainable at all but the advice that the HSE home care team gave us was if you cannot manage we will put them back into home care yeah rather than saying we will try and get you out staff what it was we will put them back into home care and then nursing home care right which isn't what is really needed no the gentleman the gentleman is and as they say he's got long-term dementia in each caring in his own environment we would love to get response from somewhere to help us out Sydney hopefully someone from the HSE may have heard this this morning they may know the case as you say you've made representations to your councillors who are members of the regional forum you've made representations to the TDs you've been in touch with the HSE hopefully someone will hear and recognize the situation you're in and try and get this sorted before you have to resort to agreeing to get your father-in-law back in the nursing home in the meantime look fair play to you and to your mother-in-law for standing by that promise for as long as you possibly can and we wish you well and I'm afraid that's really all I can say I understand that at the top time for all it is Sydney I fully appreciate that hopefully someone out there has heard this hopefully this will resonate with someone and hopefully someone within the HSE will be able to say hang on a tick we we need to do something to address this situation Sydney thank you very much indeed for sharing your story I thank you for your time it is our pleasure hopefully it'll come to something that was Sydney there and um it it it's a story that's replicated elsewhere sadly just a few very quick comments before we go we were discussing a zombie earlier being sung by the Irish fans on a Saturday night Collar says sadly many of those who sing this beautifully haunting song don't know its history nor do they know what preceded the IRA campaign when you oppress and discriminate a minority will rebel and fight back and sadly all wars inevitably lead to inhumane actions Collar says I've been on the Donegal housing list for the past 20 years still never got a house I'm now 63 just councillor Martin Harley and we spoke about the housing issue does you not realise how long this Finnegal party has been involved in government and finally Collar says what about a pilot scheme in each parish once a week to alert people to bring things to a certain point and alert them to what they can recycle also we are a aluminium PVC window and door company is there someone we can recycle the glass units from the old windows I'm not sure of that perhaps inquiries to the EPA might be the way to go that's it from the 9 till noon show for today thank you to Caroline for producing to Caroline and Eve as well for taking your calls thank you for all our contributors most importantly thanks to you for listening Greg's back tomorrow for myself Donald Kavana have a very good day looks like we're in for a cold spell perfect weather to chill out in a steaming seamed bath on Sligo's shores talk of scattered showers too perfect weather for sea swimming off the coast of Waterford sure you're already wet