 the seal of turf won't go ahead as planned. They voted with the government in the door last night, which saw a Shinfian motion to scrap the bond defeated. The motion also proposed to cancel the upcoming carbon tax increase and temporarily remove excise duty on home heating oil. Independent TD Michael Fitzmores is criticising the actions of the rural government TDs. It's disappointing to see rural TDs basically sticking with the parity rather than sticking with the people that elected them. But I think we need to do a motion specifically in relation to the sale of turf's upcoming regulations and clarify where these TDs stand. The government has lost control of the cost of living. That's according to Donegal Deputy Pierce Doherty, who last evening hit out to the Minister of State, Sean Fleming, claiming he was talking through his heart. Deputy Doherty called for a suite of measures to be introduced to tackle inflation as opposed to enforcing the carbon tax. He says the government is simply worsening the crisis. There are options here for people in this house to stop speaking out of both sides of their mouth, pretending that they are concerned about people out there who are suffering because of the cost of living crisis, while at the same time not just coming in here and doing no damage, but doing further damage to people in my community, two-thirds of them who use home-heat-noil to heat their homes. And your plan is to increase it further. That's the reality and that's the facts. Parts of Scythian is shown are impacted by water outages yet again today. Repairs to a burst water man are being carried out in Maharabeg, a burnt-foot-inch island and surrounding areas. It's the second burst within two days. Irish water were scheduled to carry out replacement works in the area this week, but that has since been delayed by a month. Ukraine's president has accused Russia of blackmailing Europe and using gas as a weapon after cutting off supplies to Poland and Bulgaria. Speaking through a translator, Volodymyr Zelensky says the sooner the bloc acknowledges it can't depend on Russia, the sooner it will be possible to guarantee market stability. Russia sees as a weapon not only gas supplies, but also any kind of trade. It's just waiting for the moment when one or another trading area can be used. It can also use it to blackmail Europe politically or to enforce the Russian military machine, which sees a united Europe as a target. Whether I mostly drive today with a mix of Clyde and sunny spells and just a slight chance of a shower, I is temperatures of 13 to 15 degrees. That's all from Highland Radio. News for now. We'll be back with news again at 10 o'clock. Until then, good morning. HPV cervical screening is free to all women aged 25 to 65. It's the best way to reduce your risk of developing cervical cancer in the future. Women over 50 are less likely to attend screening, but you're still at risk, so it's important to attend your appointment when you're invited. To check you're on the register, visit hse.ie forward slash cervical check or free phone 1-800-45455 from the HSE. The 9 till noon show with letter Kenny Credit Union, now offering mortgages from €40,000 to €600,000 with no hidden fees or transaction charges. Letter Kenny Credit Union, 9102127. And now it's time for the talk of the Northwest, the 9 till noon show with Greg Hughes on Highland Radio. Hello, how are you? And a very good morning. It's just literally turning five minutes past nine on this Thursday, the 28th of April, 2022. How are you keeping plenty coming up as always on the program? And I'm just going to give you a nice early reminder of how you get involved in the conversation and raise your own conversations as well. 0749125,000 is the telephone number to call 0749125,000. If you're listening outside the Republic, can you want to have a chat with us? 00353749125,000. WhatsApp's and text, that's open right now 0866025,000 and emails if you wish. Comments at HighlandRadio.com. And good morning to you if you're joining us to watch us on our social media, you can go on to the website HighlandRadio.com and click the link there and watch in your browser or go straight to the likes of YouTube, for example, Highland Radio Ireland. It's a Thursday morning, lots of great newspapers out this morning. First, we'll start with the Jocone Tribune, a story by John McIntyre. He asks, is LUH a victim of medical politics? That is the question posed both in politics and in the public domain. After last week's lead story in the tribunal said the cath lab angiogram service at Letherken University Hospital is set to end as political pressure mounts to address the loss of the cath lab mobile service in six weeks time. The issue of Donegal's peripherality and distance from the centre of decision making in Galway is seen by numbers of public representatives as a major ongoing concern in the counting. You can hear opinions, more opinions on that on the front of or read them on the front of and inside the paper as well. The Donegal news series concerns have been raised as to where potentially toxic waste material called digestite brought to Donegal from Northern Ireland in 2020 is gone and the pollution it may cause quantity quantities of digestate brought into the county in the period before and after that are unknown because Northern Ireland has no so many cows, pigs and poultry. There's not enough suitable land to dispose of the quality of slurry produced there. Massive subsidies were introduced to build anabolic digesters with seven built in the Castle Derg area alone. On to the Donegal Democrat this morning a unique architectural gem and perhaps one of the oldest buildings of its type in Donegal is in danger of falling into disrepair and even dereliction. The owner of one of the units that made up the 322 year old Barracks Main Street Ballet Shannon has mounted a petition to force Donegal County Council to save this national and internationally important piece of architectural heritage from rainwater that's currently eroding the building's basement. On to the Dairy News now and positive story 70,000 set to party. That sounds good, doesn't it? Up to 70,000 revelers are expected to party in Dairy over the coming five days as the ever popular city of Dairy Jazz and Big Band Festival makes a welcome return after an absence of three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic from today until Monday next. Those attending can expect to be taken on a rollercoaster ride of rhythm, blues, jazz and swing courtesy of some of the finest musicians across the world. No doubt about it and we've often had artists in around about this time and I love that music. It's great music and there's a great diversity. Jazz is such a broad church. You can get all types that falls under its umbrella. So a great few days in store for you visiting that region. The Irish Farmers Journal today tells us that tighter restrictions on the use of map acres by intensive livestock farmers have been confirmed by the Department of Agriculture. Map acres are used to generate payments and dilute stocking rates but often not framed in briefing on the new nitrates regime. The department reiterated that the stocking rate for common ground will be cut from 170 kilograms of organic nitrogen per hectare to 50 kilograms. This equates to seven mountain use and their lambs or 3.8 lowland use and their lambs. On to the national newspapers now and councils are failing to enforce controls on Airbnb type properties. This doesn't surprise me when it was first announced. I was just wondering how when you see how slow things can move in other directions. You just wonder where the resources in the time would come from. But anyway, councils across the country are failing to clamp down on short term leasing as the number of Airbnb style rentals outstrip long term rental properties. I bet most of us really can't remember the details to remember it was announced that certain amounts only a certain amount of days per year could be homes could be rented out, etc. I don't even know the full details because it washed over me and nothing has been said about it since 11 counties last year took no action against property owners leasing homes to holiday makers on popular short term leasing websites as the housing crisis deepens the number of properties available to rent long term has decreased while short term lets have exploded in popularity. So if you go to the renting websites where you would get long term rents, you know for families or couples or singles or whatever it might be, there are very, very few handful across a number of counties. But if you go on to Airbnb and type in Donagall or Sligo or Leitrim or wherever it might be, there's no end of property. So in other words, people who own their homes are choosing short term rentals. And you know, speaking to landlords or former landlords, they say that that's a much easier way of doing it. There's more money in it and less hassle and less rid string. But you know, landlords were always seen as the bad guys and it's always it's not always the case, of course. But under the current regulations properties should not be rented out for more than 90 days a year a year on websites such as Airbnb without planning permission. Properties need special planning permission for short term letting or tourism purposes if they're to be rented out year round. So let's go to page 60. We see which 11 counties there's been no enforcement. Right. So short term lets versus long term rentals. How local authorities are enforcing legislation on short term. Let's go straight to Donagall. The amount of warnings issued in County Donagall is zero. And the amount of investigations commenced is also zero. Okay. So that's there are some enforcements in other counties, but nothing here on to the Irish Times now. And as you may have heard in the news there, Sinn Fein doll motion targeted administer for the environment. Amen, Ryan's controversial plans to ban the sale of turf was defeated by just eight votes last night. This after rural coalition TDs received assurances, the proposals would not go ahead as plan. Now some of these rural TDs, these rural coalition TDs are seen as sort of rebels people that are there for the people that stand for the people. But it seemingly and I'm open to correction on this time and time again, they seem to just vote with the government. There's a lot of bluster in their local media or local newspapers or on the national airways. But when it comes to the crunch, they tend it seems to vote with the government amid some rancorous exchanges and tactical use of parliamentary procedures. The Sinn Fein motion on the rising cost of home heating fuels was defeated by 72 votes to 64 when the vote was taken at 10 p.m. All coalition TDs voted with the government, a commitment by Tshak me home modern not to ban turf sales for the remainder of the year had insured certain defeat of the motion. That's not a really firm proposal is it? You know, we know how slowly the wheels turn in any case. The proposal by Mr Ryan to ban the sale of turf from September had led to strong opposition from rural TDs in both Finaful and FinaGale. However, concessions by Mr Ryan during meetings with TDs and Senators from both parties as well as assurances given by Mr Martin in the door and at the Finaful parliamentary party. Yes, they greatly reduced tensions over the issue and the Sinn Fein motion was directed at rural TDs from the two main government parties who had expressed opposition on the proposed ban since it came back on the agenda before the Easter recess. Now, I'm not saying this is a any political party type of thing, but we've seen this for an awful time. There's dual speech. You say one thing in your own area and then you go and do another thing in Dublin and that's not unique to any one particular party or no party for that matter as well. This is a bizarre story in the Irish Daily Mail and there just I think there's going to be more to this in an explanation or else someone is incredibly, incredibly stupid and has a serious problem. I'm going to work. It's not really very adult but just in case you're listening in the car with others. Conservative party whips are investigating claims that a Tory MP watched adult material on his mobile phone in the UK's House of Commons Chamber. Two female MPs say they witnessed their colleague looking at mature images more than once. Chris Heaton-Harris, the Tory Chief Whip launched an investigation into the whole unacceptable allegations yesterday. Furious female Tory MPs have demanded that their male colleague quit. The claims come about the MP who has not been named and is not believed to be a minister, were aired during a meeting of Backbench Tories. One female MP told the meeting on Tuesday they had sat behind the man on the Commons benches and had seen him looking at the adult material on his phone. Now, you see this is what I don't understand about this. I mean obviously the seating is raised seating going backwards so anything that you're doing people behind you can see. Not only that, we don't, if you ever watch it, you know we don't see on the cameras but above, above where all the MPs sit, there are public galleries. There are galleries for the Lords and there's galleries for the public as I mentioned and galleries for other MPs that just want to watch what's going on. It seems impossible to me that anyone would think that they could do this without getting called. I don't know. Two things are going to happen. There's going to be an explanation that it wasn't quite what these people thought it was or this person's going to claim they have a problem and they're going to see help and become some sort of a darling for being so honest about a problem that you have. I don't know. Another said she had seen the same MP looking at adult material both in the chamber and in the committee hearing room so that's a person in this time and a place if it turns out as the case he clearly can't control himself. The Irish Daily Star these are widely reported. You would have thought it could have been front page news but it's not front page news. It's words from Vladimir Putin. He sent a really strong message to the West yesterday. He threatened to unleash nuclear terror on countries that interfere with Russia's war on Ukraine. Now he didn't quite say nuclear terror. He says weapons that he has as this disposal. He says there'd be no warning. He said that if there was a level of interference in Ukraine that he was unhappy with that he would act with that lightning speed. Now if he were to do that we're talking mutual annihilation here because that's precisely what would happen if he were to dispatch his weapons westerly. Unfortunately he has seems to have a pretty a bit of a problem with the UK which is a problem for us because we're so close to them but also the United States. He's got weapons that are capable of one bomb eliminating France the size of it. It can drop multiple nuclear warheads but if he were to do that and I suppose this is this is how why we hope it wouldn't happen. It's mutual annihilation because of course the West then starts launching directly in the other direction and neither have the defense mechanisms to stop a lot of these bombs. So we hope that that threat of effectively you know catastrophic unimaginable consequences. Something the world has never seen before since a meteor or hit meteor hit it. We hope that that keeps people's fingers off the buttons. But he said if someone intends to interfere in what is going on from the outside they must know that constitutes an unacceptable strategic threat to Russia. They must know that our response to counter strikes will be lightning fast. It came as a Russian TV well I don't care what a Russian TV presenter says but he was laughing about wiping out countries. But you just you just wonder where it's going because obviously the sanctions the sanctions the cotton off the oil is fine the knock fine but you know what I mean you'd expect that the cotton off the gas right but now they're sending weapons and even the Germans are sending tanks into Ukraine and now we're seeing the Ukrainians at times using some of these weapons to attack Russia inside Russia and you just wonder we really need a diplomatic solution to this as soon as is possible especially with the UK talking about providing airplanes which would be another next level situation right the Irish daily mirror a flying squad of health troubleshooters will be sent to sort out an overcrowded hospital it's not the one local to us it's down the country you can probably guess that it's going to be University Hospital Limerick it's part of an emergency plan by the health minister to help the hospital where 111 patients were on trolleys yesterday he said he was very concerned about the carrot you hate gel as the Irish nurses and midwives organization showed in the past week at least 649 patients were crammed together on trolleys at the A&E and in wards so I've no idea what's going on down there but it's been going on for a really really long time and we heard the animal calling for an emergency situation to be triggered at LUH there a couple of weeks ago and it seems that's what's happening that is what's happening in Limerick right the Irish Shetson finally Leo Veradkar last night insisted he did not commit a crime leaking a secret government document to a friend the tarnish to spoke out now it's I suppose he's got a right to defend himself but this is as a guard investigation is going but the tarnish to spoke out for the first time since cops confirmed a file had been sent to the DPP Mr. Veradkar said the allegations made against and I have to go all the way to page 17 me were false they were politically motivated I did not commit any crime I did not do anything corrupt in fact I did not do anything self-interested also to inside the paper just on page 17 I just thought it interesting you know Pierce Morgan he's on a talk TV it's a new son backed Murdoch backed TV station where they say you know they gonna get rid of the cancel culture they're gonna get rid of censorship you're gonna ask all the tough questions so I watched a bit of it and it really is just them saying it's terrible that people are being cancelled there's no I never seen anything on it whereby it progressed things it was just talking about how well we should be able to speak what you have a platform to speak speak but Tyson Fury was on it Tyson Führer super boxer you know one of the best of his generation but you may be aware of the story of the Kinnehan Cartel Daniel Kinnehan's involvement in that and obviously his involvement in boxing he was seen as one of the most influential people in boxing the Irish press were right in the way about him as to his other activities and then the international press picked up on it after the United States imposed their sanctions and the UAE frees all of his assets as well and he's running out of places to hide but he was Tyson Fury's advisor at least he was maybe still as I don't know and he was very influential in Tyson Fury's career because Tyson Fury said that himself and also he received Kinnehan received millions for fixing or helping to arrange fights Tyson Fury's fights as part of his comeback and in February Tyson Fury and Daniel Kinnehan were pictured together in Dubai as well they seem good friends Tyson Fury spoken very highly of him so it would be interesting I think just for Pierce Morgan to have asked Tyson Fury in this spin-free zone this all questions on the table ask anything you know let's not cancel each other out let's talk about whatever we want to talk about he didn't ask him one question as it relates to that even to give fury an opportunity to clarify the situation so as far as I'm concerned it was all a load of nonsense it's all waffle and someone was promising something completely different asking the questions that others are afraid to ask and all that kind of stuff but in advance clearly he was told that fury didn't want to answer questions on that topic and he didn't ask the questions such as more of the same isn't it okay we'll be back with our first guest on the program after we take this short break stay right where you are the 9 till noon show with letter Kenny Credit Union is your bank leaving town letter Kenny Credit Union is now offering my cu current account and debit MasterCard bringing full banking features with no appointment necessary to open your account the newspapers are courtesy of Kelly centra mountain top letter Kenny print your first communion photos at McGee's chemist and letter Kenny and you'll get a free large 10 by 8 photo of your choice with photos from just 12 cent each you can print in store or use McGee's photo prints app and having delivered direct to 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Lowry financial services is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland okay so as you would know over the last week or so the issue of traffic in Dada Kenny keeps coming up now I understand that if you're not from letter Kenny or you don't travel into it all through it you might be going well what they keep going on about this for but obviously you know tens of thousands of people do every day and there's a major road coming into letter Kenny it's you know been the scene of many road traffic collisions and congestion and what have you and after a long period of time it is being improved which is good because it's one of the main roads in Donegal there's just no doubt about that but I think people went into this thinking an awful lot of the work would all of the work would happen at night and disruptions would be kept to a minimum but over the last while it's been an absolute nightmare for people amongst them someone who'd have to have an awful lot of patience was Noel good morning Noel I'm all right now I think you know omelettes eggs all that kind of stuff we don't mind a bit of inconvenience you know we have to be inconvenienced for progress but some of these delays are far beyond you wouldn't see them at Dublin Airport far beyond I think what most people would see is acceptable what's your what was your experience yeah well on Monday evening Greg I was coming in from the remelton side to letter Kenny and at about five past five I just went past the entrance to I think it's called turn Arna which is which is up the hill they're coming down towards letter Kenny and now I had an appointment in modern for seven o'clock and I was sort of maybe aware and that the word traffic issues in letter Kenny and I was allowing for probably 15 20 minutes of delay but the when the traffic in front of me was was there I thought yeah fine sure that it shouldn't it shouldn't it didn't surprise me but sort of 5 10 15 20 minutes later when when I had gotten maybe one car length ahead so maybe this is this is a bit unacceptable now cars did start moving or some cars ahead started turning around and going back towards towards Alcorn's and that direction but so that that allowed for movement forward like in a movement by by a car length for every car that had moved but ultimately it took me from from five past five arriving at that it took me until 10 past seven to get to the dry arch roundabout I think it's called and that's that's two hours and five minutes to get to get something that that should have taken in normal conditions would have taken maybe five minutes 10 minutes maybe if there was traffic issues and listen I was aware to those buses ahead of me 15 20 vehicles ahead there was a bus behind me there were lorries when I was coming past arena seven there's a minor roundabout there was an unpost truck that practically blockaded the roundabout when when it did go on but I would know myself that that guy he's on time schedules he was on his way alone with with the mail from from county only go and I can understand his frustration as well and that of trucks maybe refrigerated containers and all the rest of it and between the going on to the the dual carriageway area there was there was two the one of the delay in the dual carriageway heading towards Lyford one was closed we're doing the works and yes you talk about omelettes and all the rest of them you have to break an egg and we all accept that and it's for the betterment of conditions but did they had created a second like yeah but like to go down and it wasn't a or the council it was the workers involved in you know the guys with the hard hats that were directing people to go into these lanes so there wasn't a sign of a guard at presence or anything like that or you know how how do you get out of it you know it's it's so so frustrating now yours was I mean initially it was an accident yeah it's that when when traffic doesn't move at all that's when you start saying right the road must be closed now yours you were going to ref a game the only the came a point where you said look lads or ladies I'm not going to make this it's not life and death it's an inconvenience but there's an awful lot of other people maybe had appointments in Dublin or you know as you said delivery people go to the airport can you imagine sitting sitting to attend airports at least three hours before your flight in recent times you know what I don't understand right and I'm not trying to stir it and is like we can send men to the moon women to the moon and we can do it we can even achieve an awful lot I don't understand how we couldn't come up with a plan that would alleviate at this even row open a temporary row temporarily widen the road out maybe the space that I don't know but to what seems like for many people to effectively shot the biggest town in the county down and the traffic through it down for a week or that's how it feels there has to be another way there has to be checks and balances there has to be of someone that says right that we're going to have to suspend this and think of a different way there has to be some way of preventing this inconvenience it's sort of beggars but it really does you talk about planning or planners or you know I mean we can I can I can talk about it now because hindsight is great but you know planning is a different story you know and nobody has anybody planned for this we've seen this coming you know I mean it really doesn't it doesn't add up to well I presume a traffic plan I don't know how it works I presume a traffic plan is drawn up there I presume there's someone from the council that would look at that and see if it's acceptable if it's acceptable or a second opinion and someone signs off on it and then I presume someone monitors the flow of traffic and says right that's acceptable that being said just been handed a press release from the council so I best read this in the interest of balance here okay over the past week they say changes have been implemented traffic management to facilitate road construction on the four lane road these works commenced Wednesday night 20th of April and a due for completion by this weekend Friday it's acknowledged these works have affected traffic during peak hours adjustments have since been made to the traffic management to better facilitate traffic flow on the four lane road on completion of the phased works this Friday traffic management arrangements will again revert to four traffic lanes in operation during daytime hours to inbound and to outbound so they say it shouldn't be as bad now as it was for you on Monday and it'll be back to four lanes on Friday now on Friday have you any games on Saturday I mean as if you don't get enough abuse you know which is adding insult entry for you I mean you ever right now you ever never absolutely no but it's great to have two years at least yeah exactly all right I would have been hard to listen to on Monday things for a while now but but you were back on the road yesterday Wednesday and you were delayed again no no not yesterday because I wasn't in Donegal yesterday right okay I'm glad I wasn't because I had to attend something that was was quite important as well you know and in a work issue but which would have been absolutely intolerable if it was a two hour delay okay in our in our main town you know right okay and you're do you I've not hear what you do for a living I mean I don't even know I don't even know I want to mention it no what do you do I work for a major employer in a national or should we leave it at that then yeah right no listen thanks thanks for helping us with that get the message out I appreciate it okay thank you all right bye bye no all right take care oh eight six sixty twenty five thousand your WhatsApps and texts oh eight six sixty twenty five thousand or give us a call an old seven four nine one twenty five thousand now a caller wants to share with you information there's a scam text going around from the Bank of Ireland please beware of it I'm in my late seventies and I went to my bank this morning and everything was okay in my account now I know people and I was actually in their presence and I want to embarrass them by saying who it was they don't live in my you know it's not that close to me but they were recently done by one of these Bank of Ireland scams and what happened was is and it it was pure it must be pure bad luck maybe someone out there is experienced the same they transferred money from you know they had a revenue Revolute Revolute account and they transferred money from their Bank of Ireland account in this case the Revolute account and five minutes later they got a message saying you know you've tried a recent transfer of money and it's been flagged by our systems and so on and so forth now they made the mistake of putting in the long number they put in the the expiry date and they actually even put in the three digit pin in the back and ended up eight or nine hundred euro taken from their account now it was very quickly noticed they called the Bank and whilst the money had gone out of the account it appeared to they were shadow withdrawals and the money went back in but still the inconvenience have happened to get a new card and everything now the coincidence was such it was such a bad coincidence that we were concluding that a wonder with leaks and hacks and stuff did they know that money was being transferred from a bank to a Revolute card I don't know has anyone else experienced something like that or was it just down to timing in real bad luck but anyway these texts are going out my phone's pretty good I'm not sure if it's the network I'm with or if it's the phone but all of the texts that I get and all of the calls I get are marked as spam and I get a warning about it and I was to say I don't know if it's my network or the phone but every single message that purports to be from one of these lending institutions is flagged as spam and put straight and spam folder as well as phone calls as well which is I've had about seven calls over the last week and every single one of them was marked as spam by the phone I don't know all the network I'm not sure which but anyway it's good for me but those are out there those scams are always out there so keep your eyes and ears open to that just to say thank you for having me on Highland Radio on Monday it had a desired effect we had a great turnout more importantly people undertook to run events this is as it relates to the Mary from Dunlop 2022 it's up and running so they were on with Donal on Monday on this program and we had the same kind of reaction remember with the Dunlop Old Town St. Patrick's Day parade I think sometimes it's just a case that people don't necessarily know what's going on how they can get involved but anyway Mary Ward was on with Donal and they had a meeting after that lots of people turned out seemingly and the Mary from Dunlop 2022 is going ahead which is great news for the organizers who are great people for those that take part and I think it's great for Dunlop and the wider Donegal community it's a great money spinner and a great promotional tool The Night till Noon Show is brought to you by Letterkenny Credit Union offering low-rate car loans with fast approval apply online at letterkennycu.ie or in office today McDade's Bathroom Plumbing and Tiles serving the Northwest for over 40 years explore our showroom with more than 40 displays choose from an array of shower doors shower trays baths and bathroom accessories speak with an expert about tile selection and wall panelling we also stock an array of plumbing heating and stove spare parts as well as a great selection of kitchen mixers and radiators at our trade counter our stove department is also available for you to choose a style that suits your needs and compliments your home McDade's Bathroom Plumbing Tiles Bunkranna we're here for you you can do pretty much 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life-changing injury every accident has a story time to call Macklehenny and associates they'll assess the situation advise on solutions and lead the way if any litigation is to follow from motor accidents and workplace accidents to slips trips and falls call today on 0749175989 or find us online let's get you started on the road to recovery Macklehenny and associates solicitors to an order how can we help in contentious business a solicitor may not calculate fees or other charges as a percentage of a portion of any award or settlement Okanoke you're very welcome back to the program Mary from Remelton Johnson's Hi Mary Hello Greg how are you? I'm good listening to Noll there you could relate to him I think I could relate to Noll someone similar happened me I left the house about between five and ten past six on Monday evening Daniel board meeting for the directors and the C.U. was on a monthly meeting and I said Oh God that's great now plenty of time to get there I come around the corner with Macklehenny and I noticed the traffic was all backed up well outside the town with a gleb and Macklehenny and I noticed then that my car went into the red the diesel was getting a bit low so I waited away while I waited about 15 to 20 minutes and I turned and went back and drove back a lot of cars were turning and I drove back to Cairns at Muirfield to fill the car up I got back there sailed chance it again I went up the road again same thing sat for about another 10 15 minutes less than 10 15 minutes I drove back I thought of my head then I'll go back through the woodlands I drove back through the woodlands and that road I don't drive well it wouldn't be very familiar but it took me out to the main road and I went up then past the Irish Martyrs and right up right through the Irish lawn right then over all the bullets on the road you know the ramps on the road and just watching out there are a lot of children playing a lot of people on the children on on the way in and I was watching all that and I came in and I managed to get to the top of the town and I got to the meeting about between a quarter and 20 past seven and I just had to go down then at the door to somebody answered the meeting was on goes on for a couple of hours so I just got there so I said that was a hospital appointment or something I'd been very late for my appointment you would have quite a tour wasn't it for you a lot of detour and then with the price of diesel now in petrol and everything your car can go into red very easily you know if you don't check yeah but if you're not noticed how quickly the needle seems to move now you constantly looking at it and you move five feet and the needle seems to have dropped an eighth that well what day was that Mary Greg it was between about five past six and left the house here yesterday or the problem day alright well listen Mary thanks for that glad to get up there you are committed to the cause we no one can doubt that yeah okay I always like to get there and tell him and be there you know for sure and a sympathiser with what do you call him know he had the same problem but he was going to referee a match that was different you know exactly with this yeah alright Mary listen have a lovely day alright thank you very much okay lovely to have you thank you listening have thank you very much for that right now a loophole in the law that allows convicted sex offenders to change their names while still in prison or after release leads to the abuse of victims an Arctis committee has been told those were the words at that committee of independent TD Dennis Nocten he was speaking to that justice committee right okay Dennis good morning to you thanks for joining us good morning Deputy tell us how are you aware of this why did you feel this is something that needed highlighting well there's two specific loopholes one is in relation to where a sex offender changes their name the reason that I became aware of this this is an issue that has been highlighted by a colleague in the UK where they're trying to get this loophole closed off the sex offenders register that we will have here in Ireland for the first time will be very similar to the sex offenders register in the UK where the responsibility is on the offender themselves to inform the charity that they actually have changed their name by deep hole and that is being abused in the UK where sex offenders are using it to avoid monitoring by the police there and I believe that the same thing will happen here and that we as we're now legislating for an effective sex offenders register now is the time to deal with this specific issue the other issue that I was highlighting was the issue in relation to the right to be forgotten so any individual can apply to the likes of Google to have a new story concerning them de-listed if it's no longer relevant and that the period of time has expired this should not apply to court reports are in relation to convictions of sex offenders it is in the public interest that that remains searchable on the internet however there have been instances here where convicted sex offenders have had that and do you think that element is fair it's the most apparent one of the most apartment of crimes of course but are you saying they're beyond rehabilitation they're beyond serving their time their punishment and then being allowed to get on with their lives if they don't reoffend you know what I'm saying is that we have a constitution of provision in this country that court proceedings must be held in public they must be reported on so that it's out there in the public domain now in relation to sexual offenses in a lot of cases the the names of the perpetrator are not listed because to protect the identity of the victim a lot of the victims feel that they have a responsibility to waive the anonymity in order so that the sex offender is exposed and their name is exposed and the story of the abuse that has been perpetrated on that individual is put out into the public domain and I believe that it's a re-abuse of that victim and that victim's rights if this information is erased from the internet and it should not under any circumstances be tolerated that story should remain available that victim's story is their story and it should not be erased under any circumstance Just in relation to this loophole about people changing their names are you saying that is something that's happening in this country or something that we have to make sure doesn't happen in this country just because I wasn't very clear when you were explaining that well I'm not aware of any specific case in this country as of yet I am aware of many cases in the UK I gave one example during the the Dahl debates of an individual who changed his name on five separate occasions had had had a string of very serious sexual offenses and even on one occasion changed his name while he was in prison that the law in terms of deep holes and changing your name is the exact same in the UK as it is in our but if you if I were say for instance I were I were on the sex offenders register and I changed my name if I don't notify guardie of that name change will then I'm breaching the law so do we not already have that and that is the case in the UK and this breach of the laws happening quite regularly remember that in relation to the sex offenders register the so-called sex offenders register that we have today one of the very minimum requirements of sex offender has is that they must notify the guardie of any change of address within seven days of moving address and every single week the guardie come across at least one sex offender who is breaching that very basic condition and the reason that they come to the attention of the guardie they come to the attention of the guardie for some other reason so clearly there are far more sex offenders breaching that very basic condition so if they're not prepared to tell the guardie where they're living what are the chances of them actually inform of the guardie that has changed their name I don't think they'll do that and this loophole needs to be closed off okay definitely by the way did you thank you for that an important issue did you vote last night on the Sinn Fein motion as it relates to Turf? I voted on I think about 17 different motions last night in relation to various aspects of taxation on fuel including the the motions the two motions that relate to carbon tax and torrent and did you vote with the government or with Sinn Fein or abstain no I didn't vote with the government I was the minister for the environment to push this particular issue forward because we have one in five children in Ireland suffering from asthma we have one in 14 adult sufferings from COPD in this country in fact 10% of people in hospital before COVID were there as a result of COPD so air quality is a huge issue in this particular country and there is nothing worse than actually looking at a child gasping for to catch their breath when they have an asthma attack having said that there is was a strategy in place to phase out the burning of turf by retrofitting homes across this country that commenced in 2018 it was subsequently suspended by the government and is only now going to be reintroduced next year five years later and that is the way to phase out the burning of turf in terms of commercial sales there is clear rules there in terms of the burning of coal the burning of peace smoky fuels smoky fuels smoky fuels and they are being outlawed to go that step further in relation to turf will actually lead to more people opening up turf banks will lead to more people burning turf which will actually undermine the overall strategy as happened when Michael D. Higgins did the same thing back in tooth in 1990 days when he banned turf cutting on designated bugs across the country this is not the way to deal with us this the burning of turf is dying a natural death and it should be let to do that over a period of time and so you've abstained or voted with Sinn Féin or or I voted against the government amendment last night right okay it's always complicated with those amendments and the original motion and all that kind of stuff I'm going to get to you I don't believe with the government approach in relation to this we set out a very clear approach in relation to this back in 2018 that hasn't been implemented by government and needs now to be implemented by government which will lead to the natural removal of turf burning in this country not by force okay listen thank you for that I appreciate your time this morning that is independent deputy Dennis Nocten there the 90 noon show is brought to you by letter Kenny credit union with monster loans available up to 60,000 euro for all occasions visit letter Kenny see you dot IE Charles Bonner and songs ballet buffet are the leading suppliers of solid fuel and wood pellets stoves and ranges bringing warmth and comfort to homes in Donegal and beyond for nearly 50 years so visit our show rooms in ballet buffet or call us on 07 4 9 1 3 1 7 100 or online at the stove store dot IE for more details Bank of deal this holiday weekend at screw fix save 65 euro in the Makita brush twin kit with two 3 amp air batteries now only 199 95 and save 20 euro in the WALT stack deep toolbox now order at screwfix dot IE for click and collect or shop in over 20 stores hurry must end second of May screw fix the choice of champions while stocks last prices valid until second of May visit screw fix dot IE for tees and seas delivery charges and restrictions for a huge selection of furniture all in one show room pull into grow furnishings in that are kemi sofas beds wardrobes tables and chairs also a range of carpet vinyl rugs and laminated flooring if it's time for a change it's time for a visit to grow furnishings Grove Deliver throughout Donegal Dairy and Trone be inspired at grow furnishings Kill Toy Road letter Kenny get the Irish Daily Star today if you're free 12 page punches down festival pull out with all the top tipsters in our stable ready to get you first pass the post all week the Irish Daily Star number one for racing number one for you is the appearance of your staff important business it's the first point of contact for customers when entering your premises at C&M and Brodry and letter Kenny they have a huge range of clothing covering all areas of the workplace it's widely known the customers warm to and trust employees that present themselves well have your company name and Brodry are printed on all your work uniforms contact C&M and Brodry on 07491 28097 and get your staff looking their best video weather updates with Ireland West Airport Gatwick's back you can now fly daily to London Gatwick with Erlingis the perfect gateway to explore South London Ireland West Airport your fly All right then let's look at the weather mostly dry today with a mix of clouds and sunny spells just the slight chance of a shower temperatures 13 to 15 degrees with a light easily or variable breeze unfortunately or maybe not depending maybe the the farmers needed I don't know but unfortunately the weather not looking as nice for the weekend cloudy with some showers the same thing happened to me recently I transferred I transferred money from a bank account to my Revolut account and then shortly afterwards I got a call saying that there was fraudulent activity going on in my account and that I should take certain actions that they were suggesting all right I don't it just seemed at the time it just seemed too much of a coincidence because they knew what traction what transaction was actually happening but as I say they send that so many times we can't blame the contractors when there is one way in and out of letter Kenny politicians in the Celtic bubble era build a 20 million euro bridge in the middle of nowhere to bring politics but politicians back to a party when it should have been spent in letter Kenny that bridge is invaluable to the people of that area though I think not invaluable it's very very useful and opened up opened up the connections between two peninsula's but I take your point I appreciate it keep them counselor Michael McClaff D on traffic good morning to you morning great I'm all right so what's the story what are we talking about here in letter Kenny is it sorry it's not traffic exactly it's roads but it's not traffic okay same thing go ahead yeah sorry no what it is just basically basically at the minute now with the way things have gone the price of diesel price of oil Greg so on it's just we're all aware of this is having an impact now going forward on roads and certain areas for example as we've all become accustomed probably in the last 10 12 years so a lot of the roads that remain roads second the road said road so on example where possible where budgets allowed they may have been done and tarmac bitumen as I call the such if you like but now with the cutbacks we're actually going back a button time and we're having to use the old style which was never was never actually stamped out but it was used less if you like and and but unfortunately going forward now again Greg we're back at the stage now again where we're using you with money but yourself the tar and chip and now as we're soft of this people are not happy with this now in certain cases some people are okay with some people are quite happy to get the road done so on and more than over the moon to get regarded what goes on it but but other people have the exception are of the anticipation that it should be a bitumen but I'm trying to explain to people this is not possible going forward in all cases nothing has changed is such only just that we're going to end up using more tar and chip possibly on certain roads for example quieter roads roads with less traffic on them will get tar and chip and then busier roads then where possible where the budget allows we'll be trying to use a bitumen obviously the thing to point to it as well like all of the years we've a roads plan of such set out but this year is both unprecedented the way it is what everything our roads plan is up on the air Greg for example a lot of the contractors have had to pull out they could not honor their contract so they weren't able to do it that's going to take some time now to get that sort of out again that obviously re-tendering may have to place or re-issue to the various of the contractors that are down the lane because it works on a list if you like so if the first contractor is unable to do it for I think there's a broader problem here though in terms of actually getting people to do this work canster because you know yourself a lot of projects road projects contractors are pulling out of them because they're allowed to they're allowed to lowball or bid low and obviously they're looking to make a profit but then you know right up to the last minute they can pull out and say look the price of everything has gone up we're not interested in it the way we operate this is probably a broader question but the way we operate contracts at the moment with no whiplift uplift I just wonder are there actually going to be any tenders going in for a lot of these road projects more generally speaking your your points a hundred percent valid and it is a concern I have myself going forward it's probably all have us county councillors to be fair and something needs to be teased a bit more going forward but I would imagine anyway for example ourselves here and the local areas yeah we'll soon know the next couple weeks what's going to happen because what you're saying there could very welcome to pass to be fair right okay well listen we are going to have to come back to that another day because we're coming up to the news at 10 thanks very much for that take care thank you right a call says are you being serious when you say tens of thousand people traveling to letter Kenny every day I think not say as a listener well on your average I don't say stuff generally speaking unless I come back it up on your average midweek day your average midweek day you would get 20,000 people would use the the bypass right so you don't have to go into another kind of what you're traveling through it so that's one road 20,000 on that road I can't recall off the top of my head so I don't want to say how many come down Lorike Brack for example but I can imagine it's probably that equal to that so that'd be 40,000 on those two roads alone many of them traveling into and through letter Kenny it's a very busy town in terms of traffic into and through it or around it so that is the fact I wouldn't say it unless it were true all right back after the news at ten the night all new show is brought to by letter Kenny car loans with fast approval apply online at letter Kenny see you dot IE or in office today Wet and Wild your one stop shop for water sports is fully stocked with all the leading brands of wetsuits bodyboards kayaks paddleboards scuba gear swimwear dry robes toe floats UV protection life jackets sunglasses buoyance picnic sets cool boxes stoves cool bags barbecues and beach when breaks so if you're on in under or beside the water this summer Wet and while can keep you safe and looking good hi Gavin here from iMotors does your car need to be serviced? all cars serviced at iMotors in letter Kenny and Malin will receive complimentary 12 month AA breakdown assistance as part of your service package to book your car in call us today on 07 4 9 1 3 4 5 6 7 this is your guide to smart glasses smart glasses often look like regular glasses and some of them have built-in cameras even if you don't wear smart glasses it's helpful to know what it looks like when someone who is wearing them is taking a photo or video the person wearing smart glasses usually has to take an action such as tapping the capture button to activate the camera when the smart glasses are recording you'll see an LED light on the frame so now you know a bit more about smart glasses a message from Metta and Esiel or Luxotica for confirmation and first communion see the great selection of suits casual wear and footwear at including 1880 club Lyle and Scott Farah and diesel also Tommy both footwear and all at great prices whatever the fit whatever the style confirmation and first communion are covered for less at Watson Men's Wear open seven days a week on Main Street Letter Kenny and at Watson Men's Wear dot com also great end of sale bargains still available the venga bus is coming to Paul's venue Letter Kenny this bank holiday Sunday live on stage the venga boys we like to party boom boom boom we're going to be the and lots more tours open nine early arrival is advised that's a venga boys that's bank holiday Sunday at Paul's venue Letter Kenny live on air online and on the Highland Radio app this is Highland Radio News Good morning I'm Akilah Clark with the news at 10 o'clock Attorney Gold Deputy believes the proposal to ban turf was handled badly bank government Deputy Joe McH along with fellow Finnegale and Finafall backbenchers voted against the Sinn Fein motion for the turf ban to be scrapped and instead supported a counter motion that no changes be made to the seal and supply of turf until it comes before cabinet he says there was much anxiety among people as a result of how Minister Eamon Ryan managed the proposal Deputy McQ believes the ban on turf white will come but says nigh is not the time there is a realization there's less people going to cut so it has been on the decline but people who still continue with this practice they they know that in time that there will be there will be changes when it comes to turf cotton and that that is that is accepted but this is not the time this is certainly not the time especially during a major economic crisis Well the government has lost control of the cost of living according to Johnny Goll Deputy Pierce Doherty who last evening hit out at Minister of Health claiming he was talking through his heart Deputy Doherty called for a suite of measures to be rolled out to tackle inflation as opposed to introducing a carbon tax he says the government is simply worsening the crisis There are options here for people in this house to stop speaking out of both sides of their mouth pretending that they are concerned about people out there her suffering because of the community two-thirds of them who use home heat and oil to heat their homes and your plan is to increase it further that's the reality and that's the facts It's a marisade in factory weighing permits held by two killie bags fish processors hoping suspended by the SFPA The action was taken on foot of Norwegian vessels who were unable to land blue is considered outside Ireland CEO of the IFPA Brandon Byrne has described it as an extraordinary blunder after a special status for Northern Ireland was secured through Brexit talks providing for EU rules to apply to Ireland equally The T-Shock has praised the Northwest Regional Development Group which encompasses members of the Shared Island Initiative Council be used to provide funding for the airport and possibly a new public service obligation for an air service at Linking Dairy and Dublin Mr Martin said these are under consideration as are a number of other issues raised by the group I had a very worthwhile visit to Dairy recently I met with the Northwest Development Group which is struck by the cohesion within the region I mean the group was chaired by the DUP you had all put in the parties there they've been working for quite a long time on economic issues social issues health education Almost 30 million euro has been allocated to Donegal for the delivery of additional home support ires A total of 66.6 million euro has been announced for a million ires across the five kindies with 1,685 people in Donegal benefiting Whether I mostly dry today with a mix of Clyde and sunny spells just a slight chance of a shire highest temperatures of 13 to 15 degrees with a light easterly or variable breeze That's all from Highland Radio News for now We'll be back with news again at 11 o'clock The death has taken place of Martha Kilday Nay Wilson 4 Beechwood Grove Lifford and formerly of Tully-owned St. Johnston reposing at her home from 12 noon today Fiona leaving her home on Saturday morning at 10 o'clock for Requiem Mass in St. Bethan's Church St. Johnston at 11 o'clock while by interment in the adjoining cemetery The death has taken place of Sylvia Birch late of 28 Gorg Granahar Road Newton Sturt Funeral this afternoon in Art Straw Parish Church at 2 o'clock while by interment in Barnes Court Graveyard Family Florida only plays donations and leave so desired to ward Duncan Dornica Drum Aware Green Castle and formerly off the dairies James's remains are reposing at Collins's Funeral Premises Kull Daff this evening from 5 until 8 o'clock where you may pay your respects Removable tomorrow afternoon at quarter past 1 for 2 o'clock live video.com OK you're very welcome back to the 9 till noon show as it relates to the traffic it's the same every summer when there's road works coming from beaches like Rathmore and Carragark Creasel and Saturday and Sundays a road across to Bonnegie would solve the problem and how long we've been talking from the Balabuffet Road two of the construction workers on their phones one on earth as this town come to and why is it such a mess well maybe they were in communications with people further up the road I don't know they weren't ordering a pizza I don't think we were talking to about the situation in Killy bags yesterday we thought I thought there was some sort of a resolution there following a meeting on agriculture and rural life as a whole seaside is for city tourists and the countryside is for birdies and walkers on the third holiday of the year not for rural residents we are a burden to be dealt with it feels like that I mean I don't have any really big clever counterpoint to say I think sometimes it just does feel like that Greg I wonder is anyone getting as frustrated as me trying to change my bank account from Ulster Bank now there's over a million people in the current business or current business or what's the other one deposit accounts in this country Ulster Bank are exiting the market soon all of those people are going to have to switch to other banks and there is some concern from the central bank whether or not the banks that are currently operating have a plan in place to actually deal with this transition because obviously you know if there's a million bank accounts look how many direct debits there are a lot of us have direct debits in our cards and experience so far so let's read on I tried to set up an account in another bank and despite going into the bank I was put on a phone to someone in Dublin so I just left I thought if there is no personal service and I'm setting it up what will it be like when I'm a customer so I went to another bank I had to bring ID my driving license is out of date on print but because of the extension during Covid it's valid until August but they would not accept it my passport again I didn't renew it but again they wouldn't accept that I now cannot give get an appointment to move bank until I get these things sorted the passport's OK easy enough to renew but the driving license cannot be renewed until it's what happened to the Augusta bank moving their customers to a bank of the choice to avoid all of this never heard that last bit listen I have full sympathy for you but I would imagine because of GDPR money laundering all those type of reasons I think the bank would be compelled to because they would photocopy your photo ID I think they would be compelled to use ID that was in date to be honest with you regardless of what's happened with Covid and extensions and that type of thing so I think you kind of stuck on that one and I think the banks probably have no choice because as I say that has to be scanned and presumably you know it's one of the most regulated industries believe it or not even with everything that's going on that there is out there I just turned my Revolute Card into a bank account in about 30 seconds now I'm reluctant to switch my banking to it not because of there's no contact with a human because I don't do that as much as I would like in any case but they have a Lithuanian I-Ban which might make it complicated for transforming payments and delays in that regard but Revolute you can turn your Revolute Card into a bank account in 20 or 30 seconds and there's a switcher that you can move all your stuff over to it with no fees there's no fees no transaction charges or annual standing fees that you might see with regular banks so maybe that's an option I don't know it's not something I've I'm by the way in the same boat I am currently an Ulster Bank customer might as well be honest and I'm also starting to get a wee bit worried about leaving it late and the process that has to be gone through but what we will do if there's enough interest out there because as I say a million account holders across the country so plenty in County Donegal is maybe do chat with an expert to give us some advice in that regard if that's something you'd be interested in let us know we might do it in any case 08 660 25000 WhatsApps and texts now I want you to do that number as well if you want to pass on a dedication for someone at 10 30 you know whether they are a birthday I don't really need to tell you what a dedication is but you know what I mean if you want to say hello to someone or pass on a good wishes to someone or best of luck to someone get them into us now and try and do that for you as well 08 660 25000 but we'll take a break now because we've lots to come on the show we are going to talk a little bit more about the vote on the turf last night we're also going to be hearing from letter Kenny University Hospital manager and we're also going to be hearing from a local rep as it relates to some concerns at letter Kenny University Hospital that and so much more besides stay right where you are now offering mortgages with life cover provided at no additional cost letter Kenny Credit Union 9102 127 it's time for NCBI Bingo on Highland Radio it's Thursday the 28th of April jackpot day you're playing for the jackpot prize of 6400 euro on the pink sheet the reference number is S4 it's game number 17 the jackpot number is number 4 this number can come out in any position numbers drawn and now here are your daily numbers 9 22 84 83 23 57 61 76 21 and finally 48 phone your claim to 9104833 before 8 leave your name contact number and the name of the shop where you purchase your book and we'll call you back the next working day get all your NCBI Bingo information at HighlandRadio.com COVID-19 can still cause serious illness especially in people at higher risk we need to keep protecting each other so stay home if you have symptoms wear a mask in healthcare settings public transport and busy places let fresh air in if you're meeting indoors keep hands clean and get a COVID-19 vaccine and booster let's keep looking out for each other from the HSC for us all hey I'm home honey hi love hi love I just got in where are you I'm behind the shower curtain in the attic bathroom you're behind the shower curtain in the attic bathroom yeah kids found the sweets have fun get them in bed love you bye right connect in every corner of your home with our enhanced coverage technology Vodafone Super Wi-Fi now with Wi-Fi calling together we can subject to eligibility activation and limitations with Vodafone broadband install fee may apply see Vodafone.ie slash Super Wi-Fi is your current car ready for change if so now is a good time to visit DMG Motors Donnie Galton choose from their school to range in the Fabia Scala Superb Carock Kodiak Kamek Octavia and the all new electric Enyaq now available for delivery all fitted with the latest technology Skoda Connect with a whole new range of simply clever features DMG Motors have made buying a new car affordable with finance available on all new vehicles test drive the new Skoda today call 97 21396 Skoda made for Donnie Gal of monsters you'll see around town in every color from bright pink to brown and just like us they have hope streams and wishes a new car new windows a holiday diving with fishes they know just where to go for their dreams to come true the local credit union who can help you out too for all of your dreams that are big small or strange we've got you covered with our monster loan range monster loans from the credit union in addition to Ply if you do not meet the repayments on your loan your account will go into arrears this may affect your credit rating which may limit your ability to access credit in the future credit unions in the republic of Ireland are regulated by the central bank of Ireland Hello the country boy Tommy Rosney here inviting you to join me this Friday night on the show for an exclusive interview with Kentucky singer now don't go councillor Kieran Brogan is a member of the regional health forum and he's calling for a special meeting of the forum with the sale to group the HSC and the management of letter Kenny university hospital as a matter of urgency to discuss the future of the cardiology services at letter Kenny university hospital councillor Brogan joins us on the program good morning to you what has happened just to recap four people who are maybe new to this story what has happened to trigger this call from you what's changing in terms of services well I suppose has been brought to my attention by some of the patients who have begun through the different steps during the hospital process but I suppose in layman's terms we have a situation letter Kenny that many people have different heart conditions but we have a situation that we don't know and we don't know where and where for angiograms but in letter Kenny on a weekly basis and as we speak the unit is in letter Kenny today carrying out procedures the mobile angiogram service arrives in letter Kenny late on a Wednesday will discontinue at the end of May and not only from letter Kenny but also from Sligo so even the option of going to Sligo won't be there as inconvenient as that might be yeah that's correct but I suppose Dunigal somewhat unique the geographical spread of Dunigal as you will know if you were in Sligo it's not as far to go the Galway as it is from Malinhead to travel letter Kenny or indeed Glen Colum Kill it's us in a unique position in Dunigal that back as far as 2013 with the full knowledge of the HSE we invested when I say we the management of letter Kenny hospital invested in those capital investment and extending and investing in capital infrastructure the friends of letter Kenny hospital who do Trojan work who nights the races book collections flag days and everything else raised a huge amount of money 750,000 was spent by the friends of the hospital and providing the equipment that can make this permanent infrastructure and letter Kenny that's all there we as members of the regional health former given a tour of that facility two years ago the state of the arc equipment is there it's there because the friends of the hospital and the people of Dunigal collected the money raised the money and presented that to them so I'm calling now for an urgent meeting because first of all the patients of Galway and Dublin far too often in the past we need to maintain and retain the service we have in letter Kenny we need to make permanent what we have and it's my understanding that very little could make that happen and that would be the provision possibly of a cardiology technician permanent in the hospital in letter Kenny and what we heard last week as well is the concern is this could be the beginning of an end in that you know without these type of cardiology cardiology services that we might lose cardiologists out of the hospital we might lose the services and that expertise all together why would I think we heard last week why would a cardiologist move to letter Kenny you know when the equipment and the service simply isn't there we could be seeing sort of you know that's the medium to long-term problem here as well that's a hundred percent and I'm glad you made that point because I know after David we have one of the best cardiologists probably in the country available to us in Donegal who's saved an awful lot of life since he came here and the team that's working with them in letter Kenny hospital they deserve great credit and we need to make sure that whatever steps that need to be taken now so the special meeting that I'm looking for is for the members of the regional health firm here in Donegal and there are members as well and they have been in touch with the minister for health as well we need to make sure that we leave no stone unturned to make sure that we have a permanent service here for the people of Donegal in letter Kenny and I think we ought first of all to the friends of the hospital and all the people who've done the fundraising we ought to the patients of Donegal and we ought to the people of Donegal too to make sure that we have the services because far too many services have been over the last number of years allowed to discontinue under the radar and I'm somewhat disappointed that this hasn't been been more public and that's why I feel the onus on me and my colleagues in the regional health forum have to say from Donegal are fully supported of the steps that were taken to make sure that we do whatever we can to make sure that this is the end as a matter of urgency. Do you think it's also incredibly important at that meeting and perhaps it's already going to be asked when the HSC were notified by this company when they would be pulling out as part of the contract with this private company what kind of notice are they obliged as part of that contract to provide the HSC about the withdrawal of services. So that would be an interesting question then when did they inform the HSC they were withdrawing this service and what specifically actually written down has been done since the HSC was informed that this service was to be withdrawn what have they done actively to mitigate against it to plan for it to even acknowledge that it's happening beyond acknowledging it's happening. I mean I think that would give us a real insight to as to how the health service runs and how respected we are as individuals here in this part of the world. There's absolutely no doubt about that and as most for us as public representatives and members of the Regional Health Forum as well sometimes we're the last to hear. We can only do some politicians sometimes and you often hear tell of the Minister for Health and politicians and ministers getting a lot of grief but sometimes people are keeping the door open and the people, you know the people that are keeping the door open and the senior management of HSC and the management of the hospital and the sale group needs to keep the public raps more informed of because we have a duty to make sure our duty to the people of Danygall and to make sure they have a proper they come here, they enjoy the quality of life, they provide a great service, and we're somewhat concerned that if that discontinues, that too many people will have to travel them long journeys. And I think we have a lot of positives in this area. A lot of positive developments has happened in the whole area of cardiology, working closely with Alvin Galvin Hospital over the last number of years. That has saved lives. People now have been able to go to to Alvin Galvin, have pacemakers, have stents put in. A lot of good things have happened. We have proved that the crepial mass of population is here in the northwest, working closely with our northern counterparts in Alvin Galvin. So we have so many positives, so many opportunities, but as public reps we need to be kept informed to make sure that we can do what we can, and unfortunately in this occasion, it came through some patients and indeed the local media of the Chicago Tribune, who was the first to highlight this. And sometimes people, the public will find it hard to believe that we as members of the regional health group, we're not aware of that. That's somewhat disappointing. You mentioned the cooperation with Alvin Galvin and the health service in the north in this area. Even as a stop-gap measure until such time as something else has put in place, can we look north in terms of a similar service that's being provided in letter Kenyon and is to be withdrawn, being provided in Derry, for example. I mean it's still not much use, it is much use, but it's still an inconvenience for people in Guidor, you mentioned Guidor, maybe not so much Mallon. It would be much of a much less going to letter Kenyon and Derry, but are there any options there or will we be exploring that as part of this process now? I think this is something that if we get the medical support and if we get the senior management at the HSE level, that this can be fixed very easily because we have, as I said, put us in a better place than any other hospital as we have the equipment there to the value of 750,000. I'm led to believe that as Siemens is top-class medical equipment and we just need the approval nationally to allow us to get the cardiac technician in place to allow us to provide the full service. We have the dedicated team, we need to support and grow the team. My concern is, Greg, that if we lose the service for one day or one week to any other hospital, that it won't be back again. So we need to stand together and letter Kenyon and Doney Gogh to make sure that we have a full permanent service available at Leicester University Hospital for the people of Doney Gogh, because sometimes when it goes once, how to say it out of mind, it doesn't happen again. Oh, yeah. And it's some of its days have changed. What goes after that? Because neither you or I are medical professionals, but how a hospital runs, if you lose one service, does it have an impact or a derogation on another? We don't know that, but could it be the beginning of a stripping of services? I'm not being dramatic, but we don't know and we have to be assured in that regard. And you've mentioned it twice. It's really important mentioning it again, because it is a scandal. Three-quarters of a million Euro worth of state-of-the-art equipment, as Councillor Brogan has mentioned, fund raised, sitting there. It doesn't require an awful lot more, including personnel, to have services that might be the envy of other hospitals and to have it sitting there doing nothing. It's really, really, and it's life-saving equipment as well. It's really worth reiterating that, Kieran, isn't it? That can't be allowed to be the case. Absolutely, no doubt. And you know that the friends of Flutter-Kinney Hospital are first founded back in 1992. I mean, they've done so much. They've millions into occupants of the hospital. They've done so much, but the morale, the team effort, the community spirit, so much has been done over so many years. And look, a lot of the great services we have in Flutter-Kinney Hospital would not be there only for the great work of the friends of the hospital. So many have worked hard over the years to make sure that we have the quality infrastructure in place. And sometimes there is a disconnect from the senior people at the very head of the HSE who doesn't understand the location, the region, the geography that we have. So we need to make sure that all we're looking for and all we ever look for is the same level of service for the people who have done it all within their own region, within their own travel destination, as opposed to other people sitting in a desk in Dublin who decide, well, maybe that service should go to Galway soon. There's far too much of our health services now being transferred to Dublin and Galway and no consideration for the four or five-hour journey that it takes to get there. Yeah, and very finally, it's a slightly broader subject. Again, this is another story that highlights who potentially arguably pulls the strings in this country in terms of permanent government, the highest level of civil servants, there's loads of civil servants working that do an amazing job. We're not on about that. I'm not on about them broadly, but about we've seen ministers having the rugs pulled from under them being caught out, maybe being taught a lesson publicly, the frustration RTDs have in working with some elements in some departments and decisions being made, even like the one that we're talking now, whereby it's just dropped on the lap of regional health forum members. On a broad, we kind of have to tidy up how we do business in this country, aren't we? Because I think the opposition, if they don't already are in for a shock, if they were happened to get into power, they're going to see very quickly how the whole system runs and how hard it can be to deliver on all the promises one might make, Kieran. Well, I've almost seen the role of public representatives to hold, I feel like, the permanent government to account. And that can be the HSE, that can be the different public services across the board. And we need to try and shape the policy towards the needs of the people. So in this case here, we need to make sure that the policy for the health for this region is shaped towards the needs of the people of Donegal. We've done this before and we had huge battles back in 2006, 2007 and 2008 with the permanent breast cancer surgeon in letter Kenny. And that service has proved to be maybe and somewhat a victim of its own success. But at least the people in letter Kenny now and Donegal can get a service that they deserve. And I think that's our role as public representatives. And sometimes maybe we've listened too much to the civil service. Our focus needs to be on this occasion, on the needs of the patient and on the needs of the people. And our role is to shape the policy towards that. All right, thank you very much indeed for your comments there. Councillor Kieran Brogan there, member of the Regional Health Forum. They're calling a special emergency meeting of the Donegal Regional Health Forum, the Salter Group and the HSE. We're also going to be talking to in the not too distance future, hopefully the manager of letter Kenny University Hospital will get him to, will get him hopefully to comment on those issues. Give us from a managerial perspective an idea of what's going on, what kind of notice was given and what could be put in place to maintain the level of service that's currently there. Also, there's other stuff as well. Visiting restrictions have been lifted again or will be lifted and the general workings of the hospital hopefully will be able to touch on all of that. Right, a caller says I was asked to go to the matter hospital in Dublin for an echo and stress test last week. It didn't go because I couldn't afford it. I've been waiting on this appointment for ages so I'm still on the waiting list at letter Kenny. At my age I simply face the eight hour trip for a 20 minute appointment. I can't. You know, that's discrimination by geography there, isn't it? You know, if that person lived close to Dublin, they'd be in get that echo and stress test done, hopefully all clear, but if there were something that needed to be done it would be spotted. Instead, they don't want to or can't undertake that eight hour round trip, which it probably is more for a 20 minute appointment. So they're going to wait and we hope, you know, that their health doesn't deteriorate in between times. Both myself and my husband, both have experience with the cardiologist, Mr. David. As long as we keep him, we will be okay. He can do it all, says a patient. Very grateful for his service there. No doubt at all. No doubt about that at all. Okay. Let's take a short break back in a moment. 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And until Monday, Oyster Bay Souvignon Blanc, only 9 euro. Centra live every day. Enjoy call sensibly. Right, okay, let's get to some of your comments. We might hold off the music just a little closer to 11 o'clock while we stay on the issue of letter Kenny University Hospital. So any requests sent in will be obviously mentioned at that time. Greg, and this goes without saying, but I suppose sometimes it is worth saying the nurses and doctors do tremendous work that they do in very difficult circumstances. Councillor Brogan is right. Instead of subtracting, we should be adding more services. What is going on? People cannot travel such distances for things that should be readily available in our own county. Our tax should have an equal value to the tax paid in other parts of the country. And we should not have to campaign to have services that others have, should we? Greg, can someone from the contractor that's doing the works on the road come on to explain what's happening a year now to renovate an existing one kilometer stretch of road? I don't know, but good luck to them if they get that work done on Friday. I, my famous edible hat, will eat my hat if work is not still ongoing on Saturday and Sunday. Hi Greg, they can do the right thing around, they can do nothing around letter Kenny. It's a disaster even at the best of times. Go to letter Kenny, Greg, if you was paying me, I wouldn't go to letter Kenny if I was paying me. It's letter Kenny's great. I understand. And when that road's done, it'll be even more accessible. Greg, the last, the past two weeks, the Glencar road up by the Irish school was closed because it was being retard. Traffic was diverted. It reopened on Friday. We had a drive in it on Sunday and it was lovely. On Monday, the road workers were back digging up the road. There's been traffic lights on the road since why tar the road just to dig it up again? It's such a waste. I just don't understand. Poor planning. I don't know. Did they forget to lay a pipe or something? I don't know what's going on. As usual says another caller, when there is traffic problems in letter Kenny, someone complains about the Harry Blaney bridge. We're lucky and fun to have someone fight for our area to achieve this. It is the best thing that has happened in the area. Just watch the traffic volume that passes over it every week. Pity you hadn't someone to fight your corner in letter Kenny. Yeah, I mentioned that. I think it's very important. It's been very important for the, yeah, that area. So I did bat for it to some extent. Yeah, but why should it be don't build a bridge there, build it here? You know, it's about representation. It's about getting things over the line. And that was one that was gotten over the line. Finnegale and Finafall have finished voting last night to go ahead. That's about the turf, right? Okay. People say that, but they're not. They're still up there in the polls. Both parties combined. Still command a considerable lead over Sinn Féin, just on the basics, the basic numbers. There is also an Amazon fall call scam doing the rounds with a short number beginning of four. Yeah, Amazon, because between video services and package delivery services, Amazon, they do claim to be from Amazon quite a lot, don't they? Why are people surprised about traffic in letter Kenny? It's been like that for over 20 years. Councillors were talking about it then and still talking about it today, but nothing. Listen, if you have a busy town, any busy town, you are going to have times when traffic is slow. That's part of it. And that's, you know, that's what makes it attractive because it's popular. And so you're never going to have a big town with traffic moving around freely all the time. That's a utopia that doesn't exist. But what we're talking about here is people not being moved, not moving in their cars for two or three hours. Different thing. A caller says, I discovered a novel way to beat scam phone calls if I see a number that I don't recognize answer in Irish. Okay, brilliant. When the scammer answers, I say a line of the Hail Mary or the caller does not understand the lingo, then hangs up a genuine caller, knows the score, but how many even callers from within Ireland? If you were to begin speaking to them in Irish, might go, hold on a second, what's going on here? Right. A caller says the bigger problem for children is childhood obesity and unhealthy diets overindulging in takeaways. There's no point in blaming the burning of turf when children are not outside playing or getting enough exercise. It's down to lifestyle. Some people seem to think that that I'm not saying that callers necessarily suggesting this, but in some way, asthma is something that you bring on yourself or that anyone can get rid of asthma. That's simply not the case. We have a high proportion of people with respiratory problems in this county. It's not all for their own doing. It's, I don't know if it's genetics or environment, whatever it is, but it is the case. Eating healthy won't necessarily stop things like that. Right. As I mentioned, the general manager of Lettich County University Hospital, Sean Murphy, joins us on the program now. Thanks for taking the call, Sean. How are you keeping? I'm doing good. We'll talk about the general operations there and visiting and what have you, but I just want to get your views from the top within the hospital as it relates to the withdrawal of these cardiology services at Lettich County University Hospital. The private company, do you know when they notified you or the HSE that this service would no longer be available? Yes, they notified us back in February. Okay. So what has been done practically between February and now to try and keep a continuance of service going? So we've been, we're in discussions with sales and with National HSE to utilize the interventional radiology suite, if possible, to continue to provide that service in Lettich County. What is that sweet? Sorry? It's an interventional radiology suite. So it's a facility within our radiology department. We rebuilt the radiology department. We created an area that would allow us to undertake interventions where you use radiological equipment for treating patients as opposed to just diagnosing patients. And the equipment that's in there would allow us to do the diagnostic and diagrams that we have that we undertake on the mobile unit at the moment. So in a way, could that provide an improved service then? It could provide an improved service in many respects because it wouldn't be limited to one visit per week. Now, again, like everything Greg does, it doesn't mean it to be always available because there's other procedures that are undertaken in that facility. And we would need to recruit additional staffing as well. But we would be able to provide a limited service at the moment and we could expand on that service over a period of time. The equipment in there was purchased by the friends of the hospital, for which we were extremely grateful. This is the 750,000 euro? Yeah, it is state-of-the-art very complex equipment. And it's not just used for our diagnostic angiography, it's used for a whole range of procedures. And many patients already benefit from this having that facility on site. But we could extend it. And we've applied. So just to be clear, sorry, Sean. The purchase cost of that 750,000 euro state-of-the-art equipment, it's been described as sitting idle. Is it sitting idle? It's not sitting idle, but it's not being used. It's full potential. Right. So in terms of what is required then to get that up and running and a timeline, I mean, obviously, I know in terms of recruitment, we don't know, it's a crystal ball situation. But can you give us an update as to when you would hope to have that up and running doing a job that would sort of keep a continuance of the services that we have and maybe even improve? How long might that take and what kind of procedure has to be gone through before it would happen? Okay. So as opposed to there's two parts to that question. And some of these discussions are ongoing at the moment. But to recruit the staff that we would want to be able to comfortably sustain a service and expand the service from what we have at the moment, that would take quite a number of months. And as you said, the difficulty here is crystal ball because it's about finding people to actually apply for it to work in Leverkennie and to take up the post. However, I would be reasonably confident that we would be able to provide a limited service similar to what we've got with the mobile unit in a much shorter period of time. Okay. Yeah. I mean, so for people listening who would be availing of this private mobile unit, what happens to them now in terms of, you know, I have to be honest, I don't know the ins and outs and the terminology, but in terms of diagnostics or whatever it might be that are people going to like we heard from someone earlier on was given an appointment in Dublin, they feel the two, they're not well enough to make that journey. So they're going to sit and wait for an appointment at Leverkennie. I'm not sure it's with this unit, but okay. So I, and again, I suppose there's a number of facets to this. So first, I can't comment on that. And as you said, the individual case, you said that we don't know if that's anything to even deal with the, with our geography. So it may or may not be. Patience at the moment, at the moment we have is a visiting mobile cat lab that comes on site and does what's called diagnostic angiography. So it's basically a complex scan of the heart to identify abnormalities. And a cardiologist could describe it much more, much better than I can. In, for a number of patients, they will require not just the diagnosis, but they will require what's called interventional angiography. So they have the scan and as part of that procedure, a stent is put in place. We don't provide that on the mobile cat lab. We never have had that service in Leverkennie. Historically, a lot of patients would have gone from Donegal to Dublin. When we became part of the sales group, we had access to their services. So at the moment, the patients go to either Galway or Dublin. And again, that's around, partly around the geography of where they are, where they can get to, but also where we can get them the promptest access. So the, the, those patients, so if a patient is going to Dublin for an angiogram, it's either because it's absolutely urgent and they can't wait until the unit visits on Thursdays. It can't wait. The patient can't wait Thursday. Or they need that intervention. They need the stents put in and they need to go to tertiary centre. The, for patients who you avail of our mobile unit, this is, it's not a non-going course of treatment. It's a patient going in like somebody coming for a CT scan or an MRI diagnostic. Yeah. It's a diagnostic and it's once often over a period of time, they may need to go back and be rescand or have a new diagnostic angiogram, but they're not coming on as scheduled program of care. For the last, when I came here, we actually had no facility for the last about eight years plus. We've had this mobile unit that comes to Sligo and to Leicester County once a week. And to come, it's a UK based company. We had interruptions during COVID because they had actually gotten their staff over and we had restricted services and we had to send more patients out of the county. Now they're saying that for better use they're putting out to the Irish market and they won't be available. So it means the facility won't be here, it won't be in Sligo. Well, how long then do you think, in the best case, are you talking before the end of the year, before we are doing this diagnostic work using and availing of the equipment that was fundraised by the people of Donegal? I would hope and I would be working to ensure that it wouldn't be that long. I would want to get it as seamless as possible, ideally to have the ability to actually be undertaking the procedures here by the time the mobile unit left. But there's a number of things that we need to bottom out on that at the moment. So there's a possibility there will be a continuance then? There's a possibility that there won't be actually a break then in this diagnostic work. There's a possibility but I don't want to make... Understood, no? I said to you before, I'm always very wary of making promises when there's not certainty. And at this point in time, even as a start, we are not clear that we'd be in a position to do that. I will have approval to do it and we'd be in a position to do it. But that's, so at the moment I'm working two-fourth, one is to actually confirm that we would be in a position to do this and I mean it's recently just today, it's not something that may be able to help us with some sectional work. And secondly, we need approval to be able to go ahead and do that. And then even if we could do it, we would need to recruit extra staff to make sure that we wouldn't be doing it on a wing in a prayer that we would have the capacity and sustainability to be able to provide it on an ongoing basis. All right, that work was ongoing or triggered by the publicity around this? No, so the work was ongoing. I suspect that's what triggered the publicity because we were having ongoing discussions within the hospital on this. But as far as I take a step back, we have, I mean, we've submitted several business cases through SELTA and so SELTA have presented them on our behalf to National HSE over the last number of years. Okay, right. Tell us how the hospital is running generally at the moment. Obviously, what a year, what a couple of years it's been between obviously having to deal with an extremely busy hospital anyway, having to manage COVID cases, having to deal with the fallout of the cyber attack. So where are we at now in terms of how the hospital is running and the impact, say, for instance, of COVID at the moment, if any? Okay, so it has been tumultuous a couple of years. And I suppose one of the... Surprise might be the right word, but one of the key factors was that the first few months of this year were as heavy and as challenging as most of the months through the earlier phases of COVID. The situation at the moment is there are things settling down somewhat. And honestly, I would say that COVID is not gone. We're going to have ongoing pressures from COVID, other than COVID. So we will always have some degree of cyclical elements of seasonal illnesses and pressures on the system. As things stand at the moment, our COVID numbers have dropped. We have 13 COVID patients in the hospital today. We have none in ICU. If you go back only eight weeks ago and six weeks ago even, we were 90 plus patients in the hospital and again several patients on any given day in ICU. That's put significant pressure on our services and on our bed capacity. And although we've opened more beds within the hospital, the mixture of those COVID pressures and as I said to you when we spoke the last time, the sheer increase in emergency department presentations led to significant congestion in the department, significant delays in the department. Things have settled and I don't want to be doom and gloom. Neither do I want to be too blousey about it. We're still very busy. But things have considerably settled. We're still on every day running close to 100% capacity. But that is to be expected in an acute hospital situation. You'd be expected to be able to operate at 100% capacity. I mean, you know, that's the way the health service is designed, generally speaking, I presume. Well, the difficulty is that if you are running at 100% capacity all the time, any time you have peaks because it is average capacities and averages high peaks and frosts. And if you're running 100% capacity all the time, then you have no resilience or your ability to cope with those peaks. Sorry, what's the situation we're visiting then? So visiting, I say, as the situation improved, we're very conscious of the impact of restricted visiting on patients and their families. So we took the decision at our COVID management meeting this week to reintroduce visiting as of yesterday. And again, we're reintroducing it on a phased basis and I hope that we will continue to increase their access over the coming weeks. But at this stage, we have a situation where we're facilitating, patients have one visit for up to 30 minutes per day. We're asking the family members, the visitors, make contact with the ward in advance before 3 p.m. in the afternoon in order to arrange the visits. And we're staggering the visits. So what we don't want to do is fill particularly the multi-bedded rooms. So where you have a room of four or six patients, we don't want all the beds and several patients, visitors come in to all those patients. So we're staggering the visit times. So you get a slot at 6.30, at 7.15, or at 8.00 p.m. to visit a patient. Okay. Yeah, go ahead. I was going to say the WHO are saying, you know, we're going to be getting another wave in six to eight weeks that this is going to be happening like that. Are you looking at ways that, you know, we're going to have to live with this for consecutive years, it seems, hopefully, not with the serious level of illness that we've seen. Is it going to be the tap being switched off and on visiting perpetually, or are you looking at ways that even in the event of the next phase that we find a way to keep the hospital going, similar to how it was pre-COVID? Continuing to explore what options there are to keep hospital going as it falls pre-COVID. But the unknown here is the extent of, you know, with new variants, new ways of what impact it has. I mean, we would have always had much less impactful than COVID. If we had seasonal flu outbreaks and had flu outbreaks in the hospital, we would have restricted visiting. And I suspect that there would still be an element of that with COVID. And maybe even broader, say, COVID and seasonal flu, where we have sort of significant infectious outbreaks. But again, that's a crystal-mold job, isn't it? We want to try to move away from the stop-start, which is frustrating for everybody and just leads to confusion. But it is very difficult if you look at the numbers of COVID cases we had in the community. And we could identify that people coming in that were asymptomatic or were coming in with very mild symptoms and not recognizing that COVID had actually exacerbated our problems here. And that was only powerful because we also have our staff. We all live in the community. Our patients all live in the community. So we had the risk of staff getting acquired in COVID in the community, patients acquired in the COVID in the community, and visitors coming in. So we were trying to reduce the congestion. Have you had any particular problems? The situation is improving now, and we're able to pull back and facilitate more visits. Any particular particular problem with long COVID amongst staff? There are issues for both patients and some staff with long COVID, and that remains a challenge. I'm going to say more and more about our staff. Our staff impact of COVID is, as with patients, hugely reduced at the moment. And that's much less of an issue. And letter Kenny has actually been received funding to develop a long COVID clinic, which we are in the process of now trying to get established. We need to recruit staff. We need to develop clear pathways. I hope they may make an announcement on that later in May. Definitely worth a stand alone interview. I think a listener asked the questions, perhaps I should have asked, why can't stents be done at letter Kenny? If you can get the angiogram there, why can't you get the stents in? Okay. Twofold, the putting stents in is a more complex procedure with higher risk complication. It requires a greater infrastructure. It would not be feasible or safe to have done it in a mobile unit. Again, as I say, there is a national review of cardiology services, and that's going to make recommendations about what sort of facilities, what sort of staffing levels, and what sort of backup other clinical services you need if you're going to provide that level of intervention. And at this stage, both sales and hospital are waiting on the recommendations from that review. I'm not sure you can answer this one on the spot, but Mary says, can you ask Sean, why have they not managed to find a room to set up a pain clinic yet? She says it's bordering on the ridiculous at this stage. One of the, and I think I mentioned this in previous interview. I know I've mentioned a recent brief and I did it in the hospital. Space is one of our biggest challenges. We are actually working to reestablish the pain clinic at the moment. And that's not just about the room. It's about the facility. The pain clinic traditionally was held in the day surgery unit. We're looking for an alternative location because, again, with appropriate spacing, requiring the day service unit to reduce infection risks, we have to restrict the number of patients we have down there. And from that perspective, running our patient clinic down there isn't, isn't feasible. So we are working on that with the consultants and the clinicians involved. Okay. You talked about sending heart patients to Galway or Dublin. Why not cross the border into Derry? Again, I suppose, before we have a, the primary PCI, so we have an arrangement with Derry for patients who've had a heart attack. It was called a STEMI heart attack. And they require a sense within a very limited time period. And we now have an arrangement have had for several years and we were talking about this before. So they go straight by amnesty into Derry for those procedures. For scheduled procedures, again, there's capacity constraints in Derry. Historically, our links were with James's. I've heard they have a major cardiac service and center. And as part of sales, another part of sales group, we work with them as their primary tertiary center. And finally, it's not a big one, but it comes in all the time. And people going to ED, having to check in. And I've been there as well. You have to give your name, your address, your contact number, talk a little bit about your health. Everyone can hear what you're talking about. You try and whisper in the safe. Sorry, I can't hear you. And then you almost feel like you have to shout it, you know, between, you know, person's individual privacy and perhaps even GDPR. Do you accept that that maybe is something that could be done a bit better? Yes. And it's something we have looked at before. I suppose, interestingly, one of the impact codes, because we streamed the patients with respiratory symptoms from non respiratory symptoms. So that created a barrier and a glass partition between some of the reception windows. So they run two people's standard sort of close to each other. But I accept that there is still an issue in terms of the size of the department near the proximity as well as the reception counters to people waiting. And it is something we've looked at. I will take that back on board and see again if there's something more we can do. Yeah, it's one of those little things that will just make the whole experience so much more and more different. It's like people hearing you confession, you know, in a chapel or church, wherever you might go. Sean, thanks for your time this morning. I appreciate it. And we'll talk again in the future. I am Sean Murphy, the general manager of Letter Kenney University Hospital. Right. Most of the questions coming in on the heart side of things, the cardiology services, I think I got to them. There are general things here that I just don't have the time to get in because we still have another hour to come on the program and we've stuff lined up that we have to get in stuff that we couldn't get in yesterday, the day before, and we have to get in such as the busy nature of this program. Thanks to you out there listening and interacting. Okay. It is 11 o'clock. So that means only one thing. It's time for the very latest news update. And we cross over to Michaela Clark. Good morning, Michaela. Thanks, Greg. Good morning. There's calls for a special meeting to be held to discuss the future of cardiology services at Letter Kenney University Hospital. It follows confirmation that the weekly angiogram service will no longer be provided at the hospital as of the end of June. Kandakirn Brogan has also expressed concerns that the cardiac cath lab is sitting idle after 750,000 year was raised by the friends of Letter Kenney University Hospital for this service. However, hospital manager Sean Murphy has clarified that it is in use but not at full capacity. Meanwhile, Mr Murphy says discussions are ongoing with SILTA and the HSE to deliver the angiogram service within the hospital's radiology department. The hospital was notified in February that the service would no longer be offered on site. It's emerged that Chee Kilbeck's fish processors have had their in-factory weighing permits suspended by the SFPA. Faction was taken on foot of Norwegian vessels as a result of not landing their blue, white and kasha-kili begs, landing it instead in dairy and transporting it to the harbor via trucks. Attorney Gull Jeopardy believes the proposal to ban turf was handled badly by government. Jeopardy Joe McHugh along with fellow Finnegale and Fenefal backbenchers voted against the Sinn Féin motion for the turf ban to be scrapped and instead supported a counter motion that no changes be made to the sale and supply of turf until it comes before cabinet. He says there was much anxiety among people as a result of High Minister Eamon Ryan managed the proposal. The T-shock has praised the Northwest Regional Development Group, which encompasses members of Dunnegull and Dairy City and Straban District Council. Nehal Martin was responding in the doll to questions about support for City of Dairy Airport and whether or not the Shared Island initiative could be used to provide funding for the airport and possibly a new PSO for an air service linking Dairy and Dublin. Officials are working to try and see how more TDs can be fitted into the doll chamber. The Office of Public Works has been asked to examine accommodating between nine and nineteen extra deputies in Lentster House next term. An almost 30 million euro has been allocated to Dunnegull for the delivery of additional home support hours. A total of 66.6 million euro has been announced for the Community Healthcare Cavern, Dunnegull Leacham Monaghan Sligo Home Support Service. The additional money from the HSC will fund over two million hours across the five counties, with 1,685 people in Dunnegull benefiting. Those are the latest headlines. We'll be back with an update again at 12 noon. Mikaela, thank you very much indeed for that. A call usays Councillor Brogan is a member of Fianna Fall who are in government at the moment, so he's in a good position to do something about its civil servants running this country, not politicians and other. Calling an archip meeting don't make me laugh. The drive will go to Mr Brogan and the rest of the representatives should be taken to government. Nothing gets done at local level time. There's a change of management. Okay, I mean we can be frustrated with politics and we can be critical of politics and I think that's important and that's good as part of social discourse and conversation, but I mean at the end of the day, like an issue as it relates to the cardiology services, it doesn't matter if a politician is independent from Sinn Féin, Fianna Fall, Fianna Gael locally, they'll all work together and they'll all campaign and they'll raise the issues and they'll try and get it into the press and they'll do their own work and put pressure on their parties and you know we do, can't be cynical and we are cynical, I'm the most maybe the most cynical of them all, but they are trying to make a difference and keep things on the agenda and it's good to see the word you know important emergency or urgent meeting being put in there because this is important and we're all doing orbit to try and make sure this ticks along because if we weren't talking about this, if John hadn't done a story in the paper, if we weren't doing orbit here, if the councillors and others weren't doing there, but if DACC wasn't sending their emails and letters, you know these things slip away and they're gone and we lose the services and things you know we lose services and then other services go potentially, so we have to, we all have a role to play us, the general population to make sure that we say hall on you, we are as important as anywhere else, this is not acceptable and this is all of us kicking up a stink till you do something about it, so everyone I think has an important role to play. A caller says I know a man that needed a temporary heart stint before going to Dublin, nobody was on call to do it, the doctor had to come out from Derry to do it, he would not come out without proof of health insurance, what happens to those without health insurance? Another I'm sick to the teeth listening, always making excuses about, sorry this is Sean Murphy, I'm sick to the teeth of listening to Sean Murphy, always making excuses and painting a rosy picture, the hospital is an awful situation, having experienced myself, the EDs are no go area, so wake up and remove your rose tinted glasses, but look at, again I'm trying to be fair but not speaking on behalf of anyone, the hospital needs more staff and the staff aren't coming up to the hospital as well, that's only part of the problem of course, but it is a problem. Greg it was nice of Sean Murphy to mention staff, beds, just and services, please ask about the 1,000 euro we are to get, was that not supposed to be in this most recent paycheck, I thought the 1,000 euro was supposed to be paid in this paycheck, I'll check up on that, I'd let that one go to be honest here because I thought everyone was getting it this month, visitors should be asked to take antigen tests, I don't know, antigen-spantigen sometimes you feel like, you know people, nothing wrong with them, showing up faint red lines, strong red lines, other people sick as dogs and nothing coming up, I'm not questioning them but I don't know, I don't, I'm not sure that would make much of a, maybe if it, I suppose if it allowed longer visits maybe it would be worth it, people might undertake them, I don't know, okay we have ad breaks to get to because obviously we've had a very busy 10 to 11 but stay where you are because you won't want to miss our next item. The 9 till noon show with Letter Kenny Credit Union, now offering mortgages from 40,000 to 600,000 euro with no hidden fees or transaction charges. Letter Kenny Credit Union 9102127. This Friday the 29th around the northwest is live from Foy's and Letter Kenny where they're getting ready for a big May Bank holiday sale. We'll get some ideas for interior and exterior decorating and find out what's currently trending in colors, fabric, lighting and furniture. We'll also have some great giveaways so listen in this Friday from 12 on around the northwest live from Foy's on Port Road, Letter Kenny. Your mental health is important and now it's easier than ever to find the supports and services closest to you. You can free phone the Your Mental Health Information Line at 1-800-111-888 anytime. Our team will tell you which supports and services are near you, where they are located and how you can access them. You can also visit YourMentalHealth.ie for more information on mental health, for you or for people you know. YourMentalHealth.ie from the HSE. Are you going to John's wedding? Should the flares all in that weekend? The possession's up and down the street all day. Ah, first this ad is kindly sponsored by Steeler Bill and Sister Sarah's. Dullygolf La Letter Kenny, 6th to the 8th of May. Sport is at the heart of every community and so is Special Olympics. Every day volunteers help people with an intellectual disability to experience joy through sport. The Special Olympics annual collection day takes place on Friday 29th of April. Please give what you can to our bucket collectors on Friday 29th of April or donate through your Revolve app. Thank you. With longer evenings, outdoor living is back and there's great offers right now in garden furniture at Kelly Central Letter Kenny. Outdoor tables, chairs and benches add unbeatable prices. Also portable barbecues, accessories and everything for grilling and chilling. Find all you need for outdoor entertainment at Kelly's award-winning centre, Mountaintop Letter Kenny. Highland radio weather updates with Ireland West Airport. This summer's going to be one of the busiest ever. Check out our summer flights to European cities such as Barcelona, Cologne and Milan with Ryanair. Ireland West Airport, you're flying. Okay so it's not looking too bad for today is it? Mostly dry with a mix of cloud and sunny spells. Just a slight chance of a shower. Highs of 13 to 15 degrees with a light, easily or variable breeze. Okay we are going to be talking about, actually you know what, I've a comment here in front of me, not my next item. I want to get to those as well. Yeah we're going to be talking about International Workers Memorial Day. It is today. It's an important day. We're going to be speaking to a guest about that after we catch up just for this one quick break. The Ninetal Noon Show with Letter Kenny Credit Union. Now offering myCU current account and debit mastercard, bringing full banking features delivered with the same local trustworthy service of your credit union. Lidl's inflation busting offers are helping families all across Ireland. As a family of five I have seen huge changes in the savings. I see them every week. There's a great variety of products. Very pleased with it. Inflation busting offers at Lidl. More for you. Customers were paid a gratuity for their time. Hit refresh on your home this spring at Foy and Company in Ballad Bethay and Letter Kenny. Create your perfect home with new arrivals and furniture and beautiful fabrics, paints, wallpapers, rugs and wall art. From brightening up your kitchen to breathing new life into your living spaces, the Foy and Company team will help you create the perfect colour scheme for your home and lifestyle. Book your free online or in-store colour consultation today at Foyz.ie. I'm Stephanie Preisner, one of thousands of autistic people in Ireland. Everyone experiencing life and autism in our own unique way. Unfortunately, many of the things connecting us are the barriers we face every day. Barriers most people don't face and so don't even see. Barriers to a proper education. Barriers to employment. Barriers in society that leave autistic people isolated and left out. Help us remove these barriers and give autistic people the same chance. Donate at asiam.ie. Don't miss your last chance. The Kilkenny Design Sale ends this weekend. There's up to 50% off. Almost everything is reduced. Discover fantastic offers across home wear, wellness, clothing, accessories and much more. Sale runs until May 2nd in stores nationwide and on KilkennyShop.com. If you are 65 or over or you have a weak immune system, you can now get your second COVID-19 booster vaccine. Your vaccine is due four months after your last vaccine. It will improve your protection from COVID-19. You can book a vaccination centre appointment on HSC.ie or contact a participating GP or pharmacy. For more information on your second booster or to book an appointment, visit hsc.ie or call our team in HSC live on 1800 700 700 from the HSC for us all. Okay, so as I mentioned just before the break there today is International Workers Memorial Day. Did you know between 2012 and 2021, 27 people, your fellow County people were killed due to work-related instances. And so far across the country this year, seven people have died in work-related instances. Dr. Sharon McGinnis is CEO of the Health Safety Authority and joins us on the programme now. Doctor, thank you very much for taking the call. Can you hear me? I wonder, Sharon, no? Okay, we might have to come back to Sharon. I think Sharon is having some difficulty in hearing me, but we'll return to her shortly. In the meantime, we'll take some of your comments. We'll keep them coming into us. I'm a retired construction worker. I was travelling to Calamara and it took an hour to pass through Letter County from Carragard. There were so many diggers and machinery sitting idle. I did not, I do not understand this at all in my experience. I've never been so seen so many idle machines. Well, a lot of the work is being told carrying on at night, or at least it's supposed to be, bar this work that's ongoing at the moment. So maybe that's it, they're away in bed. Right, it took me one and a half to two hours to reach the Mount Arigal Hotel from Milford. It is up to the person in charge of the construction company to appoint traffic management, says that caller there. Look, we appreciate your comment there. Hi, Greg, as an Ulster Bank current account holder, I was delighted that you mentioned this topic on your show early today. I spoke to a financial advisor and they weren't much help on this matter, except to say that traditional banks in inverted commas don't want to speak to people anymore. Would you and your team be able to get a financial expert and or even a bank rep on to take questions on your show someday? Thank you, Neil. Yes, Neil, we did not too long ago and we'll be more than happy to do that again, obviously, because it is an issue, as I mentioned earlier on, affecting over a million people. You can stop calls from numbers you don't know by going into your settings and silence numbers you don't know works for me. Okay, right. I'll try Sharon. Sharon, can you hear me? Okay, I wonder. I can indeed and apologies for that. No problem. As long as we have you now, that's important. I'll just remind people, your Dr. Sharon, we're going to CEO of the Health Safety Authority. And as I mentioned, 27 Donegal people lost their lives in work-related incidents between 2012 and 21. Across the country, seven people have been killed in work-related incidents. And maybe in the summer, I don't know, is there a trend in summer months, maybe when there is even more construction activity, agricultural activity and activity in other industries that we, unfortunately, history tells us that we see even more of these deaths. Good morning. Yeah, I suppose in a sense, there can be some trends in certain sectors where we might see fatalities happening at particular times, be it in farming or, as you said, in construction. And obviously, the reason we're talking today and the reason we're kind of speaking is this Workers Memorial Day today. It's a remembrance day for those that have lost their lives tragically in work-related incidents. And as you said, there was 27 Donegal, but in that 10-year period, there were over 480 people. So that's quite a lot of families affected and communities affected by that. And they've happened across all sectors. So what we're saying to people today is obviously to take the time to remember everybody, but also take the time to now think more effectively about how you're managing safety and health in the workplace too. Yeah, that can be individuals, or that can be companies, presumably, obviously. Absolutely. Everybody who goes to work, whether you're a self-employed person, which many farmers would be, for example, or you're going into a construction site, a manufacturing plant, a shop or whatever. There is a role there for the self-employed person, but there's a role there for the employer and the worker as well. So part of that is really people taking account of the requirements, the advice that's all provided by ourselves in the Health and Safety Authority, and working together on site. To make sure that they both have a joined up and agreed approach to making places safe to work. It's an important day in remembering all those lives lost. Sadly, many of them avoidable deaths. And of course, we'd have to reflect on, and you've already mentioned it, you know, what we can do to try and prevent them. Is there enough support? I know safe, for instance, in terms of agriculture, there have been initiatives. They'd like that the IFA have been involved in budding up and farmers checking each other's health and safety and things like that. So that work does be ongoing, but do you think enough is being done? We can always do more, but what could we be doing more, I wonder? I think it's a conversation that people need to have on an individual workplace basis. I mean, we in the Authority have provided a significant amount of advice and supports and tools that make it easier for people to do their own health and safety management on sites. But equally, we also know that we can't do it ourselves. We work a lot with collaborating with stakeholder bodies, such as the unions, such as employer groups, and farming groups, as you mentioned yourself there, we've done a lot of work with them over the years. But ultimately, it's about people realizing how they need to work, but they need to work safely, and how they can do that. And always thinking about that aspect, because as you can imagine, we sometimes get to the point where we're doing the work, and we've done it the same way 10 times, and we've been fine, so that we presume the 11th will be okay. But as you said, all of these incidents and all these fatalities are generally preventable, because we know the main cause is machinery falling from heights, animals, in the case of farming, for example, as well. But so we know the issues that are causing them, and we're just asking people to take that time to make sure it's done safely. And in those examples you gave, obviously, we have the figures in front of us as it relates to death, but how many more serious injury, brain injury, life-altering injury, injury whereby not only can they not work any longer, or maintain their farm, or whatever it might be, but also, obviously, the life has changed dramatically for the rest of their lives, and for those around them too, it's the same as road traffic collisions. Obviously the headline figures are the fatality, but you can multiply, and there is actually a multiplier, that accounts then for those who are seriously injured or have life-changing injuries or disability. Absolutely, and as you said, this figure of fatalities often gets people to stop and think and be aware of, but equally you said under that figure, there are thousands more people who go to work and come home with a life-changing injury or an illness, and it's really important. So we look at everything that you do in the workplace, so it's not just the scaffolding of the piece of machinery, it's about being exposed to chemicals, it might cause cancer, it might be exposed to psychosocial hazards such as work-related stress. So we're very much all over this in the safety and health terms, and we're asking employers and employees to work together to address this. And maybe today, as a remembrance to those who have lost their lives or this week or towards the end of the month, it is the end of the month, but maybe we as individuals of self-employed or as companies can say, right, okay, this is a reminder, it's a timely reminder for us to look through our procedures and practices, what are we doing, what could we be doing better? Today is this conversation as a catalyst to do so. Absolutely. And as I said today, when we speaking earlier, you know, this is one day out of 365, but every day should be a day to remember, am I doing this in the right way? Is it safe? Is it healthy for me to do it? And if not, put in place the plans to address it. So, you know, put your safety statement together, make sure you have a safety rep in situ and that. And like what we just spoke about here about statistics and numbers, this morning, very poignantly, we were joined by the DC family, whose son Lorcan had tragically lost his life in 2018. And no words can, you know, I couldn't describe what that impact of that Lorcan's death was. I mean, as a mother and as a brother, you know, everybody there today, they were, you know, they said it much better than we can. And they're asking people to remember to go to follow the rules, to follow the guidance and do this job, to work together to make this a safe place to work. All right, Dr. Sharma Guinness, thanks for your time this morning. Thank you very much. Appreciate it. OK, CEO of the HSA. That event took place in Dublin earlier. It was attended by the likes of, well, most importantly, the family of Lorcan DC. May he rest in peace, but also the likes of Damien English and others. You'll see the footage. If you watch the news tonight, I'm sure you'll see the footage from that. But we're just trying to do orbit as well. Sometimes you just hope that these conversations maybe trigger something in one individual. You will never know if it did or not, but just that someone makes a change and it prevents something happening to them. That's the one thing I would hope comes from interviews like that. Caller is just looking for some advice if anyone knows how I can contact or who I can contact in relation to wild deers. We're in Dunlowe. There are four deers that are around our house in the evening. They've broken a very precious memory tree and have made a mess of our lawns. We live on the main road in Dunlowe and waiting for them to cause a terrible accident as they are around most evenings. Does anyone have any advice as to who you contact to help them out? Right, and it is a very important tree, this by the way. I don't know if the caller, I think the caller might not want us to mention it, but it's a very important thing to something that happened in their lives. So it's affecting them on a level, but now they are concerned and might have an understanding that these deer, because of the way they're behaving, might cause a road traffic collision. So who do you contact about wild deers? There's four wild deers. They're causing damage. They're ripping up lawns, but this caller particularly concerned that they could cause a crash. Anyone out there know who you would contact? It's in the Dunlowe area. You know, it's not like cows or sheep. There's no tags or such that you can say, right, that person owns them, but they are, you know, of equal mass and potential danger. Let us know, please, if you can help, 086-60-25,000. Right, the age of which regular 10-year driving licenses expire for older people has been raised from 70 to 75. I think this is good. I think this is important. Thankfully, we've got loads of people over 70 who are healthy and hearty and should be treated the same as everyone else, especially as it comes to their driving license. So from the age of 75, renewal is necessary every three years or annually where medical assessment deems it necessary under updated guidelines determining medical fitness to drive. But from now on you can get a 10-year license at 74, turning 75, so that'll see you into your 80s. So that's good, isn't it? I would say a lot of people, 70, 71, in great health are wondering, what's wrong? You know, I'm the safest, healthiest driver around and I'm having to, I'm having to, you know, get a new license every three years. So hopefully that's good news for some who may not have been aware of that. Okay, let's take a break. The 9 till noon show with Letter Kenny Credit Union now offering mortgages from 40,000 to 600,000 euro with no hidden fees or transaction charges. Letter Kenny Credit Union 9102127 If you're flying soon, Dublin Airport advises you to allow plenty of time to check in your bag, pass through security screening, enjoy your airside experience and head to your flight. That can be up to three and a half hours before your departure time. To prepare for security, have your liquids in containers of 100 milliliters or less in a single sealed bag separate to your hand luggage. For more information, please visit DublinAirport.com Wishing you a safe journey. So go explore your sunny favourites with hundreds of free child places available. Ask the experts at Atlantic travel about your next Jet 2 holiday by calling 074 912 6193. And book now with just a 60lb deposit per person. Jet 2 holidays, package holidays you can trust. Subject to availability conditions. This Friday the 29th, around the northwest, is live from Foys and Letter Kenny where they're getting ready for a big May bank holiday sale. We'll get some ideas for interior and exterior decorating and find out what's currently trending in colours, fabric, lighting and furniture. We'll also have some great giveaways. So listen in this Friday from 12, on Around the Northwest live from Foys on Port Road, Letter Kenny. Next winter, should you be borrowing money to buy fertilizer? We reveal why farmers are locked out of new government pension scheme and green light for Irish sheep meat exports to US. Plus, in our farm infrastructure special, find out how you can save time and money through better grazing management and animal handling facilities. Only inside this week's Irish Farmers Journal on sale now. Okay, you're very welcome back to the programme and we welcome into studio Patrick McBrurety, founder of the Blue Stack Challenge and director of the Blue Stack Special Needs Foundation. Good to have you in studio. Patrick, how are you? Great, great. Thank you for having me. No, it's good. And it's good to be talking again about the Blue Stack Challenge. Yeah, very exciting. Before we get to that, talk to us a little bit about the Blue Stack Special Needs Foundation because despite funding issues, it does, you seem to be improving all the time. Well, we are. Yeah. Yeah, we are. We're delighted. We have Wendy McCarrie is our CEO and since she came, she was with us in 2008 and then the crash and all that happened. We all know what happened there. But anyway, Wendy unfortunately had to go back to Cork. So she came back up 2016 and we were in like a flash for her and the place has just taken off. It is amazing. There's over 40 people now working in the Blue Stack Special Needs Foundation and I'm very emotional but delighted because the piece of work that we have to do, we're only scratching the surface. You know, we're getting support from the HSE and whatnot and everybody's given out about the government and whatnot and we could too but we have to work with them. There's lots of things happening in life as we know between war and refugees. Is the funding stream a little bit more reliable now because I mean obviously and I know you want to focus on the positive and I want to be there with you but I'm also acutely aware of the being in a situation where knowing if you could continue what you're doing and having to campaign and speak publicly in 50 grand a year and you know, out with the begging bowl to the HSE and government. I presume there's still plenty of forms to be filled out but is that any easier now? I wouldn't say it's any easier but what I would like to say is the people's generosity and the face of all that is going on they have supported us and now we are paying back. We are giving people, they can see the benefits. Like we've just opened the coffee, coffee dock in Denigaltown, the Blue Stack Shack. Where is that located? It's just at the back of the, well our business or place of the Blue Stack Foundation Centre is just opposite the Abbey Vocational School. And I just want to say now I have never parked outside that waiting on my son to come out of school. Right. I've never booked the entry. No, I haven't. Who else does? Oh, that's amazing, that's crazy place. Anyway, well we're just opposite the Abbey Vocational School. It's a lovely building actually. Yeah, and just at the back of it, it's even, it gets better. Once you come around the back of it, the Denigalt Bay opens up for you. And it's lovely. We're above the Abbey Cemetery there really. No, that's where we're at. We're a bit, yeah, yeah. But anyway, but there's lots of stuff going on. So just in terms of the coffee docks, sorry, because these little things matter. If someone wants to have a cup of coffee, right, you just walk down to the building that's at the back, is it? Yes, just around the side. Fantastic, okay. You'll see it at the invite chain. Brilliant, I'll have a go with that. Yeah, yeah. Now it's open, it's a fair weather and fairness. We don't have it. But it's brilliant that they're doing teas, coffees, all homebakes, go down and sample it. They also do soup sandwiches. So like it's not just a coffee dock, so people can go in for about their seats, sitting. We've got a big, what do you call them, canopy? Yep, that's exactly what it is. Yawning or whatever it is. Anyway, a massive big one of them. In cases. Just a wee bit of insulation for the weather. Yeah, well it's, I would say a summertime, or if you're coming in a cold day, make sure you have a coat with you. But the views and whatnot, there's a very safe garden down the back so you can bring it. It's child-friendly, but there's lots of going on. That is just one thing. And we spoke to you not so long ago about working with local businesses too, didn't we? That was a relatively new initiative? Yeah, well we have this progression program now. Where we're taking young adults and we're finding what's their niche, because everyone has ability and plenty of ability. We look at the disability, we want to look at the ability. And what we are doing is finding out what is their strengths, where, what they like doing and what they can achieve and just help them to progress through life. And already we've had, with the coffee dock, there is one employers come in for and said that they would like to work with an individual who is working there. That takes time, because what happens is you need to, others need to see the success and the potential and then it sort of catches fire a little bit. Hopefully it does, yeah. But that, you know, we're only scratching up the surface but we're starting to, things are starting to happen. There is about 10 or 12 different programs going on from the Saudi club, which was our base. And we have that in two centres, Dinnigaltown and in Falkara. We are now hoping to open up in Castlefin and Letterkenny. But what I really want to say to the people today is that we want to have another Bluestack Special Needs Foundation Centre based in Letterkenny. And that is what we're actively seeking. We've been on to a couple of estate agents looking for and I would appeal to anybody that is, you know, farmer, has a piece of land or a house they would like to give us at a reasonable or maybe donate to us would be even better. Do you think this is a purpose-built facility or could it be adapted? It will be purpose-built by us. Yes, that's what I mean, yeah. Exactly, like we'll take anything. We were looking at a house but unfortunately Micah took that away from us. So, but we are seeking a place in Letterkenny. You know what, there's a lot of places close to Letterkenny and around that would be a fantastic, especially if you want a bit of parking and that type of stuff as well. And we want more, we want space because we want to develop. There's places off a lot of the roads here. You go into some businesses in there but there's other bits of land that would be perfect for this type of thing. But the idea, what we vision, what we see happening in Letterkenny is let's say a place where people will come to visit. Let it be for arts crafts. We want to build a place, create employment but also will be a fountain stream because we can't be always out. We have to try and make something that is sustainable and we see garden and we see that we will employ both people of all abilities, right? There, but it's basically to generate an income. That, you know, we're not always out in the beggin' bowl but we will, please God, always have a blue stack challenge of some. Yeah, and we're going to get into that. I want to, but I just want to give people a bit more of an understanding of this. We do it every time people come on from the blue stack but sure, there's no harm. Yeah, yeah. You drag a lot, not drag a lot of, but you do, you drag a lot of people want to come from a long, from a great distance to come to the blue stack because they see what the work it's doing. So where, from what parts of the county did you drag people to it from? Do you know what I mean? Well, they're coming from Dunn-Fanaheed, at any cost. They're coming from Latterkenny, there's a few. But that's the thing, like we are now in on-date. The kids are only getting in once every four weeks into because of the demand that is there. You don't want to turn people away, yeah. So we need other facilities. So that's why we have one in Falkara. We're hoping to get an outreach in Latterkenny and Castlefin so that we can increase. And that is, but you know, the great thing is the foundation, what they're, how they measure themselves is by the smile on the child's face and them not wanting to leave. And I must, I can't just thank the staff that we have in there. They have it in their heart. These are, they have a vocation to help them. It is amazing, the work. You should, I would love you to go down and visit, go for a cup of coffee and just see what is actually going on in there. It is a great space. You'd also, Anya works there as well. Oh, she does, yeah. She's, she works in the coffee shack, the coffee dock on a Tuesday. But she's also in the progression program on Mondays and Wednesdays. She's a busy girl. And she's in the mill park on Thursday, Friday. So, but she's brilliant. Anya was born 21, she's just 21 at the beginning of the month. Happy birthday Anya. Herself, Elana and her, Bernie and the three that were over seeing Mamma Mia in London for her birthday. And they had a great time, left me behind. But anyway, anyway. They wanted to enjoy themselves Patrick. Maybe that was it. That's the head. She's dropping slowly here and there. Right. Okay. So, you know firsthand the importance of this. And it's always the way, isn't it? That, you know, I don't want to be negative, but like if something like this wasn't happening. Yeah. There's a gap there because the HSE is not doing it, right? And the amount of people that engage with the centre are employed by it. The amount of people the centre helps. You just think if it wasn't there, the gap would be enormous. And the progress and the empowerment of people, that wouldn't be happening. Yeah. Absolutely. The HSE would be throwing money at things like this here. Yeah. That's what I would like to come up with. We would like, you know, the powers to be that the consult with, let's say I care, the Down syndrome in Lerner Kenny and ourselves and other, you know, bodies that are involved in special needs. I'm just naming three. But like the Bult, a nice building in Lerner in Denegal town spent a lot of money in it. And that's what the government or agencies tend to do as they just throw money at the problem, rather than maybe seeking out to see. Oh no, of course, with engagement. Yeah. And I've spoken to people in organisations, not mentioning any organisations, and key people that keep them going. But they're running out of the energy to do so because it's the constant, it feels like a constant battle to keep things going that you're constantly having to make the argument for it. And it will wear you down, especially if it's a relatively small group of people. And you go, can I do another year of this? Because often to people in Scotland are caring for people with special needs as well. Do you know what I'm saying? And that's why they're so passionate about it. So they're trying to give respite and relief and advancement for others. But at the same time, they've got their own family situation to deal with. They're heroes. They're unbelievable, unbelievable people. But I just... But they have no choice. They have to keep fighting. Because like it's the love of the child, they have to see and they have to make sure that there is a better future for them down there. And that's what we're fighting for. All right. And we... And I just want to thank the people of Dinegall and beyond North as well, because you have listeners, Derry and Tarone. And they have been very generous to us as well, down through the years, donating to us. And I just want to thank them, but I am appealing for their help and support. We want to establish a big base here in Nutter County for special needs. I would draw in from the counties that you mentioned and the areas you mentioned. Absolutely, okay. We need volunteers, right? We're also looking for board members, right, to come on. We need a young, vibrant... We need... Like the foundation is not about any one individual or person. This has to go on for decades to come. And we see it growing and expanding. We have... I must say that the environment that has been established with the help of Wendy and her fantastic team is second to none. I don't think there's a facility like it in Ireland. You know, and maybe I'm being a little biased, but I do believe... We'll forgive you. We'll forgive you for being biased because I think you're correct. Okay, right. Now, one of the big drivers, and I think lots of organizations or charities have them, they have that flagship fundraiser where it's really important and it's a cornerstone of everything. That is the Blue Stack Challenge. It's back for 2022 with a new route. What's going on? Yeah, well... I didn't even do the old one yet. Well, it's a bit like the Tour de France. If it can go to a different place, so can we. Anyway, yeah, well, listen here. This is our 20th anniversary, special time, special year. So we are going to a special place and Glen Column Kill. It is the most fantastic setting. They're filming in there, so that'll give you some idea. It is just an amazing... And we're going along the coast from the GA pitch of Glen Column Kill right along the coast to Port. Where the Army are going to put up tents for us, we'll cook the breakfast, they'll distribute it out. Then we go on out to Glen Law. We're going to look at Glen Law, which is another maybe two kilometers further on. We're climbing another hill. Then we come in along the coast back into Port. And eventually we make our way back into Glen Column Kill via the mast. So it's like a figure eight route. But it's in the region of 2022 kilometers long. I walked it last Sunday and it's just... I just can't describe it. How is it broken down for people of different sort of abilities? 22 kilometers, seriously? Well, we don't 40K the first year, so we've come back. That's you. We've been generous. Yeah, the first one was 48. Our two buddies, which McGee's sponsored. And we're delighted to have... Although they hold that as two though as well. We're delighted to have McGee's back. We have Blaz and the Gateway Lodge in Glen Eagle Town. And 3D Personnel. They're our main sponsors this year. And there's other sponsors that have and are giving us generously. Too few. I can't... If I start with one, I'll be leaving somewhere. I understand that. Right. So the walk takes place then on... 21st of May. The 21st of May. Yeah. So... Go ahead. Just to caution people, you just can't turn up on the day. The registration waver on the website is closing the 30th. I can announce we're extending it. At the moment we have 250. Capacity is 400. Right. All right. So you're... Okay. Why the episode sign up? Why is it... I suppose just logistics, is it? Yeah. Well, we're cooking for everybody. Yeah. Okay. Right. So it's more than a walk. It's an event. This is the only walk you'll put on with it. Right. So... No, but it is. We look after what we're asking people is to go out and seek funding for us. Right. And do the best we can. We have no minimum. No maximum. Right. So you registered before in return. Yeah. In return, we will guarantee them a fantastic day. Yeah. Right. We look after them. It's like you're getting on the airport. You're checking in at the GA centre in Glencolm Kiln. I want to thank the GA club as well for giving us their facility. But you're checking in there between eight o'clock and half eight on the Saturday morning, 21st of May. There's a few bits and pieces. Anya's going to do a wee dance first. She always will want to be on stage. She has been in a few plays, but this is her. She's going to be centre stage here for three or five minutes. Noel Cunningham will be our... What do you call him? MC. MC, yes. Leader. Yeah, he's a guy. He's going to meet and greet and keep the flow going. Yeah, get us revved up for takeoff. Amongst other things, and there'll be a few. So all that's happening is a bit of entertainment before and people will have scones and whatever while they're mingling around. Right. So then we go, there's toilets every couple of hours they'll have toilets, so let people not worry about. We look after you, whatever excess luggage and food you need, have it in a rucksack, it's thrown in a van, and that'll be at the different spots for you. Also a change of footwear, whatever, what you will, we would advise that you take and have good ankle support for the hill. That is important. It's for your safety and the safety of it. It's an exclusive club because it's a limited walk and it sounds like it's going to be a real event, the crack's going to be good, great sense of community. And the other thing is we've had mortgages and whatnot, so if you want to meet your soulmate for the future, yeah, this is the place to be, yeah. Right, okay. So there's not many spaces left. There is 150, isn't it? About 150. It's closing fast, so what I appeal to people if they are... Get on to the website. So you register, then you're given a fundraising card or that form? You can do it on the social media now is all in you. You can go on, do your GoFundMe page. That's kind of a competition itself, see if you can do your first. Absolutely. All the people take part. Right, okay. So it's going to be huge. 1.5 million euros been raised for families caring for children and adults with additional needs in Donegal over the last 20 years. Yes. I think that's the figure I have. Buy us. Buy us, yeah. Buy all this fundraising and more happiness. Yeah, we used to do bucket collections, but we're not allowed anymore. Are you not? No. Okay, that's been cancelled. Okay, right. So the BlueStack, the BlueStack, what's the website address? The BlueStack special needs foundation. BlueStackfoundation.com. And you'll go in there and it'll hit you right in front where you register, right? So and I would appeal to people do not show up on the day because unfortunately we will not be able to facilitate you because if we do somebody else it's going to go without food. So, you know, there you go. Excellent stuff. Is Arnie excited? No, she is. Okay, very good. Yeah, she's doing her, we, what do you call it, dances, doing her routine or training for it now or whatever. Brilliant. But she just loves the music. Yeah. It's quicker. You're going to be standing there with tears in your eyes, aren't you? Probably will. You are. Okay, which is lovely. There's nothing like the pride you get from your children. Okay, brilliant stuff. I can't do any more on this bluestackfoundation.com. Yeah. All right, let's see if we can fill it today. Go on. People that, you know, can't, not everybody can walk. They can donate, right? They can support in any way they want. Sponsor someone that's doing it or just donate. Just go on to the web and there's a donate button there. Head it and be as generous as you can to us. And we thank you very much. And no doubt we'll be back again, but give us all the help you can. And this all about it is, and it's a wonderful, lighthearted conversation. This is all about supporting the Bluestack Special Needs Foundation in a couple of sentences. What work does it do? What are people helping to fund and support? What there is to give people with disabilities a better life and a better future. Yeah, and a pathway to build their own life and future. Yeah, absolutely. Enabling people. It's not about... Totally. It's about setting people up to... These guys have loads of talents and that's what we want to do is identify where their niche is and help them into the future. Okie doke, listen. Thanks, Patrick. One last thing. Sorry, just to say, if there is a big funder out there and an appeal into their diaspora abroad, if you get on to Wendy, manager at Bluestackfoundation.com, come and visit us. Because there is some people, if you want to donate to us, we can set up and you can see exactly. It's a really important thing here. You know, we talk about legacy and all and it's a good point that you make and I just want to underline it. There's people there with more resources than they need, like people with lots and lots of money that could come in here and get behind something and what a legacy for them. And we're in with the Charities Regulator, like we're up to date and all that. Thanks to Emer and the board that we have there. And I would appeal, we're looking for young, vibrant trustees to come on board our board. And we'll allow the listener to determine what is young because you can be slightly older and vibrant. I'm coming 60 now. I'm young. Exactly. So not to put anyone off. Oh, okay. Sorry. No, no, he didn't. No, I just want to make that point before someone else does. I just want to mention that the main sponsors as well, Blast, The Gateway Large, 3D Personnel and McGee's who've been on board since 202. Yeah. Because they're digging deep, I presume, and it's worth then. Yeah, and Harry's point in the past and Gallard's bread in the past have also come on board. So I can't leave them out. I hope I'm leaving nobody else. Well, you probably are. All right, Patrick Maburty, founder of the Blue Stack Challenge and director of the Blue Stack Special Needs Foundation. As I say, we'll probably be talking to you again. But there's about 150 or less spaces now if you want to be part of an exclusive club and do something great in May, go to bluestackfoundation.com. Thank you. Back after these. The Night Till Noon Show is brought to you by Letter Kenny Credit Union, offering low-rate car loans with fast approval. Apply online at letterkennycu.ie or in office today. New this week in home store and more. All hotel collection duvet sets are half price. But better hurry, because when all our half price hotel collection duvet sets are gone, they're gone. Also, all mattress protectors and all kitchen textiles are still half price. But when all our half price mattress protectors and all our half price kitchen textiles are gone, they're definitely gone. Order online before 2 p.m. for next day delivery or drop by your local home store and more. Home store and more. A happy home. Brian McCormick, Sports and Leisure, Main Street Letter Kenny, your football destination store. If you belong on pitch, try a new pair of Adidas Predator Edge football boots available in kids and adult sizes. Complete your kit with a pair of Murphy's gloves available in many colors and sizes. Update your O'Neill shorts and socks with the all-important gum shield. Then you're ready to compete. Look the part, play the part. In store online. Click and collect on bmcsports.ie. For a great early season lawnmower deal, visit Gartley Seals and Hire. 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The Stock Disposal Sale at CFC Interior's Derry Cookstown and Abbey Centre. The Gavin Glyn Foundation present a special fundraising traditional music concert supporting families fighting childhood cancer in the Inejone Gateway Hotel. Featuring Gerry O'Connor, Kieran Tourish, Kehal Hayden and Kevin Daherty. Also Thomas Strain, Kieran Okane, Breedge Harper and many more. That's from 7.30 on Friday the 13th of May in the Inejone Gateway Hotel Bunkerana on behalf of Katelyn Strain with tickets available at the hotel reception. The set is sponsored by White House Veterinary Clinic Derry. Bar and Grill and Century Cinemas are showing kids movies, rom-coms, action and adventure movies, dramas and more. Call us at 07491 21976 or visit CenturyCinemas.ie Community Microgeneration Schemes and the Future of Energy and Dining Hall. To register for the roadshows visit airgrid.ie forward slash shaping. Air Grid delivering a cleaner energy future. This ad is kindly sponsored by ShopLK, Donegal Fly Letter Kenny, 6th till 8th of May. At Cherrymore Kitchens and Bedrooms, we are now operating out of one new state-of-the-art showroom in Donegal Town and we invite you to visit our new 5,000 square foot Donegal Town showroom to discover the latest eye-catching designs. Remember, at Cherrymore you're dealing directly with a manufacturer, which means high quality kitchens at factory prices. Start planning your dream kitchen or bedroom by calling Cherrymore on 074 9725 822 Cherrymore, 25 years delivering value, quality and service all over Ireland. Summer with Ryanair and enjoy some of Europe's best family campsites. Ireland West Airport, you're flying. Okay, so mostly dry today. There's a mix of clad and sunny spells. Just a slight chance of a shower. You'd have to be unlucky to get caught in one. Temperatures 13 to 15 degrees. We heard light, eastly or variable breeze. Now, due to a cancellation, we've got one space left on our André Rieu trip on Saturday the 14th of May. It's 275 euro plus a single supplement of 60 euro. Price includes luxury transfers, four-star accommodation at the City North Hotel Dublin, and ticket to the show. If anyone is interested in taking that final slot, 074 9125,000. André Rieu, Rieu. You know who he is anyway. Okay, right. The Global Irish Festival series is what we're talking about now. In the last five minutes that we have, Joy Haran is Senior Staff Officer with the Economic Development Directorate with Donogol County Council. How are you getting on? Good morning to you. Good morning, Greg. Thank you very much for having me on your show. No, it's good to have you on. Right, now talk to us about the Global Irish Festival series. It's a relaunch of sorts, isn't it? It is. So, the Global Irish Festival series was recently launched in the Irish Consulate in New York. So, it's an initiative co-funded by Donogol County Council in Falkshire, Ireland. And it has been running for a number of years. So, Donogol County Council this year has been successful in applying for funding under the Global Irish Festival series to bring Donogol Connect back to Donogol. I suppose we've faced a lot of challenges in the tourism sector in the last number of years with the pandemic. So, the goal of this Donogol Connect event is to actually, I suppose, revitalise and to bring people back together after the last number of years and we're doing our best to support the tourism sector by running this event. Yeah, and it's to encourage the Irish diaspora to return home, to visit Ireland and perhaps even maybe look to move business here or whatever it might be. And it's not all one-way traffic. I think a lot of people that haven't been here for quite some time, we do be critical and we have to highlight any deficiencies. But we have come on in leaps and bands too in terms of infrastructure, connectivity in terms of broadband and what have you. As I say, it's not always out with the handout. We've an awful lot to offer and it's worth checking us out again even if you left here 10 or 15 years ago. Absolutely, and that is the goal of this event. I think people want to get back in touch with their roots. They want to experience the authenticity that Donogol has to offer. And over the weekend of the 23rd to the 25th of September, we'll be running an exciting lineup of events. And we'll be touching on everything. There'll be music, there'll be genealogy, there'll be business, of course, we're a fantastic remote working destination here. There'll be arts, there'll be culture as well. So it's about, as I said earlier, bringing the tourism sector together. And we have excellent collaboration with stakeholders with Falkshireland, with Tourism Ireland, Donogol Tourism, and working together, I suppose, to highlight the best of what we have to offer here in Donogol. And there's events taking place this time along the Wild Atlantic way in the likes of Mayo, Limerick and Kerry. What is the purpose or potential benefits of that? So I think looking at Donogol Connect and bringing that to the county, we're having it in September. And the reason for that as well is to extend that season. So September is the shoulder season. We want to increase the footfall here. We want to bring visitors. There's a definite appetite out there. I think there's an element to that happening organically as well, too, that people are seeing the season extended past the Halloween. Isn't that right, that sort of time? Maybe not that far. But that's also happening. So maybe to accelerate that, and I think maybe the lockdown kind of has accelerated that a little bit. But that's just an opinion. But yeah, we need the tourism season, as you say, to be longer. We do, absolutely. And another thing, I suppose, with what we've learned from the lockdown and the pandemic is the importance of the great outdoors and getting people out and touch with nature and back to that experience in the Wild Atlantic way. And of course we have, in Donogol here, we have so much to offer in terms of our outdoor activities. And I suppose this event as well is about highlighting that and about, you know, I suppose, running the series of events with not just things like genealogy and with the Tipo-Neil Irish Diaspora Awards, which is a key highlight, the Dawn chorus that we're planning at Grenion-Avalik and so on, but also working with key stakeholders in the tourism sector who are activity providers that can also offer outdoor experiences as well. So obviously part of this is, and all of it really is, is about reaching out to Diaspora. What do you think, or is there anything our listeners can do to help or engage with this initiative? Oh, absolutely, yes. So we're, as part of it, we're running a marketing campaign and the events will be promoted through a number of channels, including donogol.ie and go visit donogol.com. So we're asking anyone in the tourism sector and Donogol in general, festival and event organizers, if you're running anything around that period in September, it doesn't have to be that exact weekend of the 23rd, but in and around those dates, get in touch with us here and we'll work together and we'll absolutely help you to promote your festival event or your activities and we'll include you as part of our marketing campaign as well. All right, Joy, it was a joy, thank you. Lovely, thank you very much. All right, chat to you again. Pleasure. Take care of yourself, okay, bye bye. Pleasure, thank you. That's Joy Haran there, senior staff officer with the Economic Development Directorate with Donogol County Council. That is the end of another 9th till noon show. We're back tomorrow for a Friday's edition and we have our Friday panel discussing the topics of the day. What do you want the panel to talk about? Can you say, why don't you talk about this? Make suggestions and we'll pick some out as well. We don't have Finula tomorrow. We've got Michael and a surprise to be a surprise to me anyway. Oh, Noel Cunningham's going to be joining us for the Friday panel. Okay, accent. So Noel, me and Michael for the Friday panel, not the Friday panel, that'd be some crack too, for that's entertainment. And as I say, the Friday panel. That's all coming up. Can't wait. Already excited. Hopefully you are. You'll join us from 9.1 to you. John Breslin's coming up after...