 Ah, Tashi Maiti, that's a good one there. Did I mean you could be doing that all I want to do is... 20 years old. Oh, yeah. Could be an overheard of conversation outside in reception. What is it about? Caroline was saying... Did she listen? She never listens to the programme. Oh, that's good. We'll talk about her then. She was saying, chatting to Makayla, Caroline was saying, she says if she won the Lotto, what do you think Caroline would do if she won the Lotto? Not come to work anyway. No, there's two things she said she'd be doing. I heard this, but she didn't mind. She's not listening. She says she would hire a nutritionist. Yes, she originally said yes first and then she has a nutritionist and then she says she could get a... What do you call it? What do you call one of the people that helps you out with the workouts and stuff? Training. Personal trainer. Personal trainer. She wants a personal trainer as well. Wow. Mate, note to self, do not speak with an earshot of leaving. Camille, I was listening to you yesterday. The sleepy boy. I had the worst night sleep last night. After all the advice he gave everybody... I woke up at 3 o'clock and I didn't get back to sleep till 5 o'clock. No, but... No, come on. Sput the dummy. That's the gods on this tree. What did you do when you woke up? I went on my phone. And what else did you do? That's all. You went on your phone? I did. That's okay. You were toasted. I went on my phone and I couldn't sleep again. Why did you bother with the phone? The blue screen? Because I couldn't sleep and my mind was racing. I was thinking about every negative thing in the world so I had to get my phone out to try and quieten down my inner voiceless. My inner voice was talking to me. What was the advice the guy gave us yesterday when you woke up at half three? We overthink a wee bit. We do, yeah. Breathing or something? I don't know. Anyway, it doesn't work for me. I'm a complex character. So I woke up. I was awake for two hours. The worries of the world on my shoulders. I put on the first ten minutes you all show and I was fast asleep. That's what it was. I need to be more lively in the morning. Maybe I'm a bit dead in the meantime now. Half six to seven. Just snooze radio. A lot. We have a good show, right? Bye. All right. It is the nine to noon show approaching two minutes past nine. Let's get a news update and it's over to Michaela Clark. Thanks, Greg. Good morning. A forensic and technical examination of the scene of a fire at a derelict house in Ballet Buffet is due to be carried out. The abandoned property was extensively damaged by the blaze which broke out at around half past nine last night in the Trosk Road area. The Donegal Fire Service worked into the night to bring the fire under control. The area remained sealed off this morning as guarded investigations continue. A child has been hospitalised following a crash in Letterkenny yesterday evening. The collision involving a car and the 12-year-old meal pedestrian occurred shortly before seven o'clock on the Remelton Road. He was taken by ambulance to Letterkenny University Hospital for treatment to his injuries, which are not believed to be life-threatening. Inquiries into the crash are ongoing. The time has welcomed the decision of the DUP to back a deal that will see the return of the Northern Ireland Assembly. That's after the announcement of the party leader Geoffrey Donaldson last night. The UK's Northern Secretary is welcoming the move and insists UK government will deliver on its end of the deal. Geoffrey Donaldson says they're looking now to help Northern Ireland prosper. Over the coming period, we will work alongside others to build a thriving Northern Ireland firmly within the Union for this and succeeding generations. When our grandchildren look back on this period, they will be able to say we had a just cause. We held the line. Donegal County Council is to write to junior health minister Mary Butler and the HSC, urging them to provide the funding necessary to maintain the service being provided by the adolescent counselling service in Donegal. The service operated by the diocese of Rafoe at the Pastral Centre in Letterkenny is facing potential closure because it can't secure the funding to employ a full-time administrator. This issue was raised yesterday by counsellors Jerry McMonegal and Patrick McGuyan. Councilor McMonegal told the meeting of Donegal County Council that the service is saving the government money by taking referrals from CAMHS, the HSC and others, but it's concerning that why the right noises are being made, there's still no resolution. Why has it not been resolved? That's the worry I have. This is something I think the minister is looking for the funding for the director of the services but also to mainstream monies for the project so that the great work that they're doing can continue. Whether I bright today with frost and ice clearing mostly dry with just the chance of an isolated shire highest temperatures of 7 to 9 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. Discover Japanese-inspired design that sets it apart. Discover luxury beyond expectation. Discover innovation like you've never known. Discover smooth acceleration, quiet operation and advanced technology. Discover it today at Nissan Dealers Nationwide. The new Nissan Aria for 43,500 Euro test drive it today and discover outstanding. Nissan innovation that excites. Dealer delivery and related charges apply. And now, it's time to talk of the Northwest. The Ninth and Noon Show with Greg Hughes on Highland Radio. Hello, good morning to you. Five minutes past nine just turned on this Tuesday, the 30th of January, 2024. You're very welcome along to the Ninth and Noon Show. How are you all keeping out there? I hope you're well and things are going good for you and we can look forward to having you on board for the next three hours in this show. And of course throughout the day, here on your number one local radio station Highland Radio. The lines are open for you right now to WhatsApp or text if you've anything you wish to talk about. We've all arranged your topics up for grabs today. We want you having your say on 086 60 25,000 086 60 25,000 from outside the Republic 0035 360 25,000, particularly if you have an opinion on the DUP. They're the main unionist party in the north, of course, endorsing a deal to return to power sharing government that according to leader Jeffrey Donaldson, he was speaking in the early hours just about eight hours ago on that issue. So if you've got a view on that, let us know from wherever you're listening. You can give us a call as well on 07491 25,000 again from outside the Republic 0035 37491 25,000 and emails if that suits you, comments at HighlandRadio.com You can watch the program as well on YouTube on your smart TV or your Firestick or Google TV We're on YouTube, just type in Highland Radio Ireland and we're there for you. And across your mobile devices on that app and also on Facebook, Highland Hub, Highland News and Sport and on X. So it hasn't made the papers, but I'll just read you the news that the DUP has endorsed a deal to return to power sharing government. Jeffrey Donaldson said it provided a basis for the return subject to new legislation being passed in parliament and final agreement on a timeline. The party was boycotted has boycotted government government for nearly two years. We don't know the outcome of the vote. It was sort of a secret vote in terms of endorsing a lot of opposition to it. There was a bizarre situation on social media whereby a person opposed to the deal Jamie Bryce, isn't it? Jamie Bryce. He was live tweeting this secretive meeting. He wasn't within it, of course. He was excluded . He was live tweeting what was being said and it caused a furor at the meeting. At one point, those accusations that the police may have been leaking the information, unbelievable stuff. And I think the general feeling of those that are opposed to it is that it doesn't meet the seven red lines or however you want to phrase it. And it certainly doesn't remove the Irish sea border, which was one of the big stumbling blocks, but there's enough in there and enough commitment to the deal. So, I think the general feeling of the deal is that the Donaldson is going to march them up to the top of the hill. And there is talk that there could be a power sharing executive in situ by this time next week, which then would free the billions of euro from the London Government for people's pay and other things. But anyway, if you have a view on that, let us know. 08 625,000. It will be interesting to see how the government is changing its position on immigration. Algeria and Botswana will be added to the list of safe countries of origin as part of a wider government plan to subject more international protection applicants to faster processing times. Minister for Justice Helen McIntee will bring a memo to cabinet that will also outline plans to clamp down on people who arrive into Ireland, but who already have refugee rights. The cabinet was going back months ago, people were saying, you know, how are people getting here? They're supposed to sort of stay in the first safe country of the arrival and then the up in Ireland, and then it was like, well, that doesn't really happen very much. And it's not really a big deal. And then, yes, it does kind of happen. And now the cabinet's going to the cabinet has fully accepted it and says they're going to further crackdown on that. Well, I'm going to be going to public sentiment tracking by Ipsos B and A. Ms McIntee's expected minister is that she plans to increase the number of international protection applicants who will be subjected to fast processing. She will today sign orders to expand the list of safe countries by two so that international protection applicants coming from those countries will have their cases considered and decisions issued within a maximum of 90 days. The accelerated process will come into effect from tomorrow. So we'll see how that we'll see how excuse me. We'll see how that processes refuse to have a guide dog and smoking in the car among taxi top complaints. A taxi driver who refused to allow a guide dog in their car was fined 250 euro while another who smoked while the passenger was in the vehicle was hit with a 100 euro fine. This in the independent. The cases are just two of almost 1800 complaints received by the NTA about taxi hackney and limousine drivers last year record high. The figures were released by the NTA, which monitors compliance on 20 million trips taken each year. A total of 1782 complaints were received in relation to more than 26,350 licensed drivers. Drivers refusing to accept card payments made up the majority of complaints since September 22. Taxi drivers are legally required to accept either card or cash payments, whichever the passenger prefers. Driver smoked in the vehicle, leaving a order of cigarette smoke in the car, one case read adding that the driver was fined 100 euro for the offence. Now, of course, it's kind of interesting, isn't it? But when you think of the amount of journeys that are taken in excess of 20 million, there is only relatively speaking 1782 cases is a tiny, tiny amount and that's not all of those are upheld. So on the face of it, it looks like not a positive article for taxis, but the way I would look at it is clearly they're doing something right because that complaint level is tiny. We're going to be talking about the uptake of the defective concrete redress scheme. But I wanted to read this article because the uptake is really, really low and we would know from contacts that we have from real people in many, many different situations that they feel that they can't engage with it. That there's lots of reasons as to why people have their different reasons, but the red tape getting on the scheme front loading money not having the money to top up what you might get from the state and so on and so forth. And that's the felt reality in really the epicenter of this scandal. Then interesting that the tone of the interview that was on national radio. So I'll just read the article as it's written, because if you read this article from outside of Donegal just give me impression as to what you think it might read like. It's in the Irish Daily Mail a redress scheme for owners of homes with defective mica and pyrite minerals will be extended to other counties. Housing Minister Dara O'Brien has said the government introduced the redress scheme almost two years ago in the face of a huge campaign mounted by people affected by the defective blocks which have ruined thousands of homes across the north west. The scheme is almost three billion in scale at present. Yesterday, Fina faulted Mr O'Brien commented, the scheme is taking hold across the affected region not just in Donegal but in Mayo and I expect to expand the scheme very shortly to three further counties. Speaking on the news at one on RT Radio he added, I'm looking at Sligo. There's a small number of homes in Fingol, North Dublin and there are individual homes in some other counties. A report by the European Parliament last week said that it was imperative that the scheme be improved and called for red tape to be reduced and on it goes. Mr O'Brien said the committee that wrote the report was very positive about the scheme. He also said steps had been taken to get rid of red tape. The enhanced affected concrete blocks grant scheme initially only applied to home owners in Donegal and Mayo but was later widened to include houses in Limerick and Clare. So, as I say if you were to read that article and presumably to have heard the interview it sounds to me like the EU was very positive about the report which it was in fairness, it says it was a good scheme but also that work has been done to get rid of red tape and that's already happened and that the scheme is taking hold and now it's going to be expanded. So, as I say, is that and I'm not being critical of the minister saying, am I missing something because what I'm hearing what we hear on this programme and we are right, you know, in the heart of where the problem is it doesn't sound like that if that makes sense so I just thought it interesting to sort of read how the situation is being how it is presented and I presume minister O'Brien believes that to be exactly how it is. Britons get rid of vapes it's not going to be long before the disposable vapes are gone from here, don't you know. The Irish Daily Star Anti-vape Tonasteries labelled in the paper Michael Martin has said he hopes Ireland could follow in the UK's footsteps and introduce an outright ban on disposable vapes. The FINA4 leader said he would welcome any crackdown on the products which he argued are being put beside sweets to entice children. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced this week he will ban disposable vapes while it's already illegal to sell vapes to under 18s in the UK, the Conservative Party leader has outlined plans to ban them. It's very hard to overstate the problem with vaping amongst young people in this country because they're so enticing these things they appear cool they appear and I'm not saying this for a second but they appear far less harmful than smoking they taste fruity and there are so many children taking them and what's happening now too is they're taking vapes with other things in them CBD oil or a cannabis delivery mechanism as well this is not just down the country it's right across the county, across the country there is a really really big problem with young people vaping and it's leaving parents and guardians in a tough position because the person then becomes addicted to this really addictive substance in nicotine and you have to bring them through some sort of a process to get them off it and then like what 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 do you know what I mean? But anyway I think the sooner the disposable vapes are gotten rid of the better I don't know what you think out there 08, 6, 6, 20, 25,000 but it's causing heart in homes right across the county and country Lawrence Fox used to be really quite successful actor he used to have the world at his feet now he's really effectively down to Zilch Lawrence Fox yesterday lost a high court libel action with two people he called Peter Farr's online the actor turned politician was sued by former Stonewall trustee Simon Blake and drag artist Crystal over a row on social media site X it was Twitter at that time in October 2022 I remember reading the exchanges at the time Mr Fox libeled Mr Blake and former RuPaul Drag Race contestant Crystal the real name Colin Seymour in a row that began as a conversation about Sainsbury's marking Black History Month Judge Mrs Justice Collins Rice said Mr Fox's words were seriously harmful defamatory and baseless reclaimed party founder Fox countersued the pair and broadcast a nickel of thaw over tweets accusing him of racism Mrs Justice Collins Rice dismissed the counterclaim yesterday and this was he came out of court and I was watching he was like define racism define racism define racism the problem with that is is like if you call someone beautiful and unfortunately it seems to be the go to insult on social media it certainly can have you know career ending ramifications racism is different because and it's quite interesting that he is a free speech absolutist and wants to be able to say whatever he wants to say and all that kind of stuff but racism to an extent is actually a thought crime because you know I could have a I could say something and I could genuinely believe it not to be racist and someone could hear something I say and genuinely feel it to be racist though it's not proofable that actually is racist or to what my motivation is so I think it's kind of I thought it was kind of interesting given the what he stands for that he is looking for such a specific he's looking for such a specific ruling and law on what is I think possibly arguably a thought crime now that's not in any way to diminish racism by the way I'm not saying I think it's clear it's very clear what racism is but I'm on about in terms of slinging online at each other right it's very clear what racism is I think it's very clear but in terms of the word being spoken in someone's opinion of whether you're racist or not as I say the closest words I could associate to that would be feelings thoughts there should be could be some interest in that interesting that's a terrible way to describe it worrying concerning who's to say how it might pan out development in the Middle East today because America's promised to avenge the deaths of three U.S. soldiers in the Middle East strike risks all out war with Iran President Joe Biden has vowed to retaliate for the drone attack on Saturday but analysis fear any action against Tehran blamed for the blitz on the U.S. space in Jordan could draw Russia Iran and Lebanon based terrorist group Hezbollah into the conflict the region is already a flame after October's attack on Israel by Hamas the war on Gaza and Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping so however he decides to respond it's going to be very interesting because it will trigger a certain chain of events or it may not to say all depends right okay that's a run through the papers 08 60 25,000 what's absent text to that number or you can give us a call in 07491 25,000 the newspapers are courtesy of Kelly Santra mountaintop letter Kenny the 2022 seastore national off license of the year the nine till noon show with O'Hara's of Foxford we take 18 hours to craft our new 18 hour fermented sourdough bread now is the perfect time to enjoy a slice it's the right price tiles on wood flooring half price sale get up to 50% right price tiles wood flooring cladding everything's reduced tiles from only 899 per square yard and wood flooring from only 1199 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amazing Ryan Adams is back on tour in 2024 join Highland radio on our trip to Dublin to see the man himself at the three arena on Tuesday the 21st of May your trip includes luxury transfers bed and breakfast at the four-star Carton Hotel Blanchester you're standing ticket to the show and a shopping trip to Dublin city centre the following day find out more on the outlet at highland radio dot com or call us on 074 911 25,000 Highland radio time checks with expressway travel route 32 from letter Kenny to Dublin when you book online and travel for less expressway bringing you the time us 921 a study carried out over a ten-year period by ecologists at the universities of Hull and Aberdeen and the James Houghton Institute has shown that grazing a mixture of sheep and cattle at low intensity is the best approach for maintaining biodiversity in the British uplands Dr. Gerard Rorty is a vet and has spoken to us on this programme before and he joins me on the show now. Good morning Gerard thank you very much for your time today good morning Greg. Okay and what is your reading of this study and I suppose put it into an Irish context for us? Well it's an excellent study but the reason we're fair into a British study is sadly Chagos which is our natural agricultural research institution left the fields in terms of research on our uplands maybe 30 years ago and they sold the research station in Lanang so despite the fact that 29% of our area, agricultural area in Ireland is uplands Chagos doesn't do any meaningful research I want to say meaningful research that's in terms of how to maximise good production whilst achieving all the buzzwords which is biodiversity, biodiversity means as many little plants as possible as many wild animals as possible the other big buzzword at the moment is carbon sequestration obviously in terms of global warming making good water quality so we're reliant unfortunately on research that's done over in Britain and I attended an upland symposium done in Westport by before November, like last November I was actually organised by Chagos and it was fantastic but the sad thing about it was that Chagos doesn't do work now I talk to Frank O'Mara who is the national, he's actually director of Chagos and he acknowledged him and he's acknowledged me like I do research on the uplands they do incredible research in Derry Cows on intensive beef they do great research on pig great research on poultry and I talked to minister Charlie McConnel recently about it in the last few weeks as well but this has an impact and the reason there's an impact is then we have nobody in Ireland actually able to say wait this is the way we should manage the upland and the knock on effect then is that you can people with simplistic issues coming out and actually influencing government policy so the classic is that we had an announcement and it's gone under the radar of a 3.1 billion fund to go and start buying upland in Donegal to try and expand the Glendale National Park and I stand back saying this was totally against all the research that has been gone on comparable land in the Scottish Highlands and taking that land out of production has a major detrimental impact on the ecology and on vegetation because what you do is instead of having a family farm there grazing cattle and sheep maximizing biodiversity maximizing farm sequestration you effectively abandon it and you abandon it to rent deer which already are very much on menace in Ireland and yet what totally amazes me is there's very little reaction from politicians you know I look at them from last year Emil Martin abandoned the Feneval Policy which has been there since 1926 of keeping as many family farms farming as practically on it I worked as a vet in Meath and I came across the Raskarn Guild which is fantastic all these farmers gathered up in Conamar and Gidoa and Kerry and went to enter massive big estate up in Meath and somewhere in East Donegal where farms were underutilized where people brought up and settled in farms that if you have an agricultural graduate there's 35 graduates come out of a fantastic course in APU and agricultural science so those girls and those boys are going to be looking a lot of them are going to be looking to get on the ladder to start farming in Donegal and one of the quite easiest ways it's a bit like getting in the housing ladder you might start with a two bedroom apartment and graduate up to a three bedroom house one of the easiest ways to start off with a whole farm but now we're going to be competing with what minister Nuneen announces a 3.1 billion kitty so when a farm comes up from sale and Kerry or on Gendoa or Gidoa or Glentis instead of a young girl or boy with a green cert and there are over a hundred actually Chagas helps people educate educated to get green certs every year we're going to have a hundred boys and girls who would have green certs and would love to get started farming competing with a government policy which is actually based on flawed science well is it based on any science at all Jared because with the lack of research then you have no science whatsoever there are some that feel that our policies are almost reactive so that you know a deadline on climate approaches well what can we do we have to do this really quickly a deadline approaches on nitrates from the EU and I'm really simplifying the language here of course well what do we do we have to make a decision in a matter of months that seems to be very very simplistic and I think you have to drill down and look very often at where particularly the Green Party and where the South County Dublin Agenda is coming from and I've had conversation with people in the past who basically said to me they'd love to see Donegal West of the Adonal Park and the McCool Park is one great big national park and I said well apart from the fact that you're totally flawed and by diversity what about the societal impact what about the impact of not having a family farm on those Highlands and I keep making the point that you drive through the Scottish Highlands the first Highland Glen you come to is absolutely beautiful and the second one is nice but the third one you're looking for a coffee shop or you're looking for a village the Carrick or Thieland Glen Call and Kill or other Glen Pays one of the things that sustains our villages is actually having families farming but have no doubt about it there is very much an agenda coming from Dublin not to have people farm them beef farmers and it's very much an attack that you just don't want people producing milk with an attack on beef farmers and similarly now in the uplands the simplistic reports the uplands now is we just have a great big national park and the sad thing about it is that actually from a biodiversity point of view that actually sets us back you know if somebody like Dr Darren Evans and the University of Holst and the proposals just abandoning those uplands will be incredibly damaging in terms of conservation and yet some of the things that are done by the government and some of the proposals in this biodiversity action plan are fantastic I mean take the Seaguar against NPWAS does a farm plan scheme and I'm part of it in the lava more mountain whereby we graze cattle on the third highest mountain on the county at 2200 foot above sea level we use technology called no-fence colours it's incredible great we can actually see I can see in my phone where my cattle are at any day of the week we can move the cattle on the mountain the ecologist comes up onto the mountain looks at the flowers, looks at the vegetation looks at how we manage it and that's actually where all the science is saying where we shouldn't be going but just under the radar we have had this massive amount of money allocated and land has been bought before and going to go to expand the national park that land has just been abandoned to red deer and as I said you have all those young girls or boys who would want to get on the farm and ladder and this is a block because now they are competing with them but they all wanted these people you talk of these graduates all wanted elsewhere there is work for them in other countries which is a bitter pill to smell no it's fantastic and I would encourage them that someone who has travelled the world they would be saying that's brilliant head off to Australasia you want them to have something to come back to as well though obviously what you would like to hear there's a certain amount of them that will want to come back and you have to understand the impact that this does on other farms because you the situation there you start taking out an awful lot of these farms the cheaper land, the upland farms you're taking those out and then you mentioned the ludic nitrates there you have the guys in the dairy farms who need that little bit more land so you're starting to squeeze the overall land pot and you're starting to make it even more difficult for other farmers which have increased in the competition to do what just to have an abandoned wilderness of red beer where science is very clearly saying to us Europe is actually saying to us Europe does not want and has been very critical actually of the lack of raising of some of the land in Ireland so Europe is saying to us look guys we want more raising on your uplands and then you've ministered and announced in the plan that he's just been abandoned farming that I think you've already indicated that drives up the price of this land as well so you have the farmer looking to expand or whatever it might be that the the price of that land is being driven up and the competitor is the state exactly and next the poll the competitor the state hasn't been afraid and have been doing this as well the state has been buying up big chunks of productive land as in doubt and need as well the difference there and I have to compliment the fact that at least to want to keep that in production is that land would be farmed what I can't get me head around and I discussed this with various politicians before because I'm very familiar with the Lake District we should have a big national park over the whole of West Donegal but a national park of real living family farms in other words there's no reason why you wouldn't have a Donegal national park but leave the people farming the land leave the people there and show them that what we are doing is maximizing biodiversity maximizing carbon sequestration the National Trust manages Lake Wundermere National Trust in Cumbria but the family farms are there farming and grazing their hair with shape as they have been for generations you don't need this John George Adair approach as we had in 1861 of leaving 47 families affected on their own side and that's effectively what you're talking about what you're saying as well too is that you're surprised that I don't know how much this is being talked amongst the general population but certainly we're not hearing any TDs or MEPs or cancers picking it up in any particular way you are calling on those with influence to actively oppose what I would love to see is all the councillors in Donegal going to council to start off with a motion to say that they oppose buying any land in Donegal where there's a girl or boy who wants to farm it that would be a good start you know we have what I'm very very pleased is that the presence of the Francis Gorman is very much against the idea of a state buying land where you the families want to farm similar to IA and HA I was mature in health farmers organization again is against the state trying to buy land but at the moment it's government policy and unless that government policy is reversed and 3.1 billion has been allocated to it we are going to have girls and boys who want to buy land from the very very amount of the blue snacks having to compete. But just in relation to that and finally Dr Gerard Rorty there's an awful lot of anger that people aren't able to build properties on their own land or that you know you can't build a house along the N56 now that's housing policy do you believe that is interconnected as part of a part of an overall plan IE it's probably easier to depopulate an area if you don't allow people to become new residents of it or is that am I veering into the conspiracy theory territory there no no I think you're totally right I think that if you look particularly at the liberal hard left green agenda they want everybody in cities and they want the countryside that's just one big national park I don't know where they think the food's going to come from because going back to what it said earlier you know where the world is facing into world food shortage 2050 we're going to have 10 billion people we definitely with climate change there's going to be an awful lot less areas able to grow vegetation that we can there's going to be a temperate zone a small temperate zone around Europe that where people can actually graze animals and the uplands of the west of Ireland is that area but yeah totally goes back to this argument their whole argument is you have everybody in cities and everybody using buses and everybody then you don't need cars but nobody ever talks about Greg if it's a science impact and I keep harking back to the fact that the tremendous acid farmly farms and having children brought up brought up on farms but you know there's no difficulty in my mind of having people living in remote areas raising their families in remote areas yes they're going to need cars yes they're going to be able to travel and working and learning to work on those farms but there definitely seems to be it's not a conspiracy there is a very much an agenda that we should have absolutely everybody stuck into urban areas jammed into urban areas and there's no consideration at all about you know the societal impact that that then has in terms of anti-social behavior and everything else yeah probably a greater threat than many to what Ireland is now and what it might become always interesting Dr Jared thank you very much for your time any views on that please let us know now Highland Radio in conjunction with the HSC are delighted to be part of the dementia understand together campaign there are over 64,000 people living with dementia in Ireland with this number set to increase more and more of us will be affected by dementia in our lifetime dementia understand together in the HSC want to help create an Ireland that embraces and includes people living with dementia and display solidarity with them their families supporters for more information and support you can free phone 1-800-341-341 or visit understandtogether.ie and here's a little bit more information we all understand the importance of social interaction being with each other connecting and sharing experiences but did you know social interaction plays a key role in helping people who are living with dementia it's healthy like exercise for the brain and it supports well being which has positive benefits for the person staying socially engaged with friends and family has also been shown to boost self-esteem a dementia inclusive community enables people who are living with dementia to do just that to live whether that's staying connected to or joining a club taking up a hobby or visiting their local shop being with each other to talk and share experiences nurtures the soul and gives a sense of belonging you can be that connection display the national dementia inclusive community symbol in your organization community group or club by displaying the symbol you're helping to build dementia inclusive communities and showing that people with dementia and their loved ones are supported in your area for free training and more information visit understandtogether.ie or call the national helpline provided by the 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treatments dermal fillers and laser treatments for all skin conditions hair and makeup packages also available Genesis Aesthetics and Skin Care Clinic adore 0749532575 remember at Crawford's we've got it covered for you that's Crawford Tiles and more Castle Finn 9-1-43942 now unfortunately as regular listeners would be aware I don't have access to question Minister Charlie McConnelogue on this program or the housing minister Dara O'Brien but I do note that yesterday on RTE Finaful TD Dara O'Brien commented that the defective concrete redress scheme is taking hold across the affected region not just in Donegal but in Mayo and I expect he said to expand the scheme very shortly to three further counties speaking on the news at one on RTE he added I'm looking at Slago there's a small number of homes in Fingol and there are individual homes in some other counties he said that the European Parliament report was a full of high praise well had high praise of the scheme in fact it did state that it was an ambitious scheme in words of that effect but there are many issues that need to be addressed so oh no Brinn Sinn Fein housing spokesperson do you recognise that the scheme as described by Dara O'Brien on RTE yesterday I don't Greg and I think not just me but most affected home owners in Donegal in Mayo Limerick, Clairs, Ligon elsewhere wouldn't have recognised it last week I received detailed information from Dara O'Brien by way of a parliamentary question giving us an update on the number of people who've applied for the revised scheme since it opened last summer the number of people in the scheme overall and the total number of households since the scheme opened in 2020 who've received the full grant and the figures from the Minister's own department tell a completely different story we've had only 54 fully remediated homes in affected counties since 2020 only 43 of those were in Donegal but probably the most concerning figure that was in the parliamentary question was since the revised scheme opened last summer this was the scheme that Dara O'Brien if you remember rushed through the legislation in 2022 and said it was going to solve all of the problems of the earlier scheme only 236 home owners, 160 of whom were in Donegal have applied in six months and I was in Donegal on Sunday I had some other party business in Derry on Saturday and Sunday and as I was beside the county I came across just to hold some private meetings with some affected home owners who have very badly damaged homes and what they're telling me is they can't access the new scheme because they've done the calculations and the gap between what they would get from the revised scheme and the current cost of rebuilding their homes is so great that they can't even apply so the minister's own data is telling us a different story and while I fully support the extension of any remediation scheme to other affected counties, nobody should be excluded six months in from the revisions and I don't see any progress being made and that's why the Rockness Housing Committee will hold on the 27th of February a public hearing will have affected home owners from Donegal, from Mayo and from County Clair as well as all of the state agencies the department, the housing agency and the local authorities because we need to hear people's experience and then put those questions to the department as part of a commitment we gave last year to track the progress or not of this scheme every six months. The delay in progressing we obviously speak to an awful lot of home owners here people moving out of their houses in the middle of storms you know people with black mould and dampness in their properties and the hear of the similar issues in Dublin and sympathise fully with them but no one's talking about what's going on up here older people that and when I say older it's not actually much older but people who have no access to finance but those with no option to finance and with the best win in the world probably not the life remaining to actually pay back any finance there is simply no option, no hope nothing they would feel for them, a family we spoke to last week with a child with a disability they want to stay within the square footage of their property but have a room whereby a child could receive therapy to have a better outcome in their lives no wiggle room, no negotiation, no real answer is as to how something like that could be done or could not be done like I could go on for the next hour and a half of typical cases of people out there that have no hope with this scheme at all, at all, at all have you any confidence that through any meetings that this might change under this current government? And I'm very conscious of all of those families that you're talking to because I've been in some of those houses and I've met with them and I don't want to add to their sense of anger and frustration and hopelessness but we also have to be very honest with people I was in one house on Sunday and the cracking is so bad on the Gable wall that at some point if that property isn't remediated, if it isn't demolished and rebuilt that Gable wall is going to collapse and the homeowner made the point to me that they are genuinely surprised that there hasn't been a serious injury or a fatality because of, for example the collapse of a Gable wall or a supporting wall due to the level of damage. My concern is this, if you listen to what the minister said yesterday, he thinks the scheme is working fine, he thinks it's rolling out and people are taking it up despite the fact that his own departmental figures show the very opposite. We are talking about this scheme, Greg I know sometimes for folks in Donegal and Mayo and elsewhere it feels like nobody in Dublin is listening we are listening and the eruptives housing committee at my request but in fairness other members of the committee agreed when we had the homeowners and the relevant government agencies in in June of last year just as the revised scheme was opening we gave a very clear public commitment that every six months for as long as this scheme is being run in the way it is we will bring homeowners to give their direct experience and then put the questions to the department because that's something we can do beyond that. We'll come back to that sorry but there's an interesting situation on here as well because there's an awful lot of people aren't engaged in this scheme because they want to see what you guys will do that they're hedging their bets that Sinn Fein will be in power in the next government and that you will fulfill your promises and your commitments that you've made that there is a genuine a lot of people saying well that's the only pathway I see and now obviously people will feel they've been let down by politicians in the past and it's like well we'll we'll see will these commitments be delivered on so what are you committing to the people of Donegal and elsewhere today you know the first year in government So first of all we will do exactly what I said we would do when I last spoke to you on this show if you remember homeowners provided opposition spoke to people with 80 amendments to the government's bill to turn it into a genuine 100% redress scheme that would provide an end-to-end redress not unlike pirate remediation obviously with an opt-out and self-build for those who wanted it we fully committed to that we have outlined in our alternative budget again for this year a minimum of 200 million euros annually a minimum to get 100% redress fund running and one of the great values of an end-to-end scheme is many of the types of cases that you've just outlined where there are specific needs and specific families they can be dealt with through an end-to-end scheme so we remain committed to 100% redress and that means 100% we remain committed to an end-to-end scheme for the vast majority of homeowners but with that crucial opt-out and science is suggesting that foundations and interleaf are going to be affected so are you talking most likely foundations being replaced through a scheme and also in our block work absolutely and we have always said at the start one that we have to follow the science but two the National Standards Association of Ireland has been far too slow in reviewing IS-465 again last week I got an update from the minister on that and it is terribly depressing so you have Paul Dunlop and the team around him who have already produced some very important peer-reviewed science showing the presence of piratite and the need to ensure that foundations can be tested and included in any rebuild scheme particularly in Donegal because piratite is particularly there and that has to be included in the scheme I got a contact from a listener yesterday or the day before their rebuild cost is estimated at €770,000 the state would cover that in its entirety and here's the problem when you have a grant aid scheme where each individual homeowner and private individual builders and individual material supplies the cost of each individual rebuild will increase and will increase dramatically what we know from the Lentster Pirate Remediation scheme is when you have an end-to-end scheme where a state agency is involved through multi-annual framework agreements procuring contractors and procuring materials that helps you control and bring down costs so for me the issue is this scheme actually is the most expensive way to do it and if we went for a proper end-to-end scheme and if we went for proper multi-annual frameworks with building contractors and with material suppliers including contractors and material suppliers outside of Donegal then I actually think we would be able to bring down the all-in cost to the state very significantly but ultimately the owner of that home has done nothing wrong they didn't cause the defects and therefore if the state is and while this government hasn't I believe it should accepting responsibility for this issue then the state has to make sure that homeowners have their homes fully remediated and aren't out not just tens of thousands of euros I've spoken to some people who the gap between the grant they would be offered and the full cost of remediation is in the tune of 100,000 euros and that's not for a home that's 300 or 400 square meters in many cases that's for homes of a much more modest size it doesn't matter the size of the property this scheme isn't working for homeowners and that's why we need a change penalty free downsizing the interesting thing about penalty free downsizing is that was an enormous compromise by homeowners in recognition of the cost it was one of the recommendations you talked of earlier absolutely and we are absolutely committed if homeowners want us to continue to include that in the changes to the scheme we absolutely will and in many cases in fact it's not just that matter of cost in some cases it's because people as they're getting older may prefer a smaller home within the cartilage of the property I think all of those options have to be included in the scheme but crucially unless it's actually 100% redress unless it's an end-to-end scheme managed by professionals and unless it's backed by adequate finance we're going to have the situation we have currently so we are as committed today as we were in 2022 when we supported the homeowners amendments and we will continue to listen and work with affected homeowners and others to make sure 100% redress would there be funding for like say for instance the redress focus groups which we're doing I think great work in making some advances but didn't get the support maybe that they would have required shut down would there be other avenues of funding to support things like that that support the people through this very stressful process and also in the time what kind of a timeline would we be talking about with this stuff because everything seems to be in the affirmative Deputy So in our conversation with homeowners and when we looked at the original 2017 report there was a sense in which this probably would take about a decade to address now that was when we were just looking at Dunigal and Mayo that was before we were looking at potentially up to 13 counties according to a report that was presented to us by engineers Ireland last year and also that's before we had to include the Celtic Tiger structural defects and obviously the government is bringing forward legislation but we're still operating within a notional 10-year time frame obviously prioritising the worst affected homes at the very start those that have the greatest levels of damage enormously good work has been done by that redress focus group my own colleagues Porg and Glocken and Pierce have been assisting them and that's a very valuable route but for example some people may not be able to access that zero cost finance particularly given their age or their circumstances and that's why I suppose we need to go back to the cause of the problem here the government didn't get the legislation right in 2022 they rushed it through they ignored the homeowners and they ignored the opposition and you remember I spoke in 2022 about amending legislation that amending legislation is ready to go we haven't proceeded with it because homeowners wanted to prioritise the revised scheme and the revised regulations and we supported them in that we're going to have to amend the underlying legislation to get the scheme right but Oana Bryn this is a very very important conversation I'm sure you're fully aware of this because given the commitments that you're talking of and the costings of it and the time frames there are probably people listening that have no intention now of going on the scheme at all at all because why would they given the phone commitments that you've made now why would they risk being out of pocket for 50 60, 80, 100 grand tying themselves into a bridging loan or what have you you've been so firm in your commitments here I hope you're going to back them up and I mean that with respect because as I say there are people probably now going to say right I'm going to wait and roll the dice that this guy's party gets into government that's the significance of the commitments you're giving right here today well first of all I'm giving the commitments that I have repeatedly given since the start of of this issue as has Pierre Stardie, Porgy McLaughlin, Mary Lou McDonnell including during her visit to Dundee Goal what I would say to listeners is we don't know when the next general election is going to be and we don't know who's going to form the next government and there are houses right now that need remediation so I don't think we can wait until the general election and that's why the issue about tabling the amended legislation during the lifetime of this government that's why raising these matters formally through the Rocks Housing Committee to put pressure on government that's why all of the campaigning activity the lobbying activity of the campaign groups across the affected counties is so important so many people don't have the time to wait and therefore we need to get this right now so I'm not at all suggesting people should sit back and wait until some future election for the possible change of government I would encourage people to apply to the scheme it is there imperfect and all as it is but to get the ball rolling but we need this game change now and the homeowners you spoke about I'm very conscious when I was driving through in a show on Sunday Porgy was just reminding me that many of the people who are living in these homes are now in their 60s some into their 70s the impact of these people we need the scheme change will there be any retrospective element to this then you know what I mean the people that you're saying should apply to this scheme now that could find themselves with 150,000 euro shortfall could find themselves paying 20 grand on top of a 40 grand loan or 50 grand loan whatever it might be are you saying commit to them now that there would be some retrospective element to their out of pocket borrowing expenses so we've always argued that there has to be equality across all of the remediation schemes the government has already indicated that with respect to the Celtic Tiger structural defect scheme that obviously the legislation has been produced yet that will have a retrospective element we tabled amendments at the request of homeowners during the revised defective block grant scheme legislation in 2022 to provide for retrospective you can't have retrospective in one scheme and not in the other it's a very basic principle and the reason why retrospective is so important is because some of these homes are structurally unsafe and therefore if somebody is in a position to move forward and demolition rebuild or remediate now it would be absolutely unacceptable to say to them well actually you'll be treated differently remediation won't be provided because in that case maybe they won't do the work and maybe that gable wall will fall down maybe somebody will be hurt so we're for equality between all the schemes and it is government who have already said there will be retrospection rightly so in the Celtic Tiger and your funding on this will not be dependent on a clawback I mean obviously I think you've said in the past that you'd be very interested in other parties those with an interest in this funding this in some way or other but in the first instance you're saying that this will be funded through central funding hit the road with the ball roll I can't remember a phrase for it to be honest I haven't eaten yet our commitments are very clear and Pierre Stardie works very very hard to ensure alternative budgets are fully costed and fully resourced last year the government had a total capital allocation for all of the defect schemes of 70 million two thirds of that remained unspent at the end of the year we are absolutely committed to having a minimum initial year expenditure of 200 million euros but that is going to have to rise if we're going to clean up what essentially is Fina Fall and Fina Fugales Celtic target here of building defects mess whether it's defective building materials or defective building processes homeowners did nothing wrong they've been left carrying the can from a state of government and industry they should not have to pay thank you very much indeed I appreciate your time Owen O'Brien, Sinn Fein housing spokesperson I just hope given the fact that I know people might well make decisions off the back of that interview and roll the dice and sit it out for another year but perhaps they shouldn't you just really do hope that those commitments are followed through on right let's take a break for news the 9 till noon show with O'Hara's of Foxford introducing our new Baker 51 authentic sourdough bread a delicious new addition to the team she's going to call our Brooklyn Brooklyn, Massachusetts, Phoenix, Arizona your vote is your voice so if you don't speak up someone else is deciding for you Baltimore, Kentucky, Murphy, El Neal who's that? hospital porter, just back from his American road trip make sure you're registered to vote go to check the register.ie and be a voter so that it's your voice that's heard from on commission Ireland's independent electoral commission broken Massachusetts come to Antihana is that the new Opel? yes, of course does it really look that good? yes, of course is it fun to drive? yes, of course is it packed with smart tech? yes, of course can I test drive it right now at Manor Motors Opel? yes, of course the new Opel Corsa now available hybrid and electric coming soon see manormotors.ie for details hi Nathan Carter here and I'm delighted to say I've just had two installations from Cherrymore kitchens and bedrooms and I have to say their attention to detail is second to none with their sleek design and craftsmanship your dream kitchen is just a visit away so why not head over to Cherrymore kitchens and bedrooms and let the magic begin Cherrymore kitchens and bedrooms Donegal Town is 1996 visit cherrymore.ie or call 9725 822 to book your free design appointment Highland Radio weather updates brought to you by Grant building a new home choose Grant's a triple plus rated air to water heat pump and new flex under floor heating visit grant.ie live on air online and on the Highland Radio app this is Highland Radio News good morning it's 10 o'clock Donal Kavanaugh at the news desk the Dolls housing committee is to hold hearing next month on the defective blocks crisis which infends housing spokesperson saying he believes the housing minister's optimism about the revised scheme is misplaced one O'Brien says minister Darrell O'Brien said yesterday the new scheme is working and taking hold but the minister's own department's figures suggest that's not the case with many people not even applying for the scheme because the cost of remediation and what's on offer from government is to get a gap between them on the days until noon show who don't recuse these issues will be discussed at the housing committee in four weeks time six months in for the revisions and I don't see any progress being made and that's why the Rockers housing committee will hold on the 27th of February a public hearing will have affected homeowners from Donegal, from Mayo and from County Clear as well as all of the state agencies the department the housing agency and the local authorities because we need to hear people's experience and then put those questions to the department as part of a commitment we gave last year to track the progress of not at this scheme every six months The T-shirt is welcoming the restoration of power sharing in the north which could happen within days it's after the DUP accepted a deal from the UK government which will see trading rules relaxed for goods brought into Northern Ireland which are set to remain there it follows two years of deadlock Lee of Radker is welcoming the breakthrough but says he's still waiting to see the full details the Irish government is very keen to work very closely with the new executive to do all that we can do to make sure that it's successful and that it lasts because success and sustainability are really important I hope to speak to the Prime Minister later on today to discuss matters a little bit further I should say that while there have been consultations between the European Commission the Irish government and the British government for the last number of months we haven't seen the fine detail of what's been agreed just yet In a statement this morning the Chamber of Commerce it will be a huge relief to the business community that the DUP have agreed to accept the deal to return to Stormont CEO Anadorti says business needs it the economy needs it and after two years without an executive or assembly it's time to get things moving again she's urging the government to implement the legislation required as quickly as possible A forensic and technical examination of the scene of a fire derelict house in Balabafe is getting underway this morning the abandoned property a former music school was extensively damaged by the fire which broke out at around half past nine in the Trusker Road area the Donegal Fire Service battled the blaze for a number of hours before bringing it under control the area remains sealed off this morning as guard the investigations continue more on that on the guard the information slot which follows this bulletin at around quarter past ten a child has been hospitalised following a crash in letter Kenny last evening the collision involving a car and the twelve year old boy occurred shortly before seven on the Remelton Road he was taken by ambulance to letter Kenny University Hospital for treatment for injuries which are not believed to be life-threatening inquiries into the crash are ongoing Employment by Udderist and Godfrey the client companies in De Gaulle has fallen slightly despite a growth in the six other Gueldoch areas there was one percent drop in employment in Donegal while Galway, Mayo, Kerry, Cork, Waterford and Meath all recorded increases there were three percent more job roles within Udderist and Godfrey the client companies compared to the year previous with 9,526 employed in Udderist client companies at the end of last year Donegal County Council is to write to junior health minister Mary Butler and the HSE urging them to provide the funding necessary to maintain the service being provided by the adolescent counselling service in Donegal the service operated by the Diocese of Faux at the pastoral centre in letter Kenny and a number of outreach centres across the county is facing potential closure because it can't secure the funding to employ a full-time director and administrator the issue was raised by counsellors Joy McGonigal and Patrick McGowan at a Donegal County council meeting yesterday counsellor McGonigal says four weeks after this debate started in public it's worrying that the minister and the government still haven't acted why has it not been resolved and that's the worry I have this is something I think the minister should intervene and support the call for the funding for the director of the services but also to mainstream monies for the project so that the great work that they're doing can continue Well the workhouse bright today with frost and ice clearing mostly dry with just a chance of an isolated shower staying chilly though top temperatures today 7 to 9 degrees celsius and that's Highland Radio News we're back with news headlines again at 7 check all of today's news of course on our website highlandradio.com but for now from the news team good morning The obituary notice says for this Tuesday morning January the 30th the death has taken place of Hugh McLean doublet letter Kenny Hugh's funeral courtage will be leaving the eternal light chapel of rest mountaintop letter Kenny at half past one this afternoon going to Lakelands crematorium cavern for private cremation at Hugh's request the family home and the eternal light chapel of rest are strictly private to family only please a celebration of Hugh's life will take place later this week the death has occurred of Kevin Donahue Darney Brockless reposing at McBrashley's funeral home today from 4 o'clock until half past 6 with removal afterwards to Dublin Kevin's body is being donated for medical research house private please a celebration of Kevin's life will take place in St John's Church at Killy Beggs on Friday at 12 noon the death has occurred of Benny Porter letter Kenny Rood Lifford County Dunningall Benny is reposing at his late residence in Lifford funeral from his late residence to more morning at half past 10 going to St Patrick's Church Murlock for 11 o'clock recreation mass with burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery funeral mass can be viewed on clonleyparrish.com the death has taken place of John Alcorn Moirview Milford reposing at the residence of his son Declan and Kosh Alcorn Sir Haman Milford funeral service tomorrow afternoon at 2 o'clock in Fannett Presbyterian Church Kerry Keele burial afterwards in Milford Presbyterian Cemetery funeral service can be viewed on Patrick Sweeney funeral director's facebook page family time on the morning of the funeral family flowers only donations if desired to the Alzheimer's Society of Ireland care of any family member of Patrick Sweeney funeral directors the death has taken place of John Sweeney John the chef Milford and Lonea Derry Bag originally from Drohade remains are opposing at the family home in Lonea house private on the morning of the funeral to family only wake today and tomorrow from 11 o'clock to 8 o'clock rosary both nights at 8 o'clock funeral mass on Thursday morning at 11 o'clock in St Mary's Church Derry Bag interment afterwards in Mahregalne Cemetery the funeral mass can be viewed live on Kearn Roti funeral director's facebook page the death has occurred of Michael Melly Colleen Letcher Macaward and formerly from Fintine removal from McGlynn's funeral home at 3 o'clock this afternoon going to his own home and Letcher Macaward with family and neighbours welcome funeral mass tomorrow at 12 noon in St Brigid's Church Letcher Macaward with interment afterwards in Kilbreger Cemetery house is private on the morning of the funeral and the death has taken place of Patrick McGarvey Paddy Barns-Lort Termin Patrick's remains are opposing at his late residence funeral from there this morning going to St Columbus Church Termin for recreation mass at 11 o'clock fall by interment in the adjoining cemetery family time before the funeral this morning family flowers only please for family information and more details regarding wakes and funerals please go to wakeup.com and now in rose 2023 best local original news program the voice of the northwest the 9 till noon show with Greg Hughes and you're very welcome back to the second hour of the program good morning if you are just after joining us some of your comments here before we take a break will Sinn Fein allow older Micahome owners to transfer their houses to a younger family member I believe that question was asked in the past 3 minutes unfortunately call it as it is minister O'Brien knows the figures on the Mike Grant applications but yet suggests the opposite he doesn't give a damn won't even come on local radio should not accept this from him or mister mcconnallogue or any other government representative Greg please ask Mr O'brin were should fear and going to get the finances to fund all their promises 200 million a year, which could have an uplift, he says. And then, of course, it was also suggested that there would be some sort of a clawback from other interested parties, or those might be found to be responsible. When it take a fatality for Dara O'Brien, the Finifl housing minister to wake up to the seriousness of this crisis and get people sorted, well, just look at his approach to the housing crisis in general, says a listener. He would argue they're delivering lots of houses, tried with the AIB to get a bridging loan. They said they don't do them, leaving us that we cannot get started with the scheme. And so many people in the same situation, just wondering out of interest, if having listened to that interview. Now, I know, I speak to lots of people out and about us, you know, and on air. And there is a skepticism maybe because of politics that all of these promises can be or will be delivered, because people have in the past heard of promises and things will change and it hasn't come to pass. So I think there's always going to be an element of cautiousness among some. But just wondering, if you listen to that interview and you are an affected homeowner, has it changed your attitude in any way, shape or form? Has it given you hope? Are you so discouraged it couldn't? Does it mean you're going to wait? Are you going to progress in the scheme if you can? I'd be really interested in just like real world experiences of someone who heard that interview and is in that situation. If you don't mind, I know you're going through an awful lot with stress as it is, but it just would be really interesting. And you can do so by WhatsApp or texting 08 660 25000 or calling us an 07 491 25000. Well said, Dr Rorty, such an interesting speaker and other a very rounded, intelligent, practical and insightful interview by Dr Rorty. I hope our Minister for Agriculture from a rural Donegal constituency listens to this voice of rural Donegal rather than giving his ear to green South County Dublin policies as that person sees it. Morning, Greg. Well done to Jeffrey Donaldson. Going back to work with Sinn Féin. Please God it will help the peace process and give hope to other countries to sit down and talk fingers crossed. Regarding immigrants arriving here. Are we ever going to stop receiving them? Is our population going to keep increasing with them? I see the government spent two billion on them last year. Surely this is not sustainable. Thought the winter framework was done and dusted. So what did they offer signed to get the DUP back? Well, that is remaining to be seen because it wasn't made public yet. Obviously it must have been related at the meeting, though I note from Unionist commentators who were opposed with that they don't believe it's changed anything at all and that border on the Irish sea remains. That's going to be teased out within unionism for the most part over the next few days and beyond. I'm sure. Hi, Greg. A thing that works for me when I wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep. I count backwards from 300, but you have to visualize each number as you can that focuses your thoughts on each number. If you do it right, you won't get to 260. Good luck. I'll try that the next time. Thankfully my sleeping isn't too bad, but it just was last night. I don't know what it is. And do you think I could get my mind settled when I woke up? Not a chance. But anyway, we're here. We'll have an afternoon nap if I'm allowed and we'll carry on and we'll be back tomorrow bright, fresh and bushy tailed. Okay, going to take a break. Stay right where you are. The nine till noon show with O'Hara's of Foxford introducing our new 18 hour fermented sourdough bread, a winner with the whole family. Are you building, rebuilding or simply improving your home? Come along to Donnie Galt's premier gathering of home building professionals in the Northwest. Donnie Galt, new build and rebuild 2024 will take place in the Mount Errigal Hotel that are Kenny from Friday 2nd until Sunday, February 5th. Admission is free to this three day event. This is sponsored by McGee Insulation. If your business exports goods to or through Great Britain, you will be affected by new UK government import controls taking effect at the end of January 2024. Now is the time to make sure that everyone in your supply chain understands what they have to do. Don't leave it too late. Make sure your business is ready. For more information and support, visit gov.ie forward slash brexit brought to you by the government of Ireland. Keep out the cold, cold, cold and ring Fleming for their full range of garage doors, agri doors, insulated doors, milking parlor doors, Fleming 91 48 234. Ormaculla jewelers in Letter Kenny are synonymous with fine jewelry, quality watches and giftware with stores at Main Street Letter Kenny and the Letter Kenny Shopping Centre or online at ormaculla.com. You can choose from their quality product range and a relaxed atmosphere and their sales staff will be happy to help you make the right choice whatever the occasion. Ormaculla jewelers making moments magical for generations. iMotors are your main Nissan dealership in the Northwest and trusted Japanese brand for generations. Contact iMotors to find out why people who make the move to Nissan never change. To check out our two phone offers, visit iMotors.ie CUNY's home interior's January sale just got bigger. 30% of all beds, 20% of all rugs, lamps and accessories, 20% of all dining room furniture and up to 20% of all sofas and suites all with immediate home delivery. But hurry only while stocks last. CUNY's home materials Letter Kenny retail park, style and perfection at incredible value. Mata Shimtum virus flew no COVID-19, our Susie Glocka and Hispanic Sevalia. Merniel Wonga made to it toward our death hen. Back to a cousin Tina Ella Freshen. Tina Tom Morelatt, a Cassini Narcasa Earth View, a Tata in whale Nismo. Coming up in about four minutes, we've got community garden information where you hear live. And for the first time, the latest appeals and information from God of Shia Khanna here on the 9 till noon show. This appeals in relation to an RTC in Letter Kenny criminal damage in Ballet Buffet, Letter Kenny, Green Castle, a burglary in Koldaft, theft, thefts in Stronau or Letter Kenny an assault in Letter Kenny and much more besides. But we do have one quick break to take because of our extended interview with Ohno Bryn. We're going to take that break. Then we're going to be right back with, as I say, community garden information. Stay right where you are. The County's number one talk show, the 9 till noon show on Highland Radio. It's time for Vision Ireland bingo on Highland Radio. It's Tuesday the 30th of January. You're playing on the brown sheet. The reference number is as to its game number five. The numbers are 48, 62, 44, 77, 26, 79, 49, 68, 50, and finally 64. Phone your claim tonight. One zero four eight double three before eight tonight. Leaving your name, contact number and the name of the shop where you purchased your book and we'll call you back the next working day. Get all your Vision Ireland bingo information at Highland Radio.com. Go full lead with these exclusive lead plus super savers. Like board B approved Irish Angus lean beef steak mince was five ninety nine now four seventy nine. Pick organic fine tomatoes. Forty eight percent off now one twenty nine and there's thirty percent off frozen breaded fish cakes now one eighty one. Scan your lead plus app and go full lead all today. 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The nine till noon show with O'Hara's of Foxford introducing our new eighteen hour fermented white bloomer scoring the bronze at Blossner Huron. The community guard information slot is brought to you by Sheridan security systems protecting what you value most call today and get your zero wire alarm system from two hundred and ninety nine euro Sheridan security nine one two six oh two five. Now it is twenty minutes past nine about to turn on this Tuesday the thirtieth of January time for community guard information and in studio with me today is guard a Claire Rafferty associated with the milford guard station. Good morning to you Claire morning Greg. Thanks so much for your time calling up to us today and we'll get straight into the appeals if that's OK. Guardy seeking the public's assistance in relation to a road traffic collision on the remelton road. Yes. So yesterday the guardy attended the scene of road traffic collision involving a pedestrian and a vehicle on the remelton road letter Kenny. It occurred at approximately six fifty five yesterday evening. So the vehicle was travelling from the pole star round about towards the bally rain round about when the collision occurred. All parties involved were at the scene upon the arrival of Guardy. The young male pedestrian was taken to letter Kenny University Hospital to receive medical treatment for the injuries he sustained in the accident. So we appeal to any road users who may have witnessed the collision or who we think that they may have captured the collision on their dashcam footage to make contact with us in letter Kenny and the number there is oh seven four nine one six seven one hundred. Can I ask you just to move forward six inches for me please because that so that microphone gets you. Thank you very much indeed. And we heard that loud and clear. It's just so it's extra clear. Next appeal is criminal damage in in Balabafay. Claire. Yeah. So we're investigating this incident. It was by fire and again it was last night. It occurred at the derelict property on Trust Road Balabafay. The alarm was raised in relation to the blaze at approximately nine thirty five p.m. So the fire services were at the scene for a number of hours battling this fire. But thankfully nobody was hurt in it. The scene is being preserved in a full examination will be carried out today. The property in question will be known to locals. It was home to a music school in its day and the whole community would would know the building in question. It's been vacant for a number of years now but we're appealing for the assistance of the public and locals in relation to any sightings of people in or around the property in question at any stage yesterday evening or last night. We're given approximate times of seven p.m. to nine thirty p.m. But if anyone's seen anyone hanging around it let us know or if anyone was travelling in that area. So the Trust Road Navany Street or the link road between the Donegal Road and Trust Road with the dash cam at any stage yesterday evening or last night we asked them to make the footage available to us. And if anyone can assist with this investigation please contact us in the letter Kenny again on 0749167100. And of course the Guard of Confidential Line is also there as well. That's 1-800-661. Okay now criminal damage being investigated at McMahon Villars. Yes so the Guardian here in the letter Kenny are appealing for information into this criminal damage. It happened in the area of McMahon Villars letter Kenny. Again this one was last night at approximately 11 p.m. A glass panel on the front door of the property was smashed at that location. So we appealed to anyone who was in the area who may have observed the incident or activities in the area to make the contact with us. As always if anyone was there with dash cam footage we'd like to hear from you just to check if you could have picked up anything at all. So we'd ask you to make contact with the letter Kenny Guard station again on 0749167100. And a criminal damage investigation launched in Greencastle too Claire? Yeah so this one occurred at Milltown Harbour Greencastle between 4 p.m. on Saturday the 27th of January and 10 a.m. on Sunday the 28th. A vehicle that had been parked at that location between those hours had both wing mirrors removed from the car. So we appealed to anyone who was in the area who may have observed suspicious activity to make contact with Gardie and Bunkran on 0749320540. Okay and Kaldaf now a shed targeted again and equipment stolen unfortunately? Yeah so this is a burglary that occurred in the area of Krora, Kaldaf between 2.30 a.m. on Monday last and 6 p.m. on Thursday. Shed at a house was entered at that location and an orange husk fire and a petrol chainsaw was stolen from it. The shed had an open front so there was no damage caused. We're interested in speaking to anyone who may have observed suspicious activity in that area between those dates to give Gardie and Bunkran a ring on 0749320540. And again the confidential line is there as well. 1-800-661-1. Now people may have heard reports of this a little earlier on in the week but obviously it's a formal investigation by Gardie in Stranawler. Yeah so there was a large quantity of building materials and construction steel stolen from a yard at Meeting House Street in Stranawler on Thursday the 11th of January so we're going back a bit but on the 11th of January between 11.30 a.m. and 12.40 p.m. Among items stolen was a grey galvanised steel roller door which is approximately 15 foot in length, a yellow gantry crane beam 36 foot long and approximately five tonne of steel including hitch iron girders approximately 30 foot long. So CCTV is being collected and examined from the area but we want to appeal to anyone who travelled in the area of Meeting House Street in Stranawler or along the Main Street in Stranawler or Balboffay and particularly anyone with dash cam footage between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on the 11th of January to make footage available to us. We're particularly interested in any dash cam footage or sightings of a Mercedes rigid truck with a green cab and a high ab crane attached in the area on that date between those times. To give Gary and letter Kenny a call on 07 4 9167 100 or the confidential line 1 800 triple 6 triple 1. Yeah I can't remember right a an appeal in all the time we've been doing this that would have required so what would have included so much weight of material difficult stuff to move and what have you but good description on potential vehicle but it's the 11th of January so people are going to have to wreck their heads. A lot of that stuff quite distinctive they would have seen it they just have to put the picture together in their mind. It's something that definitely would have been noticed but people would probably assume to have been genuine innocence so we just ask people to think back if if they seen such such things or even the green cab as well. Quite distinctive. Just if you can remember anything at all please do give us a call. Like a big long distance drivers or lorry drivers around the country that even it could trigger a memory with them who is to say. Right well fingers crossed because that's a big loss for for any business any losses but of course that's really quite significant. Theft from a business in letter Kenny now more recently the 28th of January. Yes so we're appealing for the assistance of the public at in relation to an incident that occurred at a shop on the circular road letter Kenny on Sunday gone. Two women entered the shop and proceeded to fill a trolley load of goods before leaving without paying for them in a red scalded Jeep. We're appealing to road users especially anyone with dashcam footage who were in the Glencar or circular road area of letter Kenny on Sunday between 4pm and 430pm to make the footage available to us. If anyone can assist with any relevant information we ask them to ring letter Kenny on 0749167100. Now there's a weekend assault in letter Kenny. Yes so we're appealing for witnesses to this assault that occurred at lower main street letter Kenny on Sunday 28th of January at approximately 1140pm. One man is believed to have been assaulted by another at that location. The injured man was taken to letter Kenny University Hospital to receive medical treatment. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening in nature. The second man left the area with a number of others in a vehicle that had been parked at lower main street. So we're appealing to anyone who witnessed the incident or these people driving away to make contact with us. We appeal to drivers who have dashcam footage or who travel down lower main street between 10pm and midnight last Sunday night to make the footage available to GERD. And again we can be contacted in letter Kenny on 0749167100. Okay and particularly maybe in an incident like that the confidential line might be useful as well 1800 triple six triple one. Now this next appeal the last appeal in fact is in relation to a road traffic collision in Carindona. Yeah now this one's going back to the 19th of December but we got a report of it this week. So on the 19th of December between 3 30 p.m and 4 0 5 p.m a road traffic collision occurred at the Diamond in Carindona. A blue Audi A4 was parked up and when the owner returned they discovered the damage had been caused to the front right-hand side bumper. Now there was a note left on the wind screen off the damaged car but unfortunately the writing was illegible because of the rain. So we're appealing to the driver involved to please make contact with GERD and Bunkranna on 0749320540 just so the matter can be resolved. They tried to... So they already did the right thing but the weather intervened and this is an opportunity just to say. This is us just trying to reach out. So if you left that note on a blue Audi A4 on the 19th of December 2023 the note was unreadable getting contact with the GERD and Bunkranna 9320540 and the matter can be put to bed. Right we are heading into a bank holiday weekend now. St. Bridget stays on Thursday so a great day for all the Bridget's out there but unfortunately again Claire we know statistically and sometimes we can sound like scratched records but statistically we do see an increase in serious injury and death on our roads over these periods so it would be remiss of us not to get the warnings out there Claire. Absolutely bank holiday weekends are one of the busiest periods on Irish roads. They're also one of the periods where road users are at the highest risk of being involved in a fatal or a serious road traffic collision. So we wish to issue our usual road safety appeal to all road users ahead of the coming St Bridget's bank holiday weekend. We urge all road users to please use the roads responsibly. Drivers are urged to slow down, wear their seatbelt and not to drive while under the influence of alcohol and or drugs and do not use or hold your mobile phone while driving. Remember if you have been drinking you may not be safe to drive the next morning. Don't risk it. That's an important one to remember there as well. Always be on the lookout for cyclists and pedestrians and drive at a safe speed. As always Gardie will be out on the roads over the course of the weekend conducting high visibility checkpoints and speed checks. We hope that everyone has a safe and enjoyable weekend. We want to come through it without any serious accidents or anything like that. Knocks on the doors and yeah hopefully and you know that life is so fleeting sometimes you know you can have a situation whereby you're going about your life and everything is fine and one slight mistake by you or someone else and you know you're going out in the Friday evening and next thing you're on the obituary notes is on a Monday. I don't want to sound harsh or cruel in relation to that but that's exactly what these types of appeals try and avoid and the heartache that comes along with that and as I say you know there's also the the risk of serious and life changing interests which happen all the time but we don't hear quite as much and we don't necessarily have the exact figures on so the whole idea is to avoid that Claire as best as we can. It sounds harsh but it is the reality it happens all the time unfortunately and we just ask people to take extra care to try and avoid these kind of incidents. Right the clock is ticking if you want to join Claire and her ranks as a guarder obviously the age criteria and what have you has been extended so there might be more interested as to say though that deadline is looming Claire. Yes so the closing date for applications to join in Garda Shea corner is 3pm on Thursday the 8th of February so the way you apply is go on to www.publicjobs.ie and you go through it all there. Garda recruitment information event is actually being held at letter Kenny Garda station on Thursday coming at 6pm to 8pm where refreshments will be served and everyone is welcome if you have any questions anything like that in relation to the training process or if you'd like to speak to guards and trainee guardie before they make their decision then we'd invite you to come along and we'll be happy to answer all of the questions if anyone has any in relation to the current recruitment campaign they're of course welcome to call Kenny Garda station at any stage and we'll be happy to help. As you said the age has been extended so applications are welcome from those age between 18 to 50. I feel so welcome. Well come on and join us. I'd be afraid if I went up to the front desk you'd be like no. We'd never do that. No of course not. All right okay so you've um a week in two days got a Claire Rafferty from the Millford Garda station thank you so very much indeed and we'll have that item for you again of course all the appeals featured across our web page and across our news bulletins and it'll be available for you to re-watch on our Facebook page Highland News and Sport and on Garda Shia Khan off Facebook page a little later on this afternoon and it's back live with you after the 10 o'clock news next Tuesday. Watch the show live now on YouTube, Facebook and at highlandradio.com. The 9 till noon show with O'Hara's of Foxford. It took us 72 years to perfect our deliciously authentic Baker 51 sourdough bread. One bite and you'll agree true taste takes time. If you have a job to do over the weekend, wants and hire have a brilliant weekend hire deal available. Get any item on Friday keep it until Monday and only pay for one day's hire. That's three days hire on any equipment or machinery for the price of one. So there's no excuse to get the job sorted. To book call once and hire in letter Kenny on 91 67777. It's the seal of the century of Milford tiles. Unbelievable deals now on. 20% of all tiles and bathware in store. Free standard underlay with all wooden floors. Footers and delivery service available. That's Milford tiles. Big January seal now on call 08 3091 0707 return refund recycled Ireland's deposit return scheme is coming from the 1st of February 2024 when you buy a drink in a bottle or can with the return logo, you'll pay a small deposit. Once you're refreshed return your empty undamaged bottle or can to any shop or supermarket and get your deposit back. The results less litter less waste and better recycling for Ireland. For more visit return dot i. Winter sale now on at Cherrymore kitchens and bedrooms. 10% of all purchases for a limited period. T's and C's supply C in store book a free consultation today in our Donegal Town showroom on 0749725822 luxury kitchens and bedrooms at affordable prices. Expect more and get more at Cherrymore kitchens and bedrooms. Nettle horse is musical, magical, very, very funny and like myself, a wee bit odd. It's about a man selling edible beetles at a horse fair in 2028 and a woman who just got planning permission to build a pyramid. Nettle horse by little John Knee Saturday the 3rd of February. Tickets at ungrainin.com. You're very welcome back to the 9 till noon show 086 60 25,000 is the WhatsApp and text number or give us a call on 07491 25,000. A caller says there's nothing worse for biodiversity than the blanket forests planted by quilts which kill every other plant for thousands of acres. Another people leaving farming it is because there's very little income so much red tape no guarantee of prices hard life and all weather conditions. The cap system is another way at getting farmers out of farming look at it it was 80% of payments were going to 20% of the farmers. How could they keep going? They have the same living costs parents are warning them to leave the land and get a job. It is said that 60,000 farmers are over 50 years of age and other 50,000 are over 60 years of age. It said that in 10 years or less there'll be loads of land that no people will want as the most as most of the older generation will be gone and retired. The government are clueless when they cannot see the reality if the cap payments were favorable to the most needy but they're the opposite. The co-ops want large scales so as they fill a lorry of milk in a couple of yards it's the same with ration and fertilizers. This greed will catch them shortly when all these big farms no person will want them. Thank you very much for that comment. Right now as you heard an appeal there there was a fire in Battlebuffet and it was at a property that has an awful lot of memories for an awful lot of people. I think I can count you Dennis amongst those. Good morning to you. Good morning Greg. How are you? Thank you very much for having me on. No it's good to have you on Denise. So tell us about what you know of or remember this house. It was many people seem to be commentating bringing back memories of musical lessons. Absolutely. This was the house of me and Francis Mulrain who taught that you at me was a legend in the Finn Valley. I think she taught about the 1960s onwards. I think she possibly the forehand but chances are in the Finn Valley area the very wide Finn Valley area if you sang for a living if you spoke for a living or if you play music chances are you came in contact with me because for a couple that had no children the house never emptied from morning to night. We were taught piano. We were taught singing. We were taught the speech and drama or poems as we called it and literally I know I'm among so so many who owe such a great debt of gratitude. Francis owned a drapery shop in Main Street and he also owned a furniture shop and when he would come home at the end of a long day the cacophony of sound that just met him from other people's children especially coming up to fetches coming up to concerts coming up to exams. Maze was also used as the local exam center for the Royal Irish Academy of Music so literally there were cars parked out there morning noon and night and just the work ethic that she gave us the love of music that she gave us we owe her so so much so so many of us even though you might be working in music now you might be working something completely different but the gifts she gave and gave and gave with a heart and a half it's very very difficult to quantify and it makes it all the more sad to see the property go out like this it is it is now in recent years Francis died in February 2004 and may followed him in July 2005 so that was the end of sort of an era then and the house sort of fell into disrepair at that point and had been attracting some anti-social behavior but for those of us before that like there are people in their very early 30s that would remember that house as a pure height of music and of creative creativity and of arts and it was our second home for so so many of us like if you even if you didn't work in music you might remember the the garden with the pond in it or there was a there was a circle in the middle a friend of mine called it a Greek garden there was a stone sort of or maze round about as we called it because the cars would go and park and go around it and go out again she'd and takes the good sitting in where the exams were held and the examiners were buttered up to that there was nothing she wouldn't do for her kids and we were literally it was so much more than a once a week lesson you could be in every day coming up to either fesses or exams and you were taken into the good sitting them the examiners weren't just given a table to write on they were given a writing bureau there were the good carpet the good piano we could see there's a shine off it you could see the examiner behind you there was nothing the baked goods would have been either baked or brought in so the examiners would be listening to us with a very sympathetic air there was nothing that wasn't done that she wouldn't do for her kids with that level of traffic in the house and activity both my and Francis obviously very patient people Oh Francis Francis Francis Francis would come in after a day's work and be dispatched to the local takeaways for the dinner because may wouldn't honestly have the time to look at him and he would have hordes of us trundling through his house past him trying to eat his dinner in pace on the way to the good sitting and this could be from morning to night you know like say if you needed to say if you were a student Greg and you needed an extra lesson because you weren't going to be ready for your exam and this that happened is may would be very kind of apologetically asking your mom you know was there any way he could come tomorrow or is there any is there any other day could come this weekend I'm very very sorry and she would you know I don't think we were ever charged for those extra lessons and it was purely to for your good nice laser focus was her students and like poor Francis you came in with chips and if she happened to catch a child looking a wee bit hungry Francis and it's good it didn't need some of your chips there you know there was and for Francis never turned the word in her mouth and he supported her and everything you know she did and as I say for it they were very remarkable for a couple who had no kids they half reared half the Sun Valley and the reason there's maybe she's not better known as she would be would definitely be known legendary in music circles but you know she was modest to a fault I only have one photo of me because she wouldn't stand still long enough to let you take a photo of her they were they were they were they were such a kind couple they had no children of their own but as I say they had all we were their children really all of us and there's there's hundreds of us there really are over the years and the motivation wasn't money no and I've been reliably informed you know you only hear these things years later yeah I've been reliably informed that say for example if there was someone had maybe stopped coming to lessons you know as piano lessons I suppose it's not a you know it's a bit of a luxury in so much but may you know someone stop coming it may have been known to go up to say to speak discreetly and this would have been done very discreetly to mommy or to whoever to say you know listen if there's an issue with the money don't worry about that keep sending them keep sending them that that would have been the motivation and we would never have known that that would never have been done outside that the four walls you know there would have been like there would have been no public humiliation of anybody would have been done totally discreetly and so many of us were given opportunities and you know I know I owe her an awful lot and it was purely done but the the passion of passing on the love of music the love of singing the love of you know there there are honestly there are so many people in so many walks of life who owe a great debt of gratitude do you know didn't answer Francis obviously you know that the house had fallen into disrepair and we'd often got reports of of I suppose you could group it as anti-social behavior in the area the guard investigation is ongoing as to the cause of the fire but it's happened now and the memories remain is there an opportunity here for it seemingly the loads and loads of people that have such fond memories to sort of honor main Francis in some way or other perhaps that's already being done or or has been done but this awful fire seems to have sort of you know brought them back into the forefront of people's minds again it has no it's no funny um I must say at at the time um there was a there was a fest on in Ballet Buffet by Ursula Lafferde and um Rosing Quinn uh with the there was a there was a cup the the Memo Reign Memorial Cup and the Francis Mo Reign Memorial Cup those ladies who worked with me um also uh they did trojan work but yes you're right like we in the Sun Valley there's Francis Brown there's Isaac Butt and they're kind of legends in the Sun Valley for for a big chunk of people um no one did more for them than Memo Reign and yes I don't think she ever got the recognition she deserved in life partly like maybe the times weren't weren't as enlightened and partly because she was so honestly modest she would have she would have squirmed oh she would have squirmed she would have squirmed but yes now I have honestly no idea my organizational abilities would be very slim but yeah um sort of a memorial recognized at the council or whatever it might be because as I say um it's taken I'm not saying that the memories were always there within people it's just taken something like this to sort of uh to get these great people spoken about uh may obviously uh amazingly committed uh to the children and the long-suffering Francis as well have a lot oh tell you he was so patient for us hey the poor Francis would fall asleep in the chair after the dinner uh with with the cacophony of music and coming out of several rooms honestly I he was so patient with us and that involved maybe uh taking us to like there was bosses of us going to uh slide go first before this I think it was the dairy fashion and later years then Mr Banffish poor Francis had to sit through performance after performance of kids that had nothing to do with them if you get me I never complained I think there's a way there's a wee secret a wee secret amongst a lot of us fellas is that we do like busy noisy houses and it makes us happy and content so maybe maybe Francis was of that type but we don't often like to admit it either we like to we like to praise of our of our patients all right Denise listen thank you so much for the the the lovely memories um which is it's so important um and maybe someone out there will pick up the mantle um and and something more permanent can be done to to remember these great people have a lovely day Denise I really enjoyed speaking to you and and thanks for painting such a vivid picture of these lovely people thank you very much for having me okay bye bye Denise uh Councillor Patrick McGowan good morning to you Patrick lovely to hear morning great the memories uh that this property um has evoked and and reminded people of but we are also dealing with with a potential investigation here into arson and you know the fire service quickly on scene you never know how these things can pan out but thankfully no one injured yeah I have memories myself my own family we all went on there to learn the piano I didn't last very long but I did spend a while on there and uh thank everybody about the town and and for their field always with them over the years when I'm around and many successful musicians probably in the county and weather field probably started off on there so we do all have memories going on that house and it was probably quite unusual at the time I think the problem is now I'm not sure about the ownership but it certainly there has been concerns for a while maybe going back for 10 15 20 years about young lads running around that building there that the the grounds weren't secured now the house and that's no way to condone what happens absolutely discuss in the time of a housing crisis to personally burn anybody's property but and had been well flagged up the get the get we were running out there if not every day every week trying to keep young people away now and you know it's a reminder to other property owners not just to see up the buildings but the grounds itself because of somebody when I'm on hurt themselves and young lads claiming on riffs and stuff you know someone's going to be held responsible and but it's an absolute tragedy everybody in the town is absolutely shocked and raging when us reports were coming out last night now it's terrible I'm sorry I beg your pardon I didn't have my microphone up just onto the conversation there with Denise is there an opportunity maybe to turn this negative into a positive and maybe come up with some way to to remember and recognize me and Francis and their contribution to seemingly so many people Patrick yeah absolutely and I have a few people suggesting that to me that even early hours of this morning you know like as you said to turn it on because like we're just there were proposals the last day but the old fire stations don't order those houses were there and they want people to propose now to call it rosewood so certainly that this is a one of the nicer things that we'd like to remember on the time and residents that have been there before and people that contributed so much to businesses with on the time they had several businesses the marines and it's may paid such a big part to the music of the whole county so certainly it's something that I'm sure the historical society and few others would would take a more than we as countries can work on them yeah for sure okay um hopefully the guard investigation is at speedy and um whoever if it turns out to have been started uh by people deliberately or otherwise that they're dealt with because no community wants that happening it doesn't serve anyone uh councillor McGowan thank you very much indeed councillor Patrick McGowan there uh Denise Roper is the best lady to talk about the impact may Mulrion had on our lives were extremely saddened this morning to see the destruction left behind but the legacy may left behind it's incredible Denise herself is testament to that as are many others that comes in from ifa boys indeed I uh agree with everything you said there ifa fun memories of may what a contribution to music and drama and influence uh on so many of us as students Tony from the beef steak dancers and feel free to come on and reminisce as well by the way if you wish and we can turn this we can turn this um uh difficult situation into something to remember great people clearly which we're doing at the moment well done to that speaker Denise read them all rhymes they were a beautiful couple who opened their home to so many budding musicians it's really quite heartwarming to read these comments the building is being used by young people as a derelict building to party in something needs to be done about it we the local community is sick talking about it indeed and we have received correspondence about that in the past unfortunately in terms of its use as that type of building perhaps no longer but what happens to that site next that's for another day perhaps the nine till noon show with ohara's of foxford it takes 18 hours to perfect our new 18 hour fermented sourdough bread one bite and you'll agree true taste takes time sailor bill returns to the baller theater on saturday the third of february and they do music and crack with special guest chelsea evans tickets are 15 euro are available on the baller website at ballerartcenter.com or by 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union you can do just that with a flexible and affordable car loan our friendly and experienced team will make the loan process easy and will be delighted to help you visit bnscu.ie or free phone one eight hundred two nine zero three nine zero loans are subject to approval terms and conditions apply bns credit union limited is regulated by the central bank of ireland highland radio weather updates brought to you by grant building a new home choose grants a triple plus rated air owner air to water heat pump and euflex underfloor heating visit grant.ie as i'm sure was mentioned on uh the naughty alarm clock would leave you this morning some pockets of black ice out there this morning it's the worst uh because the car was reading two degrees and then you come on this black ice you could get very easily caught out so hopefully none of you did this morning uh but most of that hopefully now is cleared to leave a mostly dry day with just the chance of an isolated shower low into sunshine which is a nightmare when you driving uh in just light southwest breezes a chilly day though temperature seven to nine degrees but if it stays bright and relatively calm i will take seven to nine degrees all day and twice on a sunday uh just a heads up for you read the nct i put my car through the nct today my car was registered on the 28th of january 2014 i couldn't book a slot for the nct until today the 29th if i had uh if i had booked it in last week i would have gotten two years for the nct as the car was under 10 years i lost out because of the weekend and the car is now over 10 years i couldn't get an appointment for any other time please don't please don't uh make the stake i made and miss out by a few days you won't get your two-year nct and you'll only get a year's nct that seems unfair to me because is the nct not backdated to uh when your last nct expired so you would have thought if that were the case that you should get your two years also uh if you were trying to book online uh that can be problematic but if you call up the nct particularly after midnight because they kind of reset the computers and i hope i'm not giving away any trade secrets here if you book up if you phone up just after 12 you are far more likely to get a uh a more sooner more sooner um nct test that's tried and tested by the way but as i say that seems unfair because if the nct starts the day the last one if it's backdated then you surely should still get your two years anyone have any information on that by the way for that caller 086086025000 please tell greg i have the his parcel and if he sends me some money to pay for my dying husband's hospital bills i'll send it on to him uh lmao right that's that sounds good to me that coming yesterday now do you want me to just send you money or shall i just give you my bank details and you can take it as much as you need no problem we can do that we can work on it hi greg i get these scam messages all the time from on post uh the mum and dad phone broke ones bank of island plus three mobile i've never ever been with bank of island or three mobile but you see it's when you have been that's when they get you now i don't know if it's my phone i've got like a poco it's an indian phone and i'm with gomo i don't get any spam straight into the spam folder so i don't know if it's the network or the phone but i just don't even see them i'm not exposed to them at all at all at all which is a good thing and it seems pretty accurate because i've not missed messages either right let's uh take a quick break to edge us closer to the news at 11 o'clock the 9 till noon show with ohara's of foxford it took us 72 years to perfect our deliciously authentic baker 51 sourdough bread one bite and you'll agree true taste takes time the world is getting a little more more but maybe more could mean something else more means more proactive green energy solutions more means more wind turbines and more recycling more means more biodiversity and more energy storage more means more hydrogen and more solar farms because more clean energy means more efficient living means more thriving communities means more energy autonomy that's why we're more than mona learn more at more than mona dot i board nemona let biz print the printers help with your business marketing and printing to get your 2024 off to the right start biz print the printers port road letter kenny call 9 1 double 7 9 double 5 or see biz print dot i the way you eat a creme egg says everything about you if you eat yours in small nibbles that means you're real deep you can sense when someone's about to text you your dreams mean stuff and you keep all your birthday cards in a special box search creme egg test to find out who you really are can't be creme egg how do you eat yours save on carving and lamin essentials at homeland gas buttocks de butter now 165 euro milk bar 10 compartment feeder now 179 euro nutrients over gold and both gold mineral range by 2.5 liter get one liter free and there's 10 percent of the flexi thin classic waterproof jacket and trousers in store and online at homeland dot ie nationwide delivery available offers available March 31st the county's number one talk show the 9 till noon show on highland radio okay it is 11 o'clock let's get that news update now and it's over to mckayla clark thanks gray good morning the dolls housing committee is to hold a hearing next month on the defective blocks crisis with shin fiends housing spokesperson saying he believes the housing minister's optimism about the revised scheme is misplaced owner brinn says minister darrell brian said yesterday that the new scheme is working and taking hold but the minister's own department's figures suggest that's not the case with many people not even applying for the scheme because the gap between the cost of remediation and what's an offer from government is too great investigations are continuing after a child was hit by a car in letter kenny yesterday evening the vehicle was traveling from the pole star roundabout towards bali rain when it struck the 12-year-old boy at around 6 55 p.m he was taken to letter kenny university hospital for treatment to his injuries which are not believed to be life-threatening meanwhile gardi are appealing for information on any sightings of people in the vicinity of a fire at a vacant house in bali buffet last night the blaze broke out at a former music school on the trust road which has been lying vacant for a number of years at around 9 30 p.m a forensic and technical examination of the scene is being carried out today the t-shock has described the restoration of power sharing in the north as positive news but wants to see more detail the dup has accepted a deal from the UK government which will see trading rules relaxed for any goods brought into northern Ireland that are sent to remain there gardi are appealing for witnesses to a weekend assault in letter kenny a man was attacked by another man in the lower main street area on sunday at around 11 40 p.m the second man is believed to have left the scene with a number of others in the vehicle that had been parked at lower main street threshold assisted 108 adults and 72 children in dunigal preventing them from becoming homeless in the last quarter of 2023 the housing charity says it responded to over 12 thousand queries across the country for help between october and december the justice minister says she's taking steps to make sure Ireland's international protection system is not clogged up Algeria and Botswana are to be added to the list of so-called safe countries it means the government doesn't think people there are at risk of inhumane or degrading treatment and refurbition works are to be carried out at Bank of Ireland's Falkara branch as part of a 60 million euro national investment improvement works will be carried out at branches across the country along with the bank's largest single investment in atms in the last decade those are the latest headlines we'll be back with an update again at 12 nim thanks mikaela let's join steve live for the buildup what's your prediction i've been watching this team for a very long time gary and i can tell you now the score will be three won't there'll be our annoying corners and the french lad will score a header very specific steve it's betbuilder from live score betpal you can combine markets from thousands of options to create your own bet or if you can't make up your mind choose from the pre-built quick bet options which is exactly what you did isn't it betbuilder from live score bet building a bet just got easier full account terms apply bed responsibly 18 plus gamblingcare.ie a caller says another scam i see coming through regularly e-flow you've been recorded using the motorway and so on and so forth excuse me please uh yep another scam get that one all the time that being said i did well it doesn't ever come in text i did get a letter one stating that i had used a road which i hadn't used uh and it comes by way of a letter with a photo and i had to go i think i had to go into the guard station i did have to go into the guard station and declare that i wasn't on the road someone had duplicated my plates or something hi greg could you please say congratulations to karak brak british freezians john allen convoy for winning first and second in the best freezian heifer category at the national i hfa awards in port leash last friday congratulations to you john morning greg vinny here i am a dpd driver and i get scam messages about my undelivered parcels from dpd just let your listeners know you won't only get a text from us to tell you the time we'll be delivering your parcels and the name of your driver never click on any links ever so that's vinny uh some of you might know he's a podcaster as well i'm a dpd driver he gets he gets messages about undelivered parcels all right strange one okay we want to make sure that we stay on top of one of the big uh issues of the last month and that was a threat to the future of cancelling services at the raffaul daison pastoral center you'd be familiar uh hopefully at this point with this story uh they provide the only uh child and adolescent cancelling services in this canteen it's pretty much unprecedented across the country they've engaged with many many people and continue to do so they've got a team of almost 30 counselors and um it was suggested previously that they were on the brink of closure uh because the current director is stepping away a new director needs to be appointed because of the scale of the operation that director would need to be full time because there's a lot of hoops to jump through in terms of governance and what have you so in the first instance it's estimated that to keep these services going would cost around about 60 000 euro but of course there's more to it than that um and and there's other boxes that perhaps might need to be ticketed and there needs to be an overall conversation about the future of this service uh to make sure it's never lost and it may require a little bit more money uh than that so we wanted to bring you an update as to where we are at so we have uh Liam Cannon the director of cancelling at the raffaul daison pastoral center with us on the program Liam thank you very much for rejoining us again yeah good morning Greg right so in terms of publicity there's not an awful lot more you can do this has been talked about in the dull ministers have been questioned about this yes uh the hsc have commented on it too so have commented on it um we have the cancillors passing motions this week to ensure that these services can't be lost so in terms of all the players and those with influence it seems everybody is on board so is there any update in terms of the the services going forward Liam well yeah Greg you know as I said the the supports that the um services have received over the last you know three weeks in particular since this all happened has been overwhelming you know um because I think people in the county have really got behind the services because there's very few people around the county at this stage you're not aware of them and know the value of the work that's done so um yes there is an update actually and this week uh the hsc and to slur are to meet on thursday and you know the i suppose the background to that is really is that the hse has been having their own meetings internally to see how they can come on board and now they're they're joining up with to sling and hope to come up with a joint package uh to be able to kind of come back to us next week and next july hopefully this day week and sit with us and you know open the conversation about how to um pot pot supports of core staff in place so that the service can continue and build over the next 20 years really because I think that's the bit that's important it's about not just digging it out of a hole but can I have been looking forward to what's needed in order to maintain it and allow it to grow so I mean for us that's excellent news at this stage uh it's a completely a different picture from what we had there's a long way to go yet in terms of well let's see what we can do if that's spot on the on offer to us um but we're uh certainly delighted that people are at this point coming to talk to us whereas uh and you know the reason we were closing in the first place is because nobody would talk to us at that point yep indeed and they have been brought to the table and in fairness we all would have liked a quick fix but when we're talking about a long term solution to this uh TUSLA has been burnt past so it has to ensure what is required that there's no skeletons financial skeletons in the closet nothing being not disclosed but you know what I mean in terms of actually well what kind of a financial commitment will we have to make multi annually so I understand that they have to go through that and seek further information and clearly they've been satisfied that everything is grand in that regard so we've got the HSE and the TUSLA meeting this week to engage and then from there they are going to meet with representatives from the counselling service next Tuesday so the direction of traffic is a very positive one um and and it seems that uh those that need to be taken in interest in this are now what are you able to relate at this point to your staff for an example because I know you're you're having to temper your conversation with us is it the same type of messaging that you give to your staff yeah absolutely it's the same messaging that we're giving to our staff because we really don't know any more than that and we would only be speculating if we were to say any more than that at the moment because we as I say we don't know ourselves but for us the the positive development here is is that you know we have two uh uh you know uh organizations coming together uh TUSLA the HSE and then they're coming to us um with the view to resolving the matter and so you know I'd love to at this point be able to say to the staff look we're we're out of the out of danger we're secure we're home and dry but uh until until we meet with both those teams we we can't uh say that that we can't say anything really we can't solidly stand over but you know uh you know just going back to what you were saying there Greg in relation to um TUSLA haven't you know kind of go through everything with us you know that's perfectly reasonable completely understandable and very important that you know whatever they need that we're able to supply to them and that they're that they're able to you know stand over and I mean TUSLA has been working with us for many years and I think TUSLA are very aware uh that you know everything is up to date and but it's just a process that we have to go through yeah exactly and as I say it'd be remiss of TUSLA not to go through that but as you say there's an ongoing work in relationship and all the ducks in a row so that's not going to be a barrier so whilst there has to be a little bit of caution here uh there's certainly quite a good bit of room here Liam for uh positivity and I think the the meeting on Thursday and the meeting next week will have a much clearer picture and hopefully the HSE uh have a uh a more detailed response uh to go out to the public um because the last one is the the statements TUSLA and HSE are very offensive and what you might expect no harm to them but we want something that's a little bit more tangible and digestible to us regular folk yeah well look uh from what I understand Greg is is that um you know these this plan has been put in place and that the HSE themselves will be releasing releasing a statement later this week uh no I don't know what they will say in that statement but I I assume it's going to be basically what I'm saying to you know and uh I suppose for the HSE like TUSLA they have to come and settle this to kind of go through everything as well which is you know perfectly normal we have no problem with that okay well Liam listen listen what for us it's about maintaining that's it exactly yeah for us it's about maintaining the service yeah absolutely yeah building the future brilliant uh Liam it's good news so far hopefully we'll chat again uh when we when we get the proper proper good news but I just want to pay tribute to you how you've handled this um to get the message out there in a way that sort of got people listening but at the same time did it in such a way where you didn't shut down lines of communication because those were essential that that were kept over so I think you've walked a tightrope but we'll not celebrate yet Liam I'll save the plaudits and and what for when we have something more concrete but for now thanks so much for the update yes well thank you very much Greg thank you all right take care of yourself Liam Cannon they're director of counselling at Ruffol Dyson Pastoral Centre and by the way I just want to say as well that the situation hasn't been resolved yet um but people speaking out um Donna the Bishop and others have been incredibly important to this your uh communications that we've been able to read out the HAC listen to this program too slow listen to this show we know because if you say something wrong within about five seconds uh you're pulled up on it uh all of you who got involved in that and and related your stories and the importance of this service and and the impact it's had on you and your families the impact it might have on you if it was discontinued um the fact that it's unacceptable that we could be treated in such a way as to say it's not over the line yet but trust me when I say uh you out there as listeners who've had your say on this being on social media but contacting us whatever it might be also if it is achieved if what it's hoped to be achieved is achieved it's very important that you as well out there take your um share of uh take your share of um the the praise well I don't know what the right word is uh in relation to cancelling I've been through it about three times it's most likely the person I'm here today the government is throwing money at some ridiculous causes and here is a vital service which needs support we're on the brink of getting that support confirmed okay so that's the one positive but again thank you so much for lending your voice uh to that a memorial plaque for an RUC officer which was stolen from a local graveyard has been returned but there is a new uh inscription on it uh Terry Daherty he's the brother of John Daherty that RUC officer from Donegal thanks for joining me uh Terry I do appreciate it uh thank you for having me on the show uh Greg and uh we've been doing this road before back in November when spineless spineless individuals invaded the graveyard to steal the memorial stone and a poppy wreath a week after the memorial service to honor John on the 50th anniversary of his murder by terrorists and I state terrorists if this is their way of showing how they behave God look to Ireland they cut through the inscription on the stone add at their own propaganda and if they think with me being on the radio today we'll add to their propaganda it falls far short from my point of view because you're nothing but spineless individuals vandals that would low yourselves to carry out such an act we have the stone and it's on its way to the firm that supplied the memorial stone and it will be refurbished and returned to its former glory and we'll hold our heads high when I spoke to you in November Terry obviously you were uh you know you're upset and angry uh with this plaque being removed um thought I don't know I would have I thought it would have been stolen chucked somewhere something terribly disrespectful but for it to be returned with with this new inscription I can only begin to imagine uh what your emotions are and you've I think you've actually really articulated them uh in the first couple of minutes of of this conversation but even you couldn't have imagined could you that this could turn up again and be defaced with this inscription as it has been well I think it's the way of trying to rub salt in the wound and as a Catholic priest approached me yesterday to condemn it every right thinking person every right thinking person would actually condemn it as well if they have to go to these extremes and I won't broadcast the propaganda they had on the back of the stone after they cut through the inscriptions on the face of the stone uh if this is their way of getting propaganda it falls far short of my idea of propaganda again if I could quote a famous Lord Kitchener and refer to these guys as spineless individuals I quote Lord Kitchener your country needs you on quote yes every community should have individuals spineless individuals like this and I can assure you Greg that when the stone is returned to its former glory the evil hands of these spineless individuals will never again blemish or stain the memorial stone that is for sure and we have a few culprits in our minds no names mentioned and I would like to pay tribute to John and all his fallen colleagues and as well members of the PSMI who have all paid the ultimate sacrifice I recite a well-known verse in their honor they shall not grow old as we who are left grow old age shall not weary them nor the years condemn at the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them we will remember them and John will always be honored and remembered for as long as there are already in existence they will never get the better of us the chant one when you carry out action like this as I said before any right-thinking person would totally condemn it nothing but spineless individuals and I'm sure they'll not try to van blaze the stone after this how can you be so assured of that John no Terry I beg your pardon no you're okay no problem Greg no problem I won't I won't go any further in that point Greg no problem understood okay right Terry listen I'm sure you don't mind me accidentally calling you by your brother's name you held him in such a and hold them in some time okay Terry no you don't have to follow no I understand you don't have to apologize I'm sorry I apologize all right Terry no just to get no you did you did when they came across loud and clear and just to remind listeners by the way that Detective Constable John Doherty was just 31 years of age when he was shot dead by the IRA on October 28th of 1973 he was videoing visiting his widowed mum in Ballon Drate five minutes from the border as anyone in the area would know he was gone down at the entrance to his mother's home um his girlfriend was also seriously injured in the attack but nobody's nobody was ever convicted of the murder thankfully his girlfriend did survive but that plaque uh was defaced um on ceremony well I don't know what the right phrase heologies I don't want to misspeak in that regard but anyway obviously a great deal of upset to the Doherty family but you heard the words of Terry Doherty there and very strong in what he had to say okay we will be back uh with a look at the developments in politics in Northern Ireland that's after these the county's number one talk show The Nine Till Noon Show on Highland Radio The Nine Till Noon Show with O'Hara's of Foxford it takes 18 hours to perfect our new 18 hour fermented sourdough bread one bite and you'll agree true taste takes time Celebrate Pancake Tuesday with Dunn Stores Whip up a batch with fresh eggs six for one euro forty or choose an eight pack of our ready made pancakes for just one euro fifteen then add your favorite toppings like a sprinkle of sugar with forty nine cent lemons or chocolate and hazelnut spread 400 gram jar only one euro twenty five and for that finishing touch you can say with a five of twenty five grocery voucher Dunn Stores always better value terms and conditions apply voucher can be used on Nick since their grocery shop of twenty five euro or more The TUI Live Happy Sale is here with savings of up to 250 euro per booking free child places even in the school summer holidays plus low booking deposits from 50 euro per person with holidays to suit all budgets relax and get booking TUI Live Happy Offer Tees and Sees Apply Mary here from the cosmetic department at McGee's pharmacy to let you know that Clarence have a great skincare gift available this week buy two Clarence products one to be skincare and you'll get a choice of four treat size essentials from a selection of eight which four will you choose this great Clarence offer is available until Saturday the 10th of February or by stocks last in store and online at McGee's.ie and remember for any skincare advice you can always talk to Gemma or myself here at McGee's Chemist on Main Street Letter Kenny we're the best cost less the euro millions jackpot is an estimated 145 million euro play a response again in store in app or at Lottery.ie the national lottery it could be you Highland Radio time checks with Expressway travel route 32 from Letter Kenny to Dublin when you book online and travel for less Expressway bringing you the time the time is 22 minutes past 11 now the DUP has agreed a deal to restore power sharing in Northern Ireland after a two-year impasse the party executive we're told back to deal overnight that we don't know by what number following an agreement with the UK government on post Brexit trading Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald says they'll now engage with the parties and both governments to ensure they all press on without delay party leader Jeffrey Donaldson said the arrangement should see the assembly restored by the February deadline Anton McCabe is of course incredibly well-known journalist much of his time covering situation in Northern Ireland and he joins us on the program now good morning Anton good morning Greg thank you so much for joining us right so last night was bizarre in that there was a great deal of secrecy as to where this meeting would even take place and then we had an I suppose a person with a different point of view to Mr Donaldson live tweeting from it which created quite a bit of a stir within the building itself because everyone was looking at each other to say well who's who's telling Jamie this information before we get on to sort of the knots and bolts of what was agreed it was really quite a bizarre evening oh it was yes and I mean you know there is clearly a non-to-agreement faction within the DUP it is uncertain how big they are but they are certainly significant and vocal however the logic of the situation has pushed Donaldson into an agreement first of all there is no alternative in that the DUP knows that direct rule is not in the interests of unionism direct rule means that the British government can basically do as it wishes very importantly and very immediately an end to the executive and assembly means an end to salaries for the you know for DUP for DUP assembly and executive members and obviously they are sensible enough to know that the current situation could not could not go on indefinitely they even also know that by biding their time like Sinn Fein is only three seats ahead of them in the assembly they know that basically one or two bits of bad luck for Sinn Fein a couple of good that's a good luck for the DUP and they could overtake them in terms of numbers in the in the in the next assembly the the the numbers aren't out of sight also as well that Donaldson knew that he wasn't going to get the protocol or the Windsor House framework overturned those are international agreements between the British government and the European Union the British government particularly a Boris Johnson British government sometimes may have made noises of sympathy for unionism but will not break an agreement because we should remember that both Boris Johnson was the man who told the unionists but the the DUP rather that there was no way there would be an IBC border and he was the man who signed up to it but just in relation to that Anton and I don't want to interrupt your flow I think that's what this is all going to come down to but it seems to be that Jeffrey Donaldson is saying that there will be zero checks zero customs zero paperwork for goods moving from Britain to Northern Ireland and if he can prove that all well and good but his opponents seem to be convinced that there's going to be a watering down of that and there will be some checks so that means that he will not have delivered the removal of this seaboard or as it's been commonly referred to now and that could be a big problem for Jeffrey Donaldson could it be as simple as that that it comes down to him stating that there will be zero checks zero customs paperwork and maybe there being some but I mean even pre the protocol there were checks on certain goods between the north and Britain you know particularly livestock were checked but I think really that given the complexity of these matters I think yes that he can probably get away with it it seems as if the talk is that there there would be two two liens or there would be one laying goods from Britain coming in to Northern Ireland and another laying for goods which were for transit to the to the EU that is to the to the to the south I think that yes Donaldson can get away with it and there is particularly the case if we remember that the week before last we were talking about the strikes here in the north yeah there are major problems the health service is facing a crisis there are most public sector workers haven't received pay raises in a couple of years they really have been used to blackmail the dup all of that means that an abstention is not a long is not a long-term tactic but Anton the thing but the thing about it is is though there this is being framed by you know opposers of Jeffrey Donaldson as the surrender deal that they have surrendered on the red lines the principles you know now as you say quite rightly you can't you can't abstain forever but that's the sticky wicked Mr Donaldson found himself in isn't it because on one side he was damned if he did and on the other now he's damned if he doesn't if you know what to mean so do you think this surrender deal terminology will catch on and threaten his leadership and maybe even the long-term establishment of the executive I think that the surrender slogan will catch on with a section all the probably but mainly a section who are already alienated from the dup I you know if we look at the the the last assembly on the local elections the movie traditional unionist voice did pull well however it did not pull near well enough to pose any threat to the to the dup the dup have taken the decision that they can really they can challenge these people that's their belief that to say they're a blood a busted flush is wrong however to say that they are a minority and really where the you know for the dup their main vote losses are particularly towards alliance where you would have a section of Protestants and maybe particularly middle-class Protestants would be seeing they would see this you know as the best as the best deal they can get I mean it's quite simple it's as in many negotiating situations certainly you go for things but equally you understand that you go for the best deal you can get but Anton just finally you know an awful lot of conversation and talk about this deal for some it's going to be a really effectively a smoke screen for them not really being able to tolerate an executive that is led by Sinn Féin is that a bitter pill that will have to be swallowed and will be swallowed going forward oh yes it is because it was there certainly was a section motivated by that but there are many intelligent people in the dup and they realize that by being seen to thwart a Sinn Féin First Minister by a maneuver it's now to increase Sinn Féin support among the nationalist community to moralize people within unionism whereas in many ways they feel that they can wait they can prepare for the next election and possibly rest the First Minister's position back from Sinn Féin I get you Anton listen thank you so much for your analysis we really do appreciate it that's journalist Anton McCabe there and if you have your views 08 660 25 000 from uh the north 003538 660 25 000 The 9 till noon show with O'Hara's of Fonsford we take 18 hours to craft our new 18 hour fermented sourdough bread now is the perfect time to enjoy a slice the menopause is a very inclusive condition you don't have to get it to suffer from it Angledee's hilarious show how to get the menopause and enjoy it comes to on green on letter Kenny February the second and Balor Arts Centre Ballet Buffet February 17th I phoned up my mommy and I went I'm thinking of HRT and she said what's wrong with the bank you're with for full details go to angledee.com it's the big brand sale at supervalue and there's great special offers like selected fairy and aerial pods 38 wash and mickey toilet tissue 24 roll only two for 16 euro exclusive to real rewards members only plus money off vouchers every week on the app so don't miss our big brand sale and pop in store online for great savings at supervalue season season supply homeowners it's time to unlock incredible savings on your energy bills efficient renewables is here to reduce your energy consumption say goodbye to skyrock and the cost and hello to renewable energy solutions with no vat on solar panels and the generous grants for both solar panels and heat pumps see these innovative systems in action in our state of the art showroom in Newton Cunningham today contact the fishing renewables on 0749708320 fabric world made out dairy biggest ever winter sale now on on trend and in stock curtain and upholstery fabrics all on sale over 3000 meters now half price or less free curtain design ready make curtains up to half price and lining from one pound with fabulous rates on the euro in store at fabric world made out dairy the ever popular bluegrass festival returns to our draw from friday the second to sunday the fourth of february featuring some of the finest bluegrass acts in the world direct from nashville this year's headline act is eastnash grass playing live in the beehive bar with special guests on saturday the third at 8 30 and sunday the fourth at 7 30 don't miss what promises to be an exceptional weekend of bluegrass in our draw friday the second to sunday the fourth of february for accommodation and more see our draw dot ie join me marty frill every friday night from eight for rocking hits on the highland radio in association with arena seven where you can enjoy dinner and drinks in a woodbury grill bar and restaurant before bowling and arena seven state of the art liens see arena seven dot ie caller says depopulation of people living in the countryside doesn't apply here in ireland in the countryside here there will be hundreds of cars up and down the road every day in england you only see four cars in the countryside of farmers not quite sure about that okay the big thing to watch on nct is if you buy your car with no nct and it's expired in three months and you go to get it sorted for the test you only have whatever is left on the car unless they test it on the anniversary you might not realize until you're at a checkpoint you need to watch the anniversary of the car and that was the point i'm saying about it being backdated if i'm understanding you correctly a caller says if you if you go to do your nct online you'll wait six months if you ring up you'll get seen quicker it'll only be a few weeks well if you call just after midnight and literally just after midnight you can get an appointment sometimes the next day the day after that or the next day but you have to be straight in after midnight that's the key because that's when they reset the systems during the day definitely you might get one in two or three weeks but i assure you uh because i've seen it with my own eye that you can you can get within days if you just go straight after midnight when their system is reset there let me know if that works for you right okay um i've been through this uh recently and about to go through it again uh the issue in getting a driving test you know it's so bloody expensive to get on the road now you have to do the theory test which costs money sometimes you have to do a couple of times and you have to send away for your license that's more money then you have to do your 10 or 12 mandatory tests that costs money you can't apply for your driving test until you're six months with your learner permit i understand why all these rules are in there whether you agree i agree with them or not so then you wait your six months so you've you've done your theory got your license you wait another six months you've done your 10 12 tests and then you apply you're invited then to apply for your test and uh you could be waiting another six eight months um and if there's a delay with weather or whatever how long god knows how long it might take so it takes an awful long time to get on the road and an awful lot of uh money uh councillor mehill collin mcgallen asberg has been commenting on this and joins us on the program now good morning me hall magic why magic magic and magic magic hope it all well yeah i mean you you were at the ground in west donnagole particularly in fact most of donnagole you need a car so i don't think it's a west nor south or east situation um and what are you what are you hearing from uh young people in relation to this issue yeah this is uh and i should that a lot of people come to me and have been over a period of time and what it seems to be is that people are waiting months upon months upon months to get their driving test done and as you says correctly that we live in a very rural area that whole western corridor and most of the country is quite rural we depend heavily on our car due to the fact of i suppose the failure of any real public transport being put available uh through the field of wealth and the gale government but the problem here is is that a lot of young people are missing massive massive opportunities missing opportunities in terms of college missing opportunities in terms of employment and i've seen people who have been waiting such a long time and decided you know what it's too long to wait i'm going to head to australia i'm going to head somewhere i can get up the mines i don't need the driving license or the head somewhere else and we're losing people in the country and people who have been offered jobs good jobs to get them to stay at home i see young ones who really don't want to leave but they do want to stay at home uh but they have no other choice i've seen people who have had college but they have no transport to get to college they might not have been able to afford the accommodation say let's say somewhere without naming anywhere but so they need the car if they're going out to lech cannon they need the car because they might be able to afford or even find accommodation so there's a mess there so what i've been trying to do is uh and i'm grateful to thomas for for before you get into that question can i add something to that as well because i i agree and i don't think many people can disagree with you that people leave simply because they can't wait to get a driving test but i think it's also a feeling in a sense that they get you know uh where am i going to live you know what i can't get into a car and ever do the insurances through the roof so for some people it's actually a feeling that well this country isn't for me which is i think adding to a lot of and maybe sometimes we add to it by you know talking things down but it's what we have to do so i i think too there's a lot of ones leaving because there is this feeling and it is a reality as well for many of course that this is not a country for them and that's what really kind of breaks breaks my heart that they go well i've i've got an old prospect for a house i can't even get a car on the road what's there here for me and i think that's a really bad advertisement for our country should be so much different well i look i suppose we have to be all very honest and open how about this is that we know we're not doing too much politic in but we have to call it out for what it is the failure the failure of feeling found from the guilt to actually properly invest into our communities to provide the services to provide the other jobs job opportunities and also the wages and i was talking to a man all the day he was telling me we're down in crutch island and a man who's worked really hard all his life where the family and children can never ever live here because they can never ever afford to build here that's just the reality it wasn't a case that they couldn't get the land the land is there but just couldn't afford it and the way that we've structured our communities and societies now is absolutely chasing our youth and middle-aged people it's not just young ones middle-aged people to different countries to foreign countries but come back to the driving test it's actually a big issue and i was really listening carefully to what you were saying there in your intro in terms of all the driving lessons and tests that are driving lessons that you have to do prior to get them because you know mean you'll be similar age and when we were younger of that age you know you got a number of driving lessons and off you went and hopefully passed your test but what's happened now is that it's mandatory to have a certain amount and i think and i think myself and yourself spoke about this years and years ago why can we not do this through the school system why can we not do it through the school system where once you leave your school or you come to a certain age you've already done all your lessons through the classes and it's a partner curriculum and then it saves time and money a lot of families and i can only speak for western ego because that's the area i represent a lot of families just cannot afford all the lessons and tests it's just not there the money ain't there people are struggling to pay rent people are struggling to pay mortgages and and and they're really really finding it hard to actually give money to to the young ones to get them lessons so the whole system is not working like if you consider you consider if you're on minimum wage which many people are particularly in the west of the county if you're a minimum wage one driving lesson it's not it's a big chunk of it's a big chunk of your weekly wage and you have to do that 10 or 12 times and that's whilst you're looking around to get a car and that's also whilst you're looking around maybe to get a credit union loan and loop lump the insurance and car in you know the first year that's what a lot of people do you know you get the borough for the car and the insurance at the same time but if you're spending a load of money on lessons we understand the safety element of it but there has to be a better way or even some sort of positive discrimination whereby there is some sort of a a fund or a voucher system where the government gives someone you know 400 euro voucher towards driving lessons and it can be only used that way there's loads of ways this could be we could help the people but just to we'll get to the the the issues raised on your behalf by deputy Thomas Pringle and the commitment coming back then from from the minister well well I'm waiting for the response now on our PQ to come through on this one because the last one that there was some other drivers reading it I think I might have sent it on to Caroline I'm not very clear or sure but at the government then from the Galefield of our government then talked about putting more resources into the into the test and and reducing the time but but for me unless they've done it in other areas I don't know but surely they haven't done it for for Denny Gull where they have reduced the times and and if any of the government TDs or minister wants to come on and contradict me and and put me right that's listen absolutely take that on the chin but the reality for me or more so or for the young ones that that come to me regularly are that they're left for months and months and then I was talking a lot yesterday who's nearly a year waiting for his driving test well listen that's a young lad that wants to stay at home yeah for sure and we should be facilitating him staying at home now listeners out there there is bound to be one of yous out there or your young ones have have they've been invited for a booking a test let us know how far in advance the test actually is and that date can move like you know if there's a drop of frost that all the blinking tests can be moved the dates can be moved correct and also do the thing is that that if you fail your driving test then you're then back into a whole process of waiting again so it's a long long process and I do think that it be worth exploring exploring the possibilities of making it a part of curriculum within our secondary schools and why wouldn't we do it look difficult things take about a time and possible things just take that bit long and a longer as somebody once says and it's all down to the world that's where it's at and if you look at the insurance and that's far more practical than increased speed penalty points at weekends and you know what i mean like that i i think that's that's sort of very reactionary obviously the logical thing to do and we've seen how these we've seen how these roadshows that they put on affect children and and younger people sorry and there of course the logical thing to do is tool people up with the proper education on road safety and driving in secondary schools it makes absolute sense stay where you are me hold because shamers has a suggestion which i mean i'm not sure in this day and age it will ever get over the line shamers but what do you think well any young person that has applied for the driving license great they should be fit to drive on accompanied until the driving test comes to and if they fail the driving test then they go back to not being allowed to drive on a component because the way it is now it's just a money racket it is but one thing is not to contradict you if you if you do it that way right we already see this with the learner permits you would just book a you would have failed your test book a new test and back out driving on your own again would that not lead to maybe people go ahead but but how did we learn to drive well i know how i learned to drive i used to drive back from us with my father and i won't reveal the age i was listening to me whole talking about a few lessons and the way you know i'm not saying that when i was young when i was young you were fit to drive on your provisional yeah for sure definitely like do you know what i mean like it's just all gone now to about money how much money can we get off the people shamers the young people are paying over the nose for insurance because they're on a limb learner permits and through no fault of their own they are being overloaded because they can't get a driving test if you're under 20 i think it's either under 20 or 21 or it could be 19 there's a 50 percent young driver premium literally just 50 put on your insurance because you're at that age it's not based on on your experience or your ability it's just a levy a 50% levy on young drivers that's from the insurance companies that's the disgrace as well shamers i have to leave it there unfortunately we'll come back to this shamers and please text in the next time so i'd like a longer chat with you because i hate cutting people off but we're right up against the clock cancel let me hold column if you get an answer back to that pq maybe you might come back on and we can tease this out a little more when there's more time because it's affecting hundreds of people out there and it is a factor in the depopulation particularly i think of rural ireland absolutely and i will come back on just in two points very very quickly the government does have the ability to step in when it talks when you're talking about insurance and that 50% levy is a huge discrimination and it's all about profit and they can and they should step in and make it affordable making rich people richer it's very much what's on the phone from the gail or certainly about but come back to the thing and i think it should be discussed the next opportunity to get maybe what the minister uh when he's on is to discuss the maybe the possibility of looking at the schools and having the tests or the lessons there you have simulators that we see there's a friend of mine who is in Dublin airport to a simulator there there are loads and loads of ways that we can actually do this and be very very practical and cost uh cost savings for families that are absolutely on the bread line already and it's not absolutely fair because our community deserves better and the the transition is here i think a lot of it's funny enough i think maybe in rural island not as many take the transition year as others do because they need to get out and start working funny enough but anyway there are opportunities in schools to educate on this if it is as important as everyone says it is and we know it is well then that's precise to how you do it through education at an early age cancel me whole column ago last but thank you very much shameless thank you the nine till noon show with ohara's of foxford our new baker 51 authentic sourdough celebrate 72 years of baking now is the perfect time to try it for yourself hamilton is coming to the board gosh energy theater on monday 21st of october 2024 this hugely popular musical is almost sold out but here at highland radio we've got you covered we include luxury transfers overnight stay at the four star city north hotel dublin your ticket to the show and a shopping trip to Dublin the next day to book simply call us on zero seven four nine one twenty five thousand or visit the outlet at highland radio dot com go fully with these exclusive legal plus supersavers like board be approved irish angus lean beef steak mince was five ninety nine now four seventy nine pick organic fine tomatoes 48% off now 129 and there's 30% off frozen breaded fish cakes now 181 scan your little plus up and go for little today the 100% electric new nissan area is now on irish roads which means you'll discover the game-changing silhouette that sets it apart as well as its luxurious interior inspired through japanese design then you'll discover the smooth acceleration quiet operation and advanced technology that makes every driver pleasure the new nissan area for 43 500 euro test drive it today and discover outstanding nissan innovation that excites dealer delivery and related charges apply on the wings of a snow hot country tv sky 588 in association with highland radio presenting concert a tribute to country music legend charlie bride by his brother steven and six-piece band with guests at the mandirical hotel letter kenny wednesday 27th of march 2024 here over 40 of charlie brides hits this is a concert not to be missed tickets 25 euro available from hotel reception now weather updates brought to you by grant building a new home choose grants a triple-plus rated air owner air to water heat pump and uflex underfloor heating visit grant dot ie mostly dry and sunny this afternoon and just the chance of an isolated shower a chilly day with temperatures of seven to nine degrees in light breezes were joined on the program now by noel cunningham author of guide to modern irish manners and donicle ambassador good morning to you mr cunningham hello noel in young said can you hear me i can hear you now noel go ahead we haven't spoken in such a long time we're long overdue with chat how are you all and all your good listeners we are doing fantastic and we're all very excited to see you appear on rt1 tonight that's why i wanted to speak to you it's at seven p.m it's a show called high road low road you teaming up with mary kennedy and you're off to valence you talked to me about the show well the show is quite a funny little unique way of doing a travel show you pitch up at the airport at five o'clock in the morning you have two suitcases you don't know where you're going when you arrive you don't know if you've been the lucky one to get the luxury or the unfortunate one and get the budget accommodation and it's enormous fun and it was enormous fun and mary kennedy is just glorious company and honestly valencia is the most beautiful city fashionable so great crack great fun and i was truthfully out of my comfort zone because i'm usually in control of everything i can't believe you managed to to travel away on one suitcase no that's the biggest shock of to me look to be honest there are penalties that should be enforced for those who for those who impose a certain type of holiday on a refined irish man done a call person of the year who happens to be gay and who happens to live in harvey's point honestly it's a crime against hospitality to take me out of that zone and impose a completely different regime and that's all i'm saying but the show is all the better because of it yes indeed and and what a perfect guest for this uh program are you allowed to divulge if you're um wind and dined in first class or if you're on the budget side of things or is that part of the reveal null i couldn't possibly say unless i had my lawyer present suffice to say everything up until we touched out and valencia was fabulous okay that i think you know what if i'm reading you correctly that's more fun because i want to say you suffer mr conningham well you may be in for precisely the treat you've waited so long for very good good practice yeah indeed it's nice to hopefully have to rough it like the rest of us minions uh but anyway um you're in good company anyway that's uh first class that's one thing you're guaranteed uh you and mary i'm sure you make a an adorable team mary kennedy's one of the great irish broadcaster she's quite legendary she's done them all state funerals uh state weddings uh the big events in history in ireland in the last 56 year is just an incredible lady and such delightful company and as we say in dunnig all no errors and graces about her what a delightful lady i haven't said and your lines about to break up i think but i haven't seen this program but it might not be all it seems and that you know sometimes maybe you could have a better holiday you know with the street food and what have you then you might uh you know in the five stars you know there's nothing guaranteed the luxury doesn't necessarily make the holiday or the experience i'm most important lesson to learn that travel is the most wonderful thing imaginable and you are so right that does not mean that you have to be cost-added in a five-star hotel now i'm beginning to get emotional because i would have accepted such a situation had it been offered but i got over it and my therapy is going well uh and valencia was a lovely experience so please tune in tonight and enjoy the crack i can't believe you're being a little bit dramatic i didn't think that was one of your character traits no who me yes drama oh for heaven's sake i look forward to it i thrive on this i know i know look it's a high road low road it's an rte one tonight at 7 p.m. and it'll be available afterwards on the player featuring our own knoll cunning him uh he and mary kennedy off to valencia but what kind of holiday will they have tune in and find out no lovely to chat you see you soon god that's my proper cat one of these days on there bye bye bye bye take care yourself that's uh knoll cunning him there uh thank you denise ropa for bringing back such wonderful memories may in france's were so kind coming in from patricia indeed and on it goes thank you so much for all of your calls comments and even just listening that's uh that's good enough for us we really do appreciate it but that's where