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Highland radio are celebrating another birthday we are inviting you to join us for our Highland radio birthday bash on Tuesday the 19th of March in the Mount Eregal Hotel joined by the one and only Margo myself David James plus a special guest Brendan Quinn Declan Ernie and Patrick Feeney this is a night not to be missed tickets now on sale for more information visit the outlet at Highland radio.com or give us a call on 074 91 25,000 we'll see you and the Highland radio birthday bash have yourself a great Thursday when a page pass you over to Greg Hughes I couldn't hardly talk to the rest the show about it was terrible I'm only waking it up now stop it they have a great Thursday which actually tomorrow I good luck all right good stuff all right it is the 9 o'clock show at 9 o'clock let's get a news update and it's over to Michaela Clark thanks Greg good morning next week marks the first step in the delivery of a game-changing project for letter Kenny demolition works are set to commence at the former ESB site in the time between Pierce and Port Broad in the coming days which will make way for a major innovation and business center once demolition and site clearance works are completed construction of the alpha innovation center and better business center will begin. Country Jeremic Monagle says the development will be a huge driver for employment in the time. This will be a game changer for letter Kenny and we often say that but this will be particularly for that Port World Pierce Road area is it be part of a new development and it's a business innovation center it will create the employment of upwards of 500 jobs we would envisage so it's great to see the project taken shape and that we now are beginning to clear the site. 85% of people who applied for international protection at Dublin Airport in 2023 arrive with either no or false identity documents the figures have been supplied by the Department of Justice via freedom of information request in total 4712 people made an asylum claim at Dublin Airport last year and four thousand and seven had no or false identity documents independent TD Michael McNamara says it's a criminal offense to enter the state without valid documents and says it's shocking the law is not being applied. I'm not shocked by it really because everybody knew this was going on and with certain exceptions it's an offense to present the countries of the state without valid identity documents yet that offense has not been prosecuted I suppose what is shocking is the fact that there weren't a prosecution. A Western MLA says delays and uncertainty over a proposed youth center for Sturban is a kick in the teeth. The North Education Minister Paul Gibbons says due to the severely constrained capital budget the Education Authority is unable to provide a timeline for the delivery of the scheme. Daniel McCrossen says he was informed in July 2020 that the project was a top priority he says however to date no work has been carried out at the potential site. I had asked the previous Education Minister Michelle McLean in November 2021 the same question to which she replied that she would hope that it would be open and operational by December 23. We're now in February 24 and there hasn't been a single sought of perfect turn nor any site or sign of progression of this important promised facility. Whether night today we'll be called with sunny spells and shards of rain or hail with a chance of thunder highest temperatures of 5 to 7 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. Before you settle on a new hybrid take the Nissan cash guy e-power challenge. The Nissan cash guy e-power is a hybrid so you don't have to plug in but unlike other hybrids it always drives in electric mode you get the superior smooth and quiet driving experience of an electric car all of the time. Take the Nissan cash guy e-power challenge at your local Nissan dealer today you'll never look back. Nissan innovation that excites. And now it's time for the talk of the Northwest the Ninth and Noon Show with Greg Hughes on Highland radio. Hello and a very good morning you welcome along to Thursdays 9 till Noon Show on this the 29th of February 2024 the last day of the month I do hope you're all very well indeed how are you keeping it's a fresh but cold out there this morning and it's going to be some showers going to be cold over the weekend but getting milder next week hopefully but anyway we're here to warm the cockles of your heart and you can warm ours by texting and what's happening 086 60 25,000 086 60 25,000 that's for your what's apps and your texts as well of course and your voice notes your VNs don't forget you can send in your voice notes to what's up if you want to express yourself that way if you want to give us a call we have Caroline and Shannon taking your calls on 07491 25,000 and you can email us from wherever you are listening to the show comments at Highland radio dot com if you want to watch the program at home on your fire stick or smart TV go to the YouTube app Highland Radio Ireland and we're crossing mobile devices on that app and on Facebook and on a busy morning as always a thruster morning with the newspapers the lead in the Turkmenal Tribune the decision by the HSE to close the health centre in Kilmachrenan has led to calls from Chancellor Michael McBride and local families to have the decision overturned as a matter of urgency the decision has come without any public consultation were told and the reaction has been one of anger and dismay and disgust and as official Ireland closes the door in the health centre in Kilmachrenan perhaps it is time for the people to finally shout stop because if they don't then every other element of government support will be gone on to the Donegal news this morning luxury home up for sale with 500,000 euro price cut presence of defective material sees price drop a spectacular designer home of over 6000 square feet with an indoor heated pool and panoramic views of a green on farm inch island and lock swilly comes on to the market today with a price reduction of 500,000 euro the new selling price of 450,000 also includes two adjoining sites of 7.7 of an acre each car guard at corner Maddie bird had been agreed for sale at 950,000 euro just two years ago however it's since been tested for mica and the brochure carries the following caveat deteriorious materials a survey has been carried out on the building and there is a high risk to deterioration from potential freeze for damage but still the price tag 450,000 euro I'm not sure how that works with entering onto schemes and what have you but anyway it's half price at this point the Dairy News this morning government urged to scrap Legacy Act the British Governments Legacy Act should be abandoned Dairy MP has said SDLP leader and foil MP column eastward urged the government to scrap the controversial troubles law following a decision in the High Court yesterday the Legacy Act stops new troubles era cases and inquests from starting and offers a conditional amnesty to those accused of killings the law replies to former members of the security forces and to ex paramilitary the Irish government against this it was championed for the most part from what I could see by Boris Johnson onto the national side the Irish independent and I wonder how many of us find ourselves in this situation a woman who had her application for a cost rental apartment rejected because she did not meet the affordability criteria has said the housing crisis is leaving people with no option but to emigrate Jess who's at 31 works as a policy adviser to Sinn Fein TD Martin Kenny he and earns a decent wage and has always been able to pay her monthly rent her previous experience with a serious illness means she probably won't be able to secure a mortgage she has been told she won't qualify for protection insurance a policy that pays off your home loan if you died during the term of the mortgage when she was just 27 the Cork woman had to undergo a hysterectomy following a delayed diagnosis of endometriosis a dill bit a debilitating womb condition but because of that she's going to struggle now to get home insurance without home insurance going to struggle to get a mortgage and now is facing is facing emigration onto the Irish Times this morning senior HSE executive secures 389,000 euro exit package the stories keep coming don't they one of the most senior executives in the HSE is to receive a redundancy package of nearly 400,000 euro under a deal approved by government departments and finalised in recent days the HSE said yesterday that Dean Sullivan who was appointed six years ago as deputy director general had left its employment by agreement and redundancy details of the agreement with Mr. Sullivan are likely to generate further controversy over redundancy payments in the public sector coming in the wake of revelations of payments made to senior executives in RTE and it just seems to be a cash cow working for the state in one form or other to leave your job and to leave with 400,000 euro in your back pocket or 250,000 euro or 385,000 euro the how much money is being paid out in severance packages exit packages redundancy packages while the deal governing Mr. Sullivan's departure from the health service came about following a mediation process the HSE said Mr. Sullivan had been employed by the HSE since July 2017 as deputy director general chief strategy and planning officer initially for a five year period in July 2022 he became HSE chief strategy officer so how can you work for the HSE for you know five or six years and then you leave with 388,000 euro it's really really quite remarkable the Irish Daily Mail the media minister will face calls at a crunch meeting tomorrow to sack the entire board of RTE and appoint a new one she can fully trust after the dramatic fallout with the chair of the board there's been a major fracturing of the relationship between the board and Catherine Martin in the wake of her de facto sacking a former chair soon nirahala on television last week a defiant minister Martin insisted in the doll yesterday that she was going to grasp the nettle on the series of crises at RTE after repeatedly being accused of being missing in action throughout the row throughout the now nine month period of unfolding controversy at the national broadcaster in fairness I kind of did only start linking her name to this whole controversy relatively recently but it's been she's being told she needs to get a broom out and clear shop the farmers journal this morning thousands of farmers will receive a cash flow injection this week as agri climate rural environment ski makers payments finally issued the interim payments are worth a total of one hundred and thirteen point six million euro payments issued at a flat rate of five thousand euro for those participating in acres cooperating projects and four thousand for those who entered the scheme through the general route minister Charlie mcconnellogue said this is just an incredibly heartbreaking story it's one of those stories I was reading about and I heard some of it and it just stops you completely in your tracks because you just try and put yourself but you don't try and put yourself you find yourself put in the emotional position of imagining what it must be like and then you sort of can't allow it almost it's incredibly sad it's in the Irish Daily Mirror at the grieving mum of a boy who died after a traffic collision at the weekend has given birth Shane Dylan Cody Coleman was born on Tuesday to parents Laura Cody and Gary Coleman baby Shane Dylan's big brother Dylan died yesterday morning after suffering injuries on Sunday afternoon in Purcell Park Shannon County Claire Dylan hailed a hero on social media for donating his organs to save young children got to meet his baby brother before he passed away his heart broken mum Laura confirmed she also confirmed Dylan's organs will be donated to children in need Dylan was airlifted to University Hospital Limerick following the horror incident after treatment there and subsequently at Temple Street Hospital in Dublin he was sadly pronounced dead yesterday and there's absolutely no doubt that he'll be welcomed or has been welcomed into heaven and hopefully from there he'll keep a close eye on his baby brother who he did get to meet before sadly passing away on to the Irish shirts on this morning and an ex assistant of an Irish MAP has told a court he hacked their social media and posted about a naked pick of another politician I remember this story at the time I remember seeing the post I was scrolling through as it was then Twitter and it came from an account with the name associated with Luke Ming Flanagan and it was one of those wow okay because it was very it was designed clearly to hurt Luke Ming Flanagan as much as possible there was a what seemed like a purpose misspelling it was done in the middle of the night and it was created as if to give the impression to give the impression that he was googling and accidentally googled in Twitter if you know what I mean we're going to be speaking to Luke Ming Flanagan about that very very shortly and the reason well I'll explain to Luke Ming Flanagan listeners is the reason why I thought it important we speak to him but anyway Mr Flanagan has been completely and utterly vindicated and the person has admitted responsibility and could face up to a year in prison as a result of his actions finally the Irish star this morning Kellogg's boss Gary Pilnick has sparked outrage after suggesting struggling families eat cereal for dinner the multimillionaire executive has compared sorry was compared to French Queen Mary Antoinette who infamously said let them eat cake after his tone deaf tip he claimed it would be much more affordable adding cereal for dinner is something that is probably more on trend now and we would expect to continue as that we expect to continue as that consumer is under pressure now I don't think that's an appropriate appropriate thing to say especially that you might you might likely profit from it alright then 08 660 25000 that's the what's up in text number I'll give you a reminder an earlier reminder shortly once I get the information of our competition we've got running today we've got two more family passes to give away to the Fundamentia event in Derry I'll tell you more about that as a say after we take a break the newspapers are courtesy of Kelly Centra mountaintop letter Kenny the C store national large for court of the year for 2022 choose life choose fun choose not sitting at home getting bored choose something better something really fun choose Fundamentia coming to the brunswick movie ball from March 1st choose regular junior or family wristbands and enjoy some of Europe's top thrill rides choose fun for all ages a legendary Fundamentia event first to the 17th of March for details see Fundamentia.co.uk right price tiles and wood flooring are 26 years old and to celebrate we're offering up to 70 percent off everything in store that's right a massive birthday sale with up to 70 percent off all tiles wood flooring and bathware everything's in stock right price tiles and wood flooring up to 70 percent off birthday sale now on cruise into the future with our kev line up offering you the latest in electric vehicle technology with 1.9% finance and a seven-year warranty ensuring your peace of mind as you navigate the roads of tomorrow step into the future with iMotors and experience the thrill of driving a kev visit our showroom or explore our electrifying range at iMotors.ie battery is on 1% and makes a dash up the stairs Sarah frantically looking for her keys approaches the top of the stairs in a hurry as Sean rushes around the blind turn at the top of the stairs they realize it's too late this crash resulted in one broken phone two broken banisters and two very sore heads if Sean and Sarah were drivers the result could be infinitely worse support national slow down day today 7 a.m. to 7 a.m. brought to you by on guard a shakana and the road safety authority just like social life tickets from 2925 are on sale now more details on sale now as i mentioned just before the break an ex-assistant of an irish MEP has told the court he hacked their social media and posted about a naked pig of another politician the september 2020 post was made on luke ming flanigan's ex account it was twitter at that time and it related to a photo about former green party candidate sure should make you skinny dipping the post was later deleted and the midlands northwest MEP claimed that he was a count had been hacked and of course now that we know the politician reported the issue to the european parliament who then handed the case over to the authorities in brussels an investigation was launched germans haze mr flanigan's former assistant yesterday admitted in court he was the person behind the controversial point now posts sorry now what happens uh when these things happen is at the time its screenshot and it shared around and it's covered in all the media and everybody knows about it but then what often happens is that when the person who's the victim of such a situation is vindicated fully uh you don't often hear about it as much or it certainly doesn't get as much traction so that's why i've thought incredibly important to invite northwest MEP luke ming flanigan onto the program just to make as many people as possible as aware of his vindication and we appreciate you accepting the invite luke ming good morning to you well i'm only i'm only delighted to and evolve with specificity and there's a lot of talk about public broadcasting at the moment and i'm saying this on every local radio station i'm not trying to butter you up because you can say whatever you want to me but and you do public service broadcasting and thank you you would be probably seen as someone you know thick skinned um uh you know with the cut and thrust of politics you're prepared to give it out you're prepared to take it um but this is different and this is personal and then it involves family and all that kind of stuff what did it feel like i suppose when you learned that this had been posted and then saw how it was being bandied around and being discussed and your name was being dragged through the mud how did that feel as a human well uh when i woke up that morning after the tweet was posted and unfortunately that's a bad habit and i'd advise people against it but i looked at my twitter account first thing probably it's about half eight that morning and i was just stunned there was a viral commentary going on about the fact that a post had been tweeted from my account and that it had been deleted someone had taken a screenshot of it and basically sent it around again and my first thought was and how the hell am i going to clear my name here because we often hear stories about how people claim they've been hacked after something terrible is put out from their account and people don't believe them and generally the vast majority of cases and people can't prove that they were hacked so for me my first reaction was and i rang a former assistant of mine a friend of mine and i said to him uh basically i am f dot dot dot k e d how the hell am i going to get out of this and it took a couple of days before i got my head around it but i didn't have a couple of days to get my head around it because you have a job to do and i'm not saying you all do it in a bad way or a good way but you have a job to do so i was inevitably contacted by numerous media organizations and while all of that immense pressure was happening i have to try and work out how exactly did this happen and fortunately and the assistant who actually replaced this guy who's absolutely brilliant the the person who replaced him a female colleague of mine herself and her partner who was a commuter expert came up with a theory as to how it would have happened how would someone without using my current password access my twitter account and they worked it out for me and a couple of people online did as well but that story didn't gain traction no one seemed to be want want to be interested in it and the answer to my problem was that at one stage twitter had something called a third party application called tweetcaster a bit like let's say if you're on facebook if facebook had another app that you could use facebook on twitter had that at one stage and the benefit of using that app was at that stage twitter only allowed you a very limited number of characters the images and videos that you could post were very limited so i started using tweetcaster for a while you could schedule tweets as well and and that type of stuff i mean it was advantageous in that yes it was and for me it was stated in court by jim it is yesterday that he operated my social media accounts i can guarantee you absolutely no one operates their social media account my social media account except me and to all you have to do is follow my threads on twitter some of the things that i say well you wouldn't pay any you wouldn't pay anyone to it but you see the thing about it is and this is this is where it came clear to me that there was that there was a plan to this at the time of the posting the misspelling that it be created as if it were you know something that you put into google and then so and then it wasn't even left there so you could quote it or whatever and say evidently this is not me i'm going to leave this here to prove that it is no whatever action that you wanted to take everything had been framed in such a way that as soon as you were explaining you were losing it was done in a it was done in a way that had painted you really quite significantly into a corner well you talk about it's a very good point when you're explaining you're losing and that's a bad situation to be in but i wasn't even a worse situation i couldn't even explain because once i'd worked out how they had got in because they the old password remains the same on tweekast or regardless of whether you change it once i'd worked that out i had a very very good idea who the individual about the individual who did it but i couldn't say this so you say when you're explaining you're losing i couldn't even explain and this caused me a lot of problem because obviously i'm not just dealing with this issue at that time i had just got a really really good result and a really good result for turning all on the common agricultural policy my amendment on convergence have gone through i could have been going on the radio at that time and it's great as a politician to be able to spread good news and to be able to legitimately claim you're responsible for it i couldn't go on the radio because it was inevitable you're a journalist if i went on the radio at that time like what else you were inevitably going to ask me you wouldn't be doing your job if you did and i couldn't answer the question because i was afraid i'd prejudice the case so not only could i not talk about it and not only could i not explain even if i was losing i couldn't talk about any other issue and as a result and it was said to me on one of the radio stations a few weeks ago you've been kind of quiet well there's a reason at the beginning i was quite because i was afraid i'd be asked questions about it and in the meantime it severely damaged my confidence that people would actually believe i do such a horrible thing so confidence has been low i have been i've been suffering from depression as a result of it i've since been diagnosed with autism and with autism you can ruminate a lot about stuff and an issue like this i couldn't get it out of my head and it got me very down hopefully you are on the way up again because it's not just you of course as much as if you're in the public eye you might want to shield your family from it they'll understand the cotton frost of politics right but it's the personal side of it then that that can be very difficult it the impact was not only on you and you feel the impact as well that it might have on on other members of your family well the worst impact for me was the impact that it did have on my family like only six months ago and this is what's important about it this just wasn't a crime on the day it was a crime that continued for three and a half years because he didn't come out and put his hands up so even six months ago i was dealing with this my nine-year-old daughter who doesn't have a phone but some of her friends do presented her with a picture of me an obscene picture of me a meme that was made from South Park and my daughter walked in with the phone and her friend and said what's this about daddy can you explain it now it's very hard to explain to a nine-year-old child about a cartoon image where there is sexual explicit content in it that is immensely difficult to deal with i was also out for a walk one day with my 19-year-old daughter who also has autism and when i'm out for a walk i tend to walk a bit faster than the people with me for whatever reason i had walked on a little bit ahead and i bumped into a neighbour and he said what will you do with that searsha mcqueen one and my daughter had just come around the daughter at the corner when he'd finished saying that i fobbed it off and i walked on and my daughter said to me what did that man say to you i said he said nothing and she said he said something about searsha mcqueen she said are you all right daddy and at the time i was wondering was she all right because she was going through a lot of problems and it caused her more problems and then to make it even worse my wife she works for twosla she said comments made about her on twitter and one particular one was i feel sorry for luke ming flanagan's wife because of what he did so they all had to deal with that it was difficult to come out in public and look you have good people and bad people in town people in towns and i have supporters and people who don't support me and the people who don't support me were only glad to believe this and cast it up at me and unfortunately for whenever in a day into the future they'll always be a very very very small minority who don't care about the truth on this and they will continue to throw it at me so i'll pay the price forever you know the person who is responsible for this german haze has admitted it eventually admitted it well he had it forced out yeah it came out of him one way or they could have come out of him much earlier and it wouldn't have stopped a lot of it but it would stop some of this what about what happens to him now there are i think the prosecutor is looking for a year they're content if it's or they'll accept it being suspended you're in brussels i'm not sure if german haze is based in brussels but what what do you want to happen next i mean can you share the city with this person and i think that's a very good question you're the first person who's asked it of me and it's a question we ask at home i have three daughters i spent and i was on 88 flights last year i'll put it like that i spent hundreds of the day of days of the year in brussels meaning there are times when in order to be with my children they've to come out and visit me they are now a little bit reluctant i have a 21 year old daughter who would be wary of coming out as a result but i have a 19 year old daughter who'd be wary my nine year old they don't give a damn but it doesn't make it comfortable here so the ideal scenario for me would be that he wouldn't be living in the city anymore but look i don't know is is that going to happen but he at the moment is facing anything from a year in jail to having to do a community service so that's basically what he's facing but i have to say and i'd have to thank the belgian judicial system and the belgian police force and in particular the security apparatus in the european parliament they all came around me and supported me as soon as this happened and if they didn't i would not have been able to clear my name it would have been impossible and many people out there aren't in the lucky position that i'm in that all of those forces came on my side if you were an ordinary citizen out there you would have a really really difficult job proving this and you'd have that slur on you for the rest of your life but look and i've got a really good result and i'm really pleased with that and my family are pleased with it and i'm also in relation to seersham ecu was also a victim of this it's really hard for women to get involved in politics it's a very male dominated job and this doesn't help and i hope it doesn't discourage her from being continuing to be involved in politics because she showed herself to be very skillful and that she has potential in that area so for me and it's important to acknowledge that this had an impact on seersham ecu as well because she's a fine person yeah indeed but then it holds sort of the whole thing holds a mirror up to society and how we behave and how we react and how you know a lot of people believe they're critical thinkers will think for themselves and maybe they don't they take anything as red as fact but i don't believe i don't believe that that we can sort of reverse that anymore you know there was a time i would have hoped that maybe this was a stage we were going through but it seems now on social media collateral damages is it perfectly acceptable it doesn't matter if we're talking about children dying or a politician being having the reputation harmed or whatever it's a toxic space social media it's all this is always going to be a factor of it there'll still be people you might not be able to track them all down that will probably share that picture in years to come the original meme that suggests that you were guilty of something that you weren't but i i'd think the the genie's out of the bottle now yeah it certainly is i i suppose and i'm only about 800 meters away from a statue of mr glutenberg down here in strazburg and he invented the printing press and the problem ultimately isn't the printing press and the mass dissemination of false information through books and leaflets at the time and now the problem isn't necessarily facebook or twitter or instagram the problem is the people who do this and the problem who say it and someone said to me once you can't blame walls for graffiti people have to put something on the walls and at the end of the day it's down to human beings being decent or not but look we do have a problem with facebook we do have a problem with the dissemination of false information and you're right the genie is out of the bottle and wilish initially was a massive help to me because when i was canvassing in 2011 in west common litrum when i turned up in karak uh because of the facebook post i had 26 people there waiting to canvass for me and when i went across the bridge in karak and shannon to the west common side to cartober i had 15 people there waiting to canvass for me so while initially for me it was a big help unfortunately it's uh it's an animal that was friendly that's now gone mad i have two you have two brief questions to ask you firstly have you at any point considered not seeking re-election off the back of this and all the stuff and i have i have taught about it all right i seriously taught about it and it's not just for these reasons you leaving your children behind every monday morning and many people have to do that and work on a building site and break their back but leaving them every monday morning and coming back on a friday and then you throw this in on top of it it does make you think but i sat down and i genuinely thought about it and i looked at what what i'm involved in i'm involved in the reform of the common agriculture policy we're going to have another reform in a couple of years time i want to be involved in that i was successful the last time and in particular for your listeners and this isn't election year and this is something that's very dear to my heart we are in a process on defective concrete we're starting to get some traction in the european union and this is going to run on for the next few months and maybe for the next couple of years and i want to be there to do something about it and i'll be honest initially when i got elected to the european parliament i thought okay i can make noise i can agitate i have to say i've been surprised at the cooperation that i've got and it's because of that even though i do find it stressful and god love me life is stressful and some people find life stressful but for me the rewards for my constituents can be great if i can keep doing this so i'm going to stick with it finally we spoke yesterday to a very respected vet gerard wroughty as it relates to the adoption of the nature restoration well he warned that this is going to have a devastated impact on agriculture industry particularly in donna gall given the the makeup of our ground up here also so there is a line in the document somewhere that sort of suggests that the future could be water buffalo here in donna gall which some might see as adding insult to injury the government is saying kind of we've got two years to get this right for us that you know europe is not necessarily going to dictate how we implement this but would you share dr wroughty's concerns one concerns actually i put it to dr wroughty yesterday my concern about flooding of properties and how we defend properties and that's actually a big issue here in donna gall it wasn't it didn't seem to be a particular concern of his but i did hear it from someone else this morning that's what jumped out at me as well as the impact on on farming what is your stance on on the nature restoration law as it stands you know it's been stripped back but we seem to still be having to do with the worst elements of it from a donna gall perspective at irish perspective well i voted against us for three reasons i voted against us because of a lack of funding i voted against it on the basis that it wasn't fair and you talked about how donna gall will have to do more all down along the western seaboard will have to do more this is very much targeted at natura 2000 areas up until 2030 and for your listeners who might know and not exactly exactly what that is that means counties like donna gall sligo litrum mayo and gallway up until 2030 they will focus on these areas now the problem that i have with that is that these areas have to compete in the same market as farmers in the golden veil they have to sell their product undifferentiated into supermarkets at the same price without out without any benefit for being more environmentally friendly and they are also the people even though i have had a lot of success on cap reform the people of donna gall still get less than everywhere else and that's that's that's a fact no one can deny that so the people who are getting less and the people who are sustainably farming with extensive suckler farming there's very very little intensive beef or dairy in donna gall it is these areas that will have to do it first and in relation to funding there is no funding for this and last october i was very pleased to hear the government announce this 3.15 billion climate and nature fund and having looked at it and drilled down into it and trying to work out where it's going to go it's very clear to me and it's also clear to some environmental NGOs that this money will not be coming to agriculture and what i'm being told will that be used as a land grab well and what that money potentially will be used for is to pay quiltia and board the monitor to work and i have no problem with that they have a lot of work to do and they need this money but there is far more money needed and while we were told in the european parliament that for every euro you put into this you can get 30 euro back they still can't find a mechanism to fund it and what they're telling us is by 2027 they will have worked out how much money will we need we will need this is coming into place in 2026 but then they contradict themselves by saying that it will only be by 2030 that we will know how much environmental damage is done and how much work will need to be done so they're saying we'll know how much we need to pay for it by 2027 but we won't really know it until 2030 and as a member of the european parliament i know for a fact there is no money available the european union piggy bank is empty and there is no appetite among european union countries to increase that budget so what we are now asking farmers to do is in the same way as we are asking householders to do and in the same way as we're asking people who are using their cars to do we're asking everyone to change something that no one can afford to do and we're not putting any money towards it and don't get me wrong Greg we are in the middle of a serious climate crisis we are in the middle of a biodiversity crisis i have three daughters as i said earlier their future is tenuous because of this and it's because of this i believe we need to do this right and get it right now but the way that they've done it is it's just that everyone's backs up and now people will be reluctant to cooperate and that is bad news Luke ming fan again thanks for your time this morning i appreciate it okay thank you bye bye he's MEP for midlands north west 08 660 25 000 right we have to take a break we'll be back with more after these messages watch the show live now on youtube facebook and at highland radio dot com choose life choose fun choose not sitting at home getting bored choose something better something really fun choose fundomania coming to the brunswick movie bowl from march 1st choose regular junior or family wristbands and enjoy some of europe's top thrill rides choose fun for all ages a legendary fundomania event first to the 17th of march for details see fundomania.co.uk across a wide range of categories the 2024.ie digital town awards are a chance to showcase your town's digital project apply now at digitaltownawards.ie brought to you by .ie ireland's national domain registry terms and conditions applied the life of a charlie's chip is never dull once they're selected happy they're off to charlie's where they lose the jacket have a nice wash and once they get into shape and get ready out they go to meet the public side-by-side with a nice burger some fish or chicken enjoy charlie's chips to sit in or take away daily from 12 to 8 at pierce road letter kenny when the hunger hits pull into charlie's if you're tired and struggling to put a spring in your step discover the power of revive active at your local brennan's pharmacy revive active is an award-winning super supplement containing 26 active ingredients including vitamin c, d and zinc which support your immune system all in one handy daily sachet made for busy stressful lives it's a convenient way to put back what life takes out enrich your life with revive active in store or online click and collect from brennan'spharmacy.com we're here for you don't miss the BAFTA award-winning comedian Michael McIntyre's brand new show magnificent at the ssc arena belfast on friday the 31st of may 2024 as always highland radio make it easy for you as we look after all your needs we will provide luxury transfers overnight stay at the clinton hotel belfast on a bnb basis your ticket to the show shopping time in belfast city centre for more information go to theoutlet at highlandridio.com or give us a call on 07491 25000 Michael McIntyre in belfast okay as you would know it's a tough environment to do business anyway between rates and rising costs electricity you know raw produce whatever it might be and also too with the cost of living crisis that affects us here more than elsewhere in donagall you know people not perhaps not spending as much so it's tough enough to be in business without turning up in the morning or getting a call in the middle of the night to say that for no reason there's never a reason but for no reason whatsoever your business has been attacked dara fury his owner if shown fury insurance limited estate agents and insurance brokers he joins us on the program now good morning to you dara how you doing Greg you well I'm all right dara so tell us what happened to your business what did you find out when did you find out and sort of what damage was done I have a small and it wasn't my business there was two other businesses as well but I'll tell you about mine is I'm in the market square in montcran I have a small sign out to sign outside it's been there for seven or eight years but it was driving past a couple of Sunday nights ago and I noticed the sign broken now the sign seven foot high up on the wall Greg so it's not something that would be broken easily and it was quite a sturdy sign you would have to rip it to break it so I assume that's that's vandalism of some sort and that was two weekends ago and then last Saturday night there was another shop had their window shattered in the main street and a third shop had their window broken as well and and that that happened late at night so that was definitely vandalism and to make it worse and one of the shops called the guy down to to fix the window and when the guy was down fixing the window he got a hard time as well because he was fixing the window you know so well I've been in contact if I can't not upgrade you know I've had contact with that person that come down to fix the window I mean the only word to describe it he was assaulted I'm not sure if it's the same individuals responsible for the vandalism that he had the interaction with but they don't care if I'm not mistaken they videoed this and posted it on social media they seemingly do not care they're all onto themselves and that's and that's I suppose that's not our message at Montcran I you know Greg it's the same as every town in Donegal you know we're trying to pick ourselves up we're trying to do our best and you know our messages that were open for business that it's a nice place to come to and visit and all that type of stuff you know well come here Dara I'm going to come back to you and talk about that because the future is bright for Montcran and we need to focus on the positives as well as the negatives stay with me as I welcome on to the program as well Councillor Jack Morrie as I say Councillor I'm not sure who was involved who wasn't involved if it's the same people that gave the repair person the hassle that they did but I'll tell you they don't seem to carry they don't seem to to be afraid to be identified someone's actually even videoing it and putting it up on social media yeah unfortunately that assault on the man repairing that the shop was widely circulated on social media as I've spoken to him in the meantime and my understanding that it was different people who were responsible for assaulting him and those that broke the window but I would say it's only a matter of time before it that was responsible for breaking the windows or identified so I would appeal to them now if they're listening to this to come forward before it goes through the guards and just come forward with the money to make those repairs that are necessary and I would allude it to and you would yourself Ocarna has never looked better the main street if you take a walk from one end to the other it looks absolutely fantastic and it's down to the local businesses and Ocarna isn't the town that's full of big large multinational multi-millionaire businesses every one of those businesses on the main street are small family owned businesses employing local people so people depend on them for their livelihood as well as pumping a fortune back into the local economy as well in so many different ways but so how do we get a handle on this small minority that are responsible for this the people involved in the assault of the repair person young people that don't seem to care there's at least three there's two with him one videoing it you're of the belief that there are different people to break in the windows but that is that type of activity is as worrying as the earlier activity is there a problem with people walking around the streets doing this stuff on a regular basis no I wouldn't want to make it in any way look that Ocarna has some kind of a lot of society Ocarna is a very very safe town with full of very good people these are isolated incidents but I would also say that Ocarna also has a lot of CCTV all over the main street and these people will be identified so it's on them to come forward now and I know that before Christmas the Christmas tree of the main street was damaged CCTV was there and covered it those responsible came forward and paid for the damage within a couple of hours so that that being made known and I'm sure that they will reflect on that and they won't have done it again so for those responsible for this so it has come forward pay the damage like the way no name in the chamber and just it'll never happen again I hope everybody can learn their lesson from that but let the town continue to flourish let the businesses who are doing so much for the town operate and do what they do best because people need to reflect on who are they hurting like they're hurting small local family owned businesses employing your friends your neighbours in the town and doing doing good for everybody in this town and in this community so think of what it ends so if you just just to be clear we're all going to make stupid mistakes just to be clear you've got the agreement of Ocarna because these are criminal acts you've the agreement of Ocarna that if they come forward and pay for the repair of this property they won't face any sanction from the Guardi at all no I don't have that agreement but you can't make that agreement either the Guardi can pursue it yeah exactly no of course and you can't actually make them come forward yeah just to be fair yeah I'm just saying it would be my preference that they'll come forward to pay the damage pay for the money but ultimately the criminal actions are a matter for the Guardi okay and as well as that too you know anyone with influence on these people no one wants that there are people close to them to be engaged in this type of stuff stay with me Dara let's talk about the positives as Chancellor Mori says this is these are isolated incidents though we don't want to see any of them Boncranat looks beautiful as we heard from Chancellor Jack Mori vibrant shopping area a safe shopping area as well and as I say the future is bright isn't it in terms of you know returning vacant property to alternative uses you know a nice mix of business and residential and of course then the huge investment that's on the horizon for the short front and elsewhere yeah I think the town's looking looking really well Greg just to give you a couple of statistics that I worked out there was a thing in RTE the other day that said the national vacancy rate for commercial properties is about 14.3 percent Boncranat stands at about four and a half percent on the main street there's only really probably two commercial premises up for letting in Boncranat and then once those that were were pushing on up you know and we have the likes of Carrick Don came to the town recently which is a good anchor tenant and that's bringing people to the town and then you know things that you helped us with Greg you remember there was a parking issue a couple of months ago we were trying to change the parking situation you know they park they park that for one of a better word and because of the because of your appeal on Highland Radio there was so many locals came down to the local meeting and sort of people power changed the council's view on it and now that's you know they stayed with the way they were and that's really really working and credit to the council for that as well yeah credit to the council for that as well because obviously at the time you highlight these things and I presume the plan was based with the best interests of Boncranat at heart but obviously then they listened to the people that are most in the know that is the locals and says right we can look at it this a different way so credit to the council as well in terms of working with businesses and locals to do the right thing oh definitely great because we have like we've a couple of new couple of new places opening up recently and when the now recently and some more opening up and when they open up the council will get the rate so whatever they're losing at the park and they're going to get the rate so they're still getting the same amount of money so it's a good decision for the council so well done to them it took a wee bit of arm arm wrestling but sure well done to them for doing it and the other thing as well is with Boncranat do you know the the vacant homes grant yeah we have about 60 of them approved for Boncranat so you know if you if you come through the town you see all these vacant buildings or vacant houses and some of them are looking a bit rundown the idea is that in the next year 18 months two years they're all going to be occupied and done up you know so people power in Boncranat Boncranat solving its own problems you know now it's not to say the same problems that are national problems like housing and health and stuff like that they also still exist in Boncranat but the people in Boncranat are doing a really really good work to pick up the town get it up and going and uh we don't need these people doing this type of stuff at the weekend all right you know sort of mindless damage like that you know naveness in the back when we're trying to do the work you know you know what I mean yeah okay Boncranat open for business loads of businesses it is a shopping destination as well too so get that message out of there and also a good parking uh Dara Fury thanks very much when you when you come what last thing sorry last thing Greg when you coming down when you coming down to visitors when was the last time you were the time you were launching in Boncranat well I didn't have lunch there but I was up in Boncranat not so long ago and I can tell you what I bought I bought a suite of furniture no I didn't what did it buy I bought a table and chairs and I bought pretty good yeah indeed and I bought a sauce pan set so in Boncranat very good but so when were you when were you back I bought a stove we bought a stove in Boncranat as well I don't I've just realized I do all my shopping in Boncranat Dara are you offering me coffee by the way well there you are is it I hope you want I'll buy it no problem all right good thanks I'll be down soon don't worry about that okay we're in Karn done they're not too far away next week Councillor Murray okay so I think we've got a decent mix there of 95% plug in in Boncranat 5% saying look lads and lassies quit this because things are on the up and we don't need any detractors yeah 100% and look the attitude there that Dara is putting forward that's reflective of all the business owners and Boncranat on the street and the community that we have the tidy towns volunteers just there's there's so much great work happening in Boncranat there's a lot more planned to happen in Boncranat it's a great place to visit and we just look those people that are responsible this just need to count themselves on reflect on what they've done and just stop from from doing it and let the town continue to flourish because we fantastic people here make a great offering so let's just focus on that we've got a tabletop in Boncranat as well I forgot about that granite granite work surface I sound like I've got money but anyway it's part of it doing up a room so can't say don't shop locally in Boncranat all right cancel them already take care of yourself all right okay great all right thank you what else there's all the stuff is I must live in Boncranat I've only just realized that now all right okay back with more after these choose life choose fun choose not sitting at home getting bored choose something better something really fun choose fundamania coming to the Brunswick movie ball from March 1st choose regular junior or family wristbands and enjoy some of Europe's top thrill rides choose fun for all ages a legendary fundamania event first to the 17th of March for details see fundamania.co.uk the Adams family is coming to an Greenland Theatre join Gomez and Morticia in the hilarious musical comedy that will raise the dead as well as your spirits you'll be in stitches with the show that puts family first the intoxicating spell of the graveyard Latticanny Musical Society's 23rd production the Adams family on Greenland Theatre Latticanny March the 5th to Saturday March the 9th Trigamordis on March 8th we'll be asked to vote in two referendums the first referendum is about how our constitution recognizes families and the second proposes to replace existing wording with new text to provide recognition for care within families find out more in the booklet delivered to your home or see electoralcommission.ie forward slash referendums your vote is your voice so be a voter on Friday March 8th from on commission in Cowakon Ireland's independent electoral commission for day-to-day healthcare needs generations have trusted the experienced staff of McGee's chemist Latticanny from coughs and colds to aches and pains from vitamin supplements to first aid essentials McGee's have what you need when you need it with a full prescription service available daily McGee's chemist Main Street Latticanny for healthcare help and advice you can always trust imagine a device so innovative you're accept cookies there is a device so forward thinking you accept cookies a device 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be an interesting conversation it's every Thursday for the next while your voice your community coming up after the 10 o'clock news and the obituary notices choose life choose fun choose not sitting at home getting bored choose something better something really fun choose Fundamania coming to the Brunswick Movie Bowl from March 1st choose regular junior or family wristbands and enjoy some of Europe's top thrill rides choose fun for all ages a legendary Fundamania event first to the 17th of March for details see fundamania.co.uk your smartphone is a wonderful tool opening amazing ways to connect with friends, family and even businesses all over Ireland and across the world whether it's chatting to your family and friends on whatsapp grabbing a bargain by safely online shopping or even doing all your daily banking needs through an app your phone or tablet can help you do it all if you wanted to learn how to use all these features on your device now you can with High Digital a free online 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for electrical Letter Kenny in Bunkrata How would you like to go on the holiday of a lifetime then why not join us for the Highland Radio Hooli in Sony Saloon Spend seven nights in the sun with some of Ireland's top entertainers including Robert Mazzelle Jim Devane Margo, Claudia Buckley and many more with live music all day every day staying in the beautiful four-star Sol Costa Jirata Hotel this is a trip not to be missed book now by calling Country Music Tours on 0749119955 or email info at country music tours.ie we'll see you in Sony Saloon Live on air online and on the Highland Radio app this is Highland Radio News Good morning I'm Akilah Clark with the news at 10 o'clock Next week marks the first step in the delivery of a game-changing project for Letter Kenny Demolition works are set to commence at the former ESB signed in the time between Pierce and Port Roads in the coming days which will make way for a major innovation and business centre Once demolition and side clearance works are completed construction of the Alpha Innovation Centre and Beta Business Centre will begin Country Jermic Monagles Sensor Development will be a huge driver for employment in the time This will be a game-changer for Letter Kenny and we often say that but this will be and particularly for that Port Roads Pierce Road area it'll be part of a new development and it's a business innovation centre it will create the employment of upwards of 500 jobs we would envisage so it's great to see the project taken shape and that we now are beginning to clear the site Amidlands Northwest MEP says working through the hacking of his acts account by a foreign parliamentary assistant has had had an adverse impact on his health 34-year-old German Hays from Dublin was convicted in a Belgian court after admitting to posting a picture of then-Green Party candidate Sir Sir McCue from Amidlands Northwest MEP Leukming Flanagan's account in September 2020 The MEP told today's nine-tone show that he has suffered with depression and has been diagnosed with autism since he says what was most difficult during that time was seeing how it affected his family I was also out for a walk one day with my 19-year-old daughter who also has autism and I bumped into a neighbour and he said what were you doing with that Sir Sir McCue one I phobbed it off and I walked on and my daughter said to me what did that man say to you I said he said nothing and she said he said something about Sir Sir Sir McCue she said are you all right daddy and at the time I was wondering was she all right because she was going through a lot of problems and it caused her more problems An initial concert says while there is light at the end of the tunnel in the Campion for the restoration of services at Riverwalk House in Cardona the Campion for services at Milton Heights has been hit with another problem with confirmation of the presence of defective blocks At this week's meeting of the Regional Health Forum West at Cancer Albert Doherty was told a structural engineers report has identified low levels of mica which might be addressed in the short term by a re-render of the idler leaf and the demolition of a small extension extensive mechanical and electrical upgrades are also needed Cancer Doherty is asking that the necessary works at Milton Heights be prioritized both in terms of rest by potential and the use of the hydrotherapy pool I am disappointed but at the same time not surprised that mica assessment results have confirmed that there are issues where there's going to be structurally repair work I hope and I asked for priority consideration to be given to the works required here because we would like to access Milton Heights not only for the residential respite services but also for the hydrotherapy pluses that can happen from access to the pool area 33 vehicles have been detected speeding so far on National Slow Dine Day In the first two yards of the operation Ghost Sea fans discovered one motorist driving at 142 km per hour in a 100 zone in Wicklow and a driver speeding at 112 km per hour in an 80 zone in Dublin Guardies say they're continuing to appeal to drivers to comply with speed limits in order to reduce the number of speed-related collisions save lives and reduce injuries on roads Police in Derry say they are becoming increasingly concerned for the welfare of a woman missing since earlier this week Julia Stokes also known as Julia Orr was last seen on Monday at around 1pm in the Alden Galden Hospital area She's described as having black shoulder length hair of a medium build is approximately 160 cm in height and has a Dublin accent Police say Julia may be wearing a black poffa-style coat a grey top and light jogging bottoms If anyone has information on the wearables of Julia they're asked to contact police Whether or not today will be cold with sunny spouts and shards of rain or hail with a chance of thunder highest temperatures of 5 to 7 degrees That's all from Highland video news for now we'll be back with an update again at 11 o'clock until then you can keep up to date with the latest local news on our website highlandvideo.com Good morning The obituary notice says for this Thursday morning February the 29th The death has occurred of Katrina Fullerton 46 Castle Park at Bunkrana County Donegal Katrina's remains will repose at her home tomorrow where you're welcome to pay your respects from 9 o'clock Funnel on Saturday morning leaving at 10 o'clock going to St. Mary's Church Cockhill for 11 o'clock recreation mass with burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery Funnel can be viewed on churchservices.tv Family flowers only donations if desired to I care Bunkrana care of any family member The death has occurred of John McMeneman Whitehill Navany Bally Buffay reposing at his brother Eddie McMeneman's Whitehill today from 11 o'clock to 10 o'clock for family, neighbors and friends only please Funnel leaving from there to more morning at 20 past 10 for recreation mass in St. Mary's Church Sheshaw Nail at 11 o'clock internment in the adjoining church yard The recreation mass will be streamed live via the parish YouTube channel The death has taken place of Robert Bob Brendan Doar Ardeskin Donegal Tine and formerly of Dirk Nocknagoshil Keri Reposing in Turkconel funeral home Donegal Tine today from 3 o'clock to 7 o'clock followed by removal to St. Patrick's Church Donegal Tine arriving at half past 7 to repose overnight funeral mass to more morning at half past 11 with burial afterwards in Clarke St. Agatha's Churchyard Cemetery highest private please Family flowers only donations in lieu should you wish to Donegal Hospice funeral mass can be viewed live on tonowilliparish.ie The death has taken place of Emily Turish the bungalow Lystylian letterkenny Emily's remains will repose at her home today from 12 noon until after the rosary at 9 o'clock funeral from there to more morning at quarter past 10 going to the church of the Irish martyrs letterkenny for 11 o'clock recreation mass which can be viewed on the parish YouTube channel internment afterwards in St. Columbus Church Cemetery family time before the funeral to more morning please Family flowers only please donations in lieu off flowers if desired to relay for life care of any family member And the death has occurred of Dennis Carberry Sr. Killy Kilkar Donegal and formerly Mount Malik Lyst removal from McBrushy's funeral home Killy Beggs this afternoon at half past 12 to St. Mary of the visitation Church Killy Beggs for one o'clock at funeral mass with burial afterwards in the local cemetery mass will be streamed live on mcn.live hysterically private at his own request please family flowers only donations in lieu if desired to the Donegal hospice letterkenny care of McBrushy's funeral directors or any family member for family information and more details regarding wakes and funerals please go to highlandradio.com it's not just that Sarah can't rely on the reins to come this year it's not just that the only water left could cost her life it's not just that she has seen all her crops destroyed and she is struggling to feed her little boy like thousands of parents living in regions devastated by drought Sarah is living in fear and it's not just this lends your help can make all the difference visit trocra.org or call 1-800-408-408 trocra together for a just world and now I'm Rose 2023 best local original news program the voice of the Northwest the 9 till noon show with Greg Hughes good morning to you you're very welcome back to the 9 till noon show good morning if you have just joined us you missed an interesting hour wherever you were we had I thought quite an interesting conversation with Luke Ming Flanagan who was this week vindicated after a former associate of his hacked his Twitter account and really quite an insightful conversation in terms of how that impacted on him personally let's have a look at some of the comments coming in so far hello Greg would you please thank Luke Ming for voting for the rural landowner of Ireland on the nature the nature restoration we will deal with the others in the coming elections says John Greg let me remind you that the counselors were pushing to change the parking fees in Bongkranha it was people power that won just repeat that and it was made very clear that the council wanted one thing and the people wanted another um hi Greg thought there were camera signs where the speed vans were sitting no signs on the road from Manor roundabout to Newton and the speed van sitting there all the time okay can't understand or are they still protesting about the farming matters why not why no one has come on or text about this man on your show this morning chatting about flooding peatland and will be worthless crazy stuff well we had a full conversation on that yesterday that's what I was referencing to Luke Ming there vet Dr Jared Rorty was on for a good 20-25 minutes talking exactly about what you're talking about now hi Greg I was just reading the official literature regarding the referendum the proposal for the family amendment should be withdrawn and be brought back to the table for review as there's no definition a definition for durable relationships all that would happen is endless court cases arguing this point with all of us picking up the tab and those in the legal arena making a fortune and I think that's a good thing making a fortune and we all know how quick a court case is here that comes in from Peg thank you Michael McDool will be on the show a little later on of course he's advocating a no no and he's going to be talking to us as to why so that's coming up on the program a little later on after 11 o'clock in fact and just a couple of requests can you wish Clodagharty laden kindrom a happy eighth birthday today from her aunt uncles nanny granddad and cousins in Westport Cantomeo enjoy your day Clodagh and how could you please play a very special request for Mrs Sweeney third and fourth class from Clonmani National School they're heading away on a fab trip today to Dublin Zoo hope you all have a great time we'll enjoy every minute lots of love from all the mummies and the daddies now as we've been mentioning to you all this week the Brunswick movie bowl in Derry, London Derry is hosting the Fundament Fundamentia Fairground from the 1st of March till the 17th of March and we're giving you the chance to win incredible family passes for a day of unlimited fun and excitement and we're giving two passes away each day this week to be in with a chance of winning this fantastic prize today you have to identify you have to identify this town and there are three clues Twin Towns Finns Bridge Sporting Spirit Twin Towns Finns Bridge Sporting Spirit now this doesn't cause a row I have an answer here in front of me if it matches if you match that well done text your answer your name and where you're from to 08 660 25000 you can WhatsApp that number too so what town am I talking about Twin Towns Finns Bridge Sporting Spirit text your answer your name and where you're from to 08 660 25000 it is free to WhatsApp and for most of you free to text with your text bundles and what have you so you're being told that you are to get ready to be swept away by the greatest fairground extravaganza you'll ever encounter from hot pounding rollercoasters to adrenaline pumping bumper cars they have it all you can go yourself but two of you will be going thanks to us here at Highland Radio two families right your voice your community a new Thursday feature coming up after the break it's time for Vision Ireland Bingo on Highland Radio it's Thursday the 29th of February jackpot day you're playing for the jackpot prize of 8800 euro on the pink sheet the reference number is s4 it's game number nine the jackpot number is 17 this number can come out in any position from the next 10 numbers drawn and now here are your daily numbers 47 56 69 43 36 31 61 37 19 and finally 66 phone your claim tonight 104833 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 highlandradio.com to fight back against cancer every step matters register your team today at dunagallrelayforlife.com relay for life dunagall we relay for those who can't so gather your team and make a difference at Michael Murphy Sports and Leisure we know a good pair of trainers makes all the difference whether you're running marathons or training for your first 5k we stock all the leading brands including Assyx, Brooks and New Balance with different styles and features to suit individual running needs call in store or shop online at michaelmurphysports.ie choose fun choose not sitting at home getting bored choose something better something really fun choose Fundamenia coming to the Brunswick Movie Bowl from March 1st choose regular junior or family wristbands and enjoy some of Europe's top thrill rides choose fun for all ages a legendary Fundamenia event first to the 17th of March for details see fundamenia.co.uk righty oh some comments here I have a five bedroomed house and decided to call for help to the Ukrainian War I would rent out two of my bedrooms I get 800 euro a month for three of them so three bedrooms given up in the house 800 euro a month yesterday I went to renew my house insurance 745 euro at the minute I said oh by the way I've got three Ukrainians staying with me and she said oh that's a different story so my house insurance renewal is now 1,980 so I called the group who I have the agreement with of hosting these Ukrainians with and they said there was no additional funds to cover this cost for me I didn't pay and I'm wondering what to do I can't afford to pay it and I can't afford not to can anyone offer me some advice okay so this is a person that answered the call gave up a few of the rooms they're only getting 800 euro a month I want to say only they have to cover all the heating costs the electricity costs now it's I presume those living with them can contribute if they if they want if they wanted to but I believe they don't in this case so because they're hosting these families their insurance has gone up to 1900 well effectively 2000 euro bar 20 euro and the people they have the agreement with to host the Ukrainian says look that's on you there's nothing we can do about that so that's a bar that's out in three months of the money and that's just on one bill house insurance anyone out there any advice for this person I would imagine probably starting to rethink I don't know but probably starting to rethink the the situation right we were covering the story of the blood room in Lada Kenyon University Hospital yesterday and we're continuing to pursue that story till its conclusion as you might know the head of that unit has informed consultants GPs that because of a pressure on space and it's only space not staff or equipment that they can't guarantee that all samples will be seen during their working day and if the sample isn't analyzed on that day then it becomes unsuitable for analysis this is great it creates a lot of concern for people that are reliant on regular blood tests and what have you beat cancer patients or whatever I mean it's a diagnostics tool but it also keeps a track on certain things in your blood that are cancer indicators and we certainly don't want to add to anyone's distress but we can't ignore this story either the powers that be were asked to provide extra space proposals on how they might do were given to them but to no avail this caller says I'm a cancer patient and I often get bloods done to see if I'm suitable for treatment does this news this morning mean my treatment could be delayed if my bloods won't be done on one day perhaps it does right I'm going to quickly take this outbreak to clear the decks for our next item it's as I mentioned your voice your community and we have a couple of guests in studio two members of our community and their own as well that's coming up after these two minutes watch the show live now on youtube facebook and at highlandradio.com choose life choose fun choose not sitting at home getting bored choose something better something really fun choose fundomania coming to the brunswick movie bowl from march 1st choose regular junior or family wristbands and enjoy some of europe's top thrill rides choose fun for all ages a legendary fundomania event 1st to the 17th of march for details see fundomania.co.uk cheap farmers lose out in trade deals plus we hear from three farmers devastated by tb outbreaks all inside the irish farmers journal you can't afford to miss it hi patty here at she and connelly cars in dunningall town are you looking to upgrade your car with she and connelly cars you'll find mix and models for every budget great finance options and may also accept 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available to help ease the burden on families across the country for support and advice visit gov.ie forward slash reduce your use brought to you by the government of ireland getting married don't leave it too late book with us today at the groom's room in evolved clothing let it any retail park righty oh you're very welcome back to the program and we're into a new item here on a thursday it is uh your voice your community and uh delighted to welcome Anne Freil into studio hi Anne it's great to have you with us and also we've got Pamela Colotti family links worker with donagall travellers project have i got to your pronunciation yeah Pamela Colotti Colotti listen thanks both of you for calling in you've been on the radio before and Pamela this is your first time it is yeah so i've strict instructions to go very easy on you is that all right okay listen we really appreciate we really appreciate you calling into us right okay and our focus is um on um members of the traveler community Pamela family links worker with the donagall travellers project and through this item we just want people to learn a little bit more about people maybe they have preconceptions of the if notions of the biases to maybe they don't maybe they've no understanding maybe they don't care uh so we want to use these uh this thursday afternoon or this thursday morning to sort of learn a little bit more Pamela talk to us a little bit about your early life my early life okay um so i suppose my early life um growing up at school um i suppose it was a place i didn't really feel like um do you know like i was i suppose a sense of belonging per se um so when i was 15 i had just completed my junior start um and i left school um and i suppose i didn't really like growing up at school you know um like that you know when we were younger there was a lot of racism and discrimination and look it's no do you know what i mean it's no it's nothing new really so i suppose you know those years were a bit difficult but of course i mean there was loads of good times as well to you know family um and our culture family is very strong very close you know so we did have that which was great growing up hmm and we did you have friends in the settled community um or did you always feel outside of it a lot of the time i would have felt outside of it i did have friends but they were normally from other cultures i did have friends within you know the south from the south community as well um but the kinship was other minorities yeah yeah when i was very young my closest friend actually would have been um from another minority yeah okay interesting and you left school at 15 was it was it at 15 was so young at 15 aren't we but was it like did you feel you had to or did you feel that that was what would make you happy or i'm just trying to put myself in the mind of a 15 year old pamela and you know ambitious but at the same time is this you know will life allow me to do maybe what i want to do how how did you feel with that decision yeah well i suppose um like i said i didn't really like school so um so for me i couldn't really wait to get out of that i left at 15 too so i couldn't really wait to get out of there but like that i was ambitious and i did want to do more with my life but it was never something i felt that i'd ever really achieved um and i suppose so i left but what i did do was um i had gone to a travel training center where i completed my leave insert applied um and just being in a space with my own community was such like i mean i did complete my leave insert there and i had committed to it you know um and it just it was such a big difference for me i suppose i felt more inclusive you know included i'm with my own community you know and i suppose it was easier to thrive in that space third level yes so i third level as you know i've only just completed and congratulations thank you very significant yeah so it took me many years to get there but um after i completed my leave and start applied i didn't go back to school or into any third level education so i came away from that um and i became a mum at 20 um but a few years after um i had my baby um don't go travelers project i had got in touch um and they had women's groups um so i started going to the women's groups there and that was where i really started my journey um was supposed to watch my peers like and and the others do you know what and was it you know we often say you know if you can see you can be it or if you're the right influence was it as simple as that that you had sort of horizons open to you by seeing what what and others were achieving yeah i did but as well to like that growing up i never like i was oblivious to a lot of i suppose i mean when you did there was race discrimination you feel it there's a sense of it but i wasn't a hundred percent aware of it by the time i started the women's group but there we learned more about it it raised a lot of awareness you know and it really opened my eyes to how much um our community has to endure i suppose on a daily basis um and that kind of gave me that passion and that desire to want to start community work um so it was watching my peers but it was also that awareness reason as well and and as as remarkable as your achievement is it's fantastic but it is remarkable because so few members of the traveling community and i'd probably guess even less women than men actually be able to go on to complete their third level education yeah yeah yeah so i think we need to get to a point where it's not it's not a story yeah that's great but you know what we know the only one percent of our community was on a third level education but we do see a change slightly but change is happening you know we do have doctors within the community who are academic doctors few but they do exist um and it's very rarely where you get a member of the travel community going from primary to secondary straight on to third level i'm not saying it doesn't exist it does exist but it's rare very often you know this one percent is met with people who maybe goes back to a travel organization starts doing community education and looks at yeah you know you've a group of people that wants to invest time and energy and tea and and support you to produce your carry on in your education and a lot went back as adults through third level education so that one percent yes there is people that goes through primary to secondary third but there's mostly made up of people going through travel organizations getting a feel of community education and want to carry on to third level education and why is the number so low in your view on the numbers are so low because you know and people say oh it's the it's one shoe fits all but systems are set up if you don't blend in you know if you blend in it's fine but if you're young and you don't feel you're blunt you know my own journey is not anywhere more naked palmless we're all quite similar after education i was born raised in Donegal um and my family would be nomadic through the summer months um and i left school at the age of 13 and the experiences that i had i'm talking about early 90s um leaving i went on to secondary school in this county and the experience was quite negative experience of primary school was quite negative so when children were in um having learning travel children were brought out to the schoolyard to lift the rubbish after the break time travel children were i'm talking about myself were using the projector when the Irish and Irish language was being spoken and taught cleaning the blackboard so that kind of left us at this advantage and when there's a notion there that all should travelers drop out of school we don't go to education i went to school i was sent to school to my parents it was the obligation of this the state the obligation of the school to ensure i had equally taught as all the children and that just wasn't the way um and you've talked about how you were treated by the institution but how we as a national can you remember as a national school child how were you treated by other children i'm terrible now the reason i want to mention that and then you can go on from here we aren't born with any prejudice okay we aren't wrong we we aren't born with the things a brown person is different or a member of the traveling community is different all right so the language or the attitude had to have been picked up at home so a hundred percent right you know weren't there's normally born arrests and children pick things up and and when you're used to being in a tight net of community and as Pam has said the people you played with was members of your own community um and you knew at the age of five or six when you heard the first word of nack or gypsy it was in the schoolyard and you go home and say what does that mean like what is that can you imagine being the parent and their the child coming home and i that was one of them children because what do you say yeah like what what does that mean and for years and years as a community we know you know this is the way it was you remember the travel community this is the way life was we didn't know it was racism we didn't know it was discrimination because there was nobody there to talk about it but when Donegal Travelers Project opened up and Donegal Travelers Project is 27 years in existence this year it gave us as an opportunity as a community and especially with travel women to come together and to talk in a safe space and to analyze challenges that we were facing as women and as travel women within society and that's where we got educated in relation to racism discrimination prejudice and bias and stereotypical that we were facing and back before a movement was even existed in Ireland there is a travel movement out Ireland and there's a travel organization travel parents and people in the community just took it that's the way it was and we just had accepted as a community of oppressive behaviour onto us as a community Pamela you are family links work with Donegal Travelers Project even with your degree do you think you would have would you be do you think you'd have difficulty finding work elsewhere yeah um yeah i would feel i mean i had so as great as this achievement is it's still tarnished to some extent yeah yeah you mean you you too and i suppose it's like that i suppose it's even like growing up i didn't have a lot of i suppose self-esteem or belief in myself so do you know even to go for an interview that idea that you'd feel uncomfortable in that space or you'd feel like you were treated differently you know and i suppose that expectation for yourself as well too so i suppose like the idea of going for an interview elsewhere it's frightening you know especially when you're so used to being excluded from society so even though you may not be it's still going to be hard to walk into that space thinking that you might be do you know we do know that 83 percent of our community are unapplied and there is a myth out there about the travel community and the relation to employment well let's talk about them because you know the whole part of this conversation is to dispel myths right so some of the myths would be well lazy lazy well i'm not saying i'm copying what you said well don't get me wrong here no but my point is is that you know no interest in education unemployable disproportionately responsible for crime that type of stuff even in recent conversations you can kind of hear how do i describe this when warnings sometimes when warnings are being put out it feels like we're talking not by me it feels like in a roundabout way we're talking about the traveling community yeah it does does that make sense and this is maybe from people that shouldn't know a little bit better do you know so but if you know those myths talk about those myths you know the reality is you know as a community you know and the travel community in Ireland you know we are in digits this country and you know the experience of race and discrimination still exists from these travelers for us things are changing yes but that is still the lived experience of travelers and you have to you know acknowledge and the first society to know i'm not saying all society are race and discrimination because they're not but there's still the experience do you look at any qualities experienced by travelers look at the suicide rates weeks or community we'll get into that because also life expectancy but back to unemployment back to employment 84 percent of our community is unemployed and research has been done with the community foundation of Ireland back in 2017 so they surveyed a number of travelers and they surveyed a number of non-travelers and 83 percent of employers said that they would not employ a traveler at what percentage 83 percent and then you talk about Pamela qualification about getting a job and then 75 percent said they would not work with a traveler now that's not research we don't as a traveler organization this was the community foundation of Ireland's data and they're quite shocked and statistic still you know I know it's six year old that that is the love of experience so this notion of a traveler of getting employment and if you look across Ireland you know how many travelers that our organization with Donegal we have 30 staff in DTP and 85 percent are members of the travel community in professional jobs and funded two different departments across Ireland there's 27 primary healthcare projects set up and we've won at Donegal that are met up with members of the travel community out working in the area of health and travelers want to work want to get educated but there's a notion out there that we don't and having a school where you either don't if you don't blend in but if you stand out it's not a place for you which is unacceptable and the same thing if there was a study done if there was a study done and it found that 85 percent of employees do not want to employ someone with a disability there would be outreach there would be a because you would say well why not you know you'd be what is the issue there that's completely unacceptable yet it's important we have studies like that but that's a percentage that really needs to be challenged there's something seriously amiss there because obviously a lot of its perception it can't be all experienced because it's a one was it 1.5 percent of the population's members of the traveling community yes over one percent over just over one percent it's it's less now than the Ukrainian population that's how small the population of the traveling community is now and so a lot of its perception it can't be experience or reality because there simply aren't enough and there is there is things that we there is an organization we've been an employment officer who is a member of the settled population but also a member of the travel community and they're funded on their they work on the local development company but based in DTP and there is things as changed slowly for individuals but we need to look more than individuals you know of creating opportunities employment and training and that is working well and manage the people benefit from that service but we need to look more of a collective what is going on as a collective as a group of community you know over 40 000 travellers live on the island what is going on as and to make change for as a collective level there is good work going on I'm in relation to employment and travellers going into different safe passes and lorry getting lorry license and they are positive elements but we need to be more investment into looking at travellers and employment there's something I kind of want to tease out here and I just wonder if maybe Pamela we've learned a little bit more about ourselves over the last number of years and maybe you know members of the travellers community might be saying well we told you so in that we are seeing an awful lot of certain types of language and discrimination against many many different groups now and it seems to be okay to say it out loud right and I just wonder does that really reflect on us as a society that it's not necessarily discrimination against travellers and that's not in any way to diminish that by the way this is just a question but really it's if you're not settled white man straight do you know what I mean that there's lots of other groups that fall outside of those demographics that are feeling what members of the travelling community are feeling now be it as a woman be it as a person of colour you know be it as a member of the LGBTQ or so you know what I mean yeah like do we have a problem in this country actually with anyone who's not Indigenous Irish settled and white well I think we have because just when you talk about that you know the reality we think of the 10 grounds under the Ecos status act you know at the moment Donegal travellers project and then the culture platform has formed together and we've created this group of network Donegal network Donegal network against racism and that is a group of different ethnic minority groups coming together to look at the challenges faced by ethnic minorities in Donegal there's a notion in Donegal where race and discrimination doesn't exist but that's not the lived experience of ethnic minority groups including travellers and the Roma community and this group will look at being strategic around challenges faced by ethnic minority groups in this county but also we're looking Donegal travellers project does have initiative called interculture training team where we do interculturalism and anti-racism work and this is what broadened that so we will look for the different ethnic minority groups will become trainers we're looking to a number of campaigns through social inclusion week and but also even into the local elections and that will be a strategic forum and I don't want to be negative in relation to that but just to sort of tease out my point a little bit more you've talked of how few members of the travelling community are confined work right but we'd have say another minority of immigrants into the country you know they could be black or wherever they're from they're working in throughout healthcare they're working in all the many of the factories that we have around here or call centres whatever it might be and yet they're starting to see an increase of discrimination against them and it just you just wonder where are we at and how high is how tough that journey for the travelling community might be when we've got another minority who are you know more integrated in in in in society you could argue and they're actually seeing an increase in discrimination does that make sense I think so or Pamela yeah I think social media has a lot to do that with that as well too like I mean if you look at the far right and social media and stuff like that there's a lot of negative I suppose media and I see some of the words that you use casually used in those circles derogative terms for members of the travelling community so it's just like but if you look at the experience of black people and look at the a lot of the outpass centres look what's been happening around Ireland in relation to burning of buildings you know for me to sit here and talk about the experience of black people would be unfair but what I can talk about is about human rights inequality and people from other ethnic minority groups have challenges and there's but when it comes to the travel community and there's a there's an acceptance of subtle racism I'm not I don't discriminate or I'm not a racist but and for us from the travel community we don't there is no hierarchy of people who who experience oppression it's about working together to install our day and we do that through the intercultural platform and it's building on that as a movement of people who experience similar challenges with living in Irish society Yeah but it just seems and it's not unique to Ireland the more and this is not to judge everyone with the same this is not to say this is reflective of all society but the more sort of nationalist a country gets and we've seen it right across Europe it means that the more discrimination and what have you that we tend to see now I'm not saying that's country-wide but so Pamela talked to me about you know your culture what what do you feel what what do you love particularly about your cultural or just to sort of help us understand your life as a traveler woman a bit more yeah well I suppose I'd have to say the thing that I love most about my culture is the is family and definitely that sense of family that closeness we're all you know we're very very close to family means so much to all of us I love our shared history as well and our our heritage you know when we go back we all have a shared history of nomadism music storytelling especially storytelling you know travelers weren't you know there wasn't great literacy and stuff so storytelling was such a big thing a lot of it was and yeah it was past past reward verbally yeah yeah yeah and I mean that's what like you know I would have learned like I remember growing up and my dad you know would sit down and tell us all the stories about when he grew up you know and he'd talk about the horses and things like that you know and it was just it's just so lovely storytelling and stuff and the SAC initiative is that a story that you've created or one that was passed to you oh sorry the SAC initiative all the story SACs yeah so so last year the ETB had come to Donegal Travelers Project and they were looking to do a collaboration piece with Donegal Travelers Project in the library and they were talking about the story SAC initiative so we all did we all came together and as family links worker I took lead out on that project initially when it started you know the idea of it was to create an inclusive space within the library you know where travel children could go in and feel that there was a space for them you know that spoke about their culture their history their heritage but also that other children could also learn a little bit about you know travel culture as well and as well they wanted to build on their literacy as well so we started out and we had 19 women in total so we had 11 in South Donegal area and we had eight in Letter Kenny so the ambition was to develop a story SAC one non-fiction book and a fiction book so they did and they had very little time they had seven weeks to do this book and they did absolutely amazing so for the first five weeks they talked about their own stories and stuff like that and they made their non-fiction book which was specifically you know unique to them and then on I think it was week five or so they all came together with their individual stories and created a children's story book from that and it went into the SAC along with toys puzzles that you know represent the story but are also you know that have cultural aspects in them as well that children can play with when they open these SACs so they're absolutely amazing they were launched in November they were launched in Letter Kenny Library and Ballet Shannon Library so the story SACs now sit in Letter Kenny and they also sit in Bondorn but it got much bigger than that which with the woman and ourselves hadn't expected we got nominated for a National Aintess Award which is going to be next week now on the on the 8th of March so fingers crossed that the woman that I bring the the I suppose the award home to the woman um but uh yeah so it got much bigger we have another we I depicated 20 SACs and they kind of have gone out around to different organizations three of them as well are in the other three big district libraries in Donegal to Donegal County Child Care Committee they had bought 200 copies of each book and they have been getting them out across all the early learning year services which is absolutely fabulous as well too so it's great to have children's story books therefore for that age group that um represent our sorry excuse me represent our culture but um but yeah so you know I suppose I felt it was a like when the ATB game came like I just thought this is a great initiative do you know it's storytelling it's right up the street it's our culture it's you know travelers loved tell their stories and loved talk and you really did get a sense of that when you're in the room with the woman do you know they did they loved telling their stories well it's hard to do it with your enthusiasm I mean you you would drag a story out of a stone I think Pamela some messages coming in Leah Freel well done Ann and Pamela Molly says great interview with these two especially we Pamela which that can be a giggle too I'm glad you've got that as well it's great to hear two members of the traveling community speaking Ann Freely studying a master's and a fantastic role model DTP turn great women accredited courses that proves there are opportunities like Pamela and they have the opportunity to move on to third level two truly inspiring women great to see Pamela and Ann this morning well done on all you're doing and continuing to achieve for travelers and for all ethnic minorities across the county well done to Pamela and Ann speaking for our community hope to hear more of this from those brilliant women great show listing to two inspirational women on the show this morning congratulations both of you on your recent academic achievements and just referencing what Pamela said about culture and celebrating a culture there's a lot of people threatened that they believe Ireland's culture is threatened by other people celebrating their cultures and the traveler culture is the Irish culture as well but someone trying to separate and feed that I don't mean are you with a view and that you know we need to have space for people obviously to to to integrate and live in Ireland but also to be able to freely and comfortably you know celebrate and talk of their culture without it being seen as a almost anti-Irish or something along those lines as a negative term and then very often we're asked you know what is travel culture and culture modernised with time like Irish culture and travel culture has done that and you know with we replace ourselves as an organisation in this county travel price coming up for coincidence and when is that coming up it's the national one is the 20th to the 27th of May and then the local one is on the 27th to the 30th and what we're doing we're bringing the 11th history project to Donegal Town and we're working with the arts and culture arts worker in the Donegal County Council and we're looking to have the 11th history project which highlights the historical ways of living with the travel community the heritage of culture and that will be on display for members of the public on the 30th in Donegal Town and even working with Donegal County Council the arts and culture arts worker there it shows you the the collaboration work and we're looking forward to that happening in that area there's a number of events coming up over the next couple of weeks as well but relating to our culture you know we are in Digit to Ireland you know people shouldn't feel threatened because people have their own culture we have different religious and that with different religious groups in Ireland and always had and people shouldn't feel threatened but it's it's just to respect our culture you know we live in a community where we face a number of challenges we want to live we want to strive as a community we want to get educated as a community we want to ensure that our children has the same equality of outcomes and equality of access and this is what the travel organization is about we're a human rights organization and we're working towards achieving that as well but a big step in that direction I think regardless of anyone's background or culture is an understanding and better integration be it in the workplace and we've seen that the hurdle that would have to be overcome for that but also just in in general society it's a couple of years now I don't know with COVID everything's thrown out in terms of timelines that Ireland granted ethnic minority recognition to Irish travelers and I think that was seen as sort of this new dawn not an awful lot came following on from that really and you know that was historical day for the travel community you know and it didn't happen overnight this was a movement you know the travel movement lobbying and advocating for the recognition of traveller's ethnicity but what it did bring it brought a sense of pride and a density especially to our younger generation because it's not easy being a member of the travel community living in Irish society especially a young person didn't bring a sense of belonging as well a sense of belonging and a sense of recognition and a sense of pride you know and a dentary to our community and it will it will take time it will take time for such a marginalised community to see the impact in that in the future but that will take time Craig yeah I certainly I would certainly say now with my daughter growing up I would certainly see that sense of belonging that pride you know compared to when we were younger like she's not she's very open about being a traveller do you see her future being brighter yeah I would have to say I definitely do and that's what I suppose that's what we're here to do that's what we hope to achieve is to try for that yeah and you know the reality of it is you know back you know when I grew up people didn't question the system the system was this is the way you were treated because who you were she's going back to the cleaning the projectors the blackboards the cleaning the yard as a child yeah so I have four children and they're all adults now who's done quite well in education one's a doctor and a lecturer an academic doctor to social health out in atu I've got three daughters that went through two of them went through and on their degree in health and social care in atu I have one daughter who is dyslexic and didn't want to go through third level education but I was support and she went through community education and she's a qualified healthcare assistant but that didn't come because I wanted this this came because we asked we wanted to pursue our children to make sure they had a good future ahead but there was challenges and because they had you and as well too yeah I was going to say like come here you can don't do yourself a disservice who they had you there of course but if that was 30 years ago and the teacher or the institution said this is not the right place for your child our parents would have took that and said right they're the experts but there was challenges for my young my children when they were growing up within the education system there was challenges around getting employment you know they called the word ship saying that existed but there were barriers that we had to overcome and I think it was because where me and my husband was placed we were working in a travel rights organization we knew how to challenge it we stood up and challenged it and that's what gave them the world the pathway to move on but there's some monies and yeah but you're also too with the with the path that you've created and then you know with your influence on Pamela and Pamela being obviously a very strong independent woman in herself and then you passing on that down to your daughter you can see how things can change there is definitely so but there's challenges between what of course there is but you challenging that system with your husband is hopefully directly or indirectly leading to a more positive future for Pamela's daughter so we can change things oh yeah we change things it's really what I'm saying I know you I know I know that really if there's institutionalized biases against the traveling community you can't always fight them and you don't want to spend your life fighting them and I think that's the the point you're making but you did and maybe that's what will change things going going you have to and that's what you know when you look at the organization we work with we're there to about improving and working with services and working with institutions to ensure that the travel have equal access but not just equal access equal outcome and we know that's not the case across a lot of measures in the Irish society um and travel I could easily say it you know as a mother you know to my children when you're coming home maybe upset or saying this happened to them right that's it I'm taking your education you know so people think when you go through the education system and you succeed things were okay for you and no matter they weren't okay they were not challenging a lot of barriers exactly yeah we have to we we we we have to you know if it's their talk of the positives we're not paying to an unrealistic reality either um there's lots of other things that we could have gotten into but I do we do speak about them quite regularly here on the show we wanted really just to hear from from you Anne and you Pamela and whatever you wanted to talk about or how you ever wanted to talk about it really appreciate it we've had a really positive response coming in on text and on our social media as well so Anne Freel Assistant Manager Primary Health Care Co-ordinator with the Donegal Travellers Project thank you thank you very much so much it's been lovely having you um and Pamela you were supposed to be the nervous one were you I don't know what they put in the tea across the road if this is nervous I would like to see you when you're confident but really that's my a roundabout strange way of saying you're a fantastic Pamela thank you very much and it's really really well and we really appreciate it Pamela Colotti Colotte Colotte family links worker with the Donegal Travellers Project the SAC initiative everything crossed fingers, eyes, toes the whole lot hopefully you'll bring it back home we really appreciate your time best wishes to you and your family going forward and Anne again thank you so very much indeed okay that was your voice your community and those were the excellent Anne Freel and Pamela Colotte see by the fifth time you're on I'll have it down to a T all right we'll be back with more after these choose life choose fun choose not sitting at home getting bored choose something better something really fun choose Fundamania coming to the Brunswick Movie Bowl from March 1st choose regular junior or family wristbands and enjoy some of Europe's top thrill rides choose fun for all ages a legendary Fundamania event 1st to the 17th of March for details see fundamania.co.uk we're driving the Citroen C4X on Dublin's most speed bumped road as voted by an online poll to test Citroen's progressive hydraulic cushion suspension the music is coming from a vinyl record playing on a record player set up in the backseat there comes speed bump let's see if this record skips perfect went off without a scratch book a test slide in a Citroen today visit citroen.ie Nutrius Milk Replace Arrange which includes Nutri Start and Nutri Start Plus offers the best start to your calves this spring season with 23% and 25% crude proteins ideal for calf to beef and heifers raring systems give your calves the best possible start available in your local homeland store visit Nutrius.ie for full nutritional information looking for that brooks experience try the new range of BMC Sports.ie new ghost max Citroen 21 or the adrenaline GTS 23 step into our safe size experience so we can fit the best trainer for your foot let us make your trainer experience the best it can be Brian McCormick Sports Main Street Ladder Kenny Donny Gall's newest and largest live music and cocktail venue is coming soon to Balbuffet this March Common Experience Gallant's Bar featuring 18 screens 12 live music acts weekly four bars across two floors including two cocktail bars a wine bar and a rooftop beer garden Gallant's Bar Balbuffet something for everyone strictly over 21s venue follow on Instagram Gallant's Bar for more details competitions and the reveal of our official opening date Donny Gall ETB's Further Education and Training Fair is on this Wednesday and Thursday in the Radisson Blue Hotel Ladder Kenny Wednesday evening from 7 to 9 is aimed at leaving cert students their parents and those in employment looking to upskill with talks on courses and apprenticeships Thursday the 29th from 10am to 2pm is for anyone interested in full and part time education or training opportunities this free event is perfect for finding out about the various options offered by Donny Gall Education and Training Board across the county 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 you flex under floor heating visit grant.ie Okey doke today will be cold and sunny with sunny spurs and showers of rain or hail with a chance of thunder highest temperatures today 5 to 7 degrees with moderate fresh gusty west to southwest winds it is the 9 o'clock noon show here in Highland radio and we've another hour to come to keep you informed and entertained so stay right where you are we have to take this quick break because I didn't want to interrupt my chat with Pamela and Anne so with a quick break ahead of the news headlines at 11 17th of March for details see fundamenia.co.uk If you weren't quite ready to drive a fully V you'll be going in the right direction with the Mazda CX-5 this SUV comes with fuel saving Mazda M hyper technology and a six year warranty you'll find across the entire Mazda range test drive the 241 Mazda range at McKinley Motor's Mazda letter Kenny Mazda crafted in Japan Make more meals for less with done stores where you'll save on the aisle with ingredients for a vibrant salmon teriyaki bowl step one pick up a two pack of salmon d'arns just four euro step two marinate then sear in a hot pan step three steam your broccoli and cut a 69 cent avocado step four serve over basmati rice to 65 cent for 250 grams then save at the till with our five off 25 grocery vouchers done stores always better value terms and conditions apply voucher can be used on extents or grocery shop for 25 euro or more Derrick Ryan returns to the Abbey Hotel Dunigaltown for his weekend of dancing on Friday 1st Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd of March joining Derrick will be some very special guests Olivia Douglas and Keelan Brown on Friday night and Robert Mazzell and band on Saturday night Barry Kerwin and Elish McBride will join Derrick for an afternoon family dance on Sunday that Derrick Ryan's weekend of dancing at the Abbey Hotel Dunigaltown Friday 1st until Sunday 3rd of March pay at the door for each dance Dunigalt E.T.Bs for their education and training fair is on this Wednesday and Thursday in the Radisson Blue Hotel Letter Kenny Wednesday evening is aimed at leaving search students their parents and anyone looking to upskill and on Thursday from 10 it's for anyone interested in full and part time education or training opportunities join me John Breslin on around the Northwest live from the fair on Thursday as we find out about some of the many options available in more than 100 venues across Dunigalt that's this Thursday live from Dunigalt E.T.Bs for their education and training fair in the Radisson Blue Hotel Letter Kenny Okay coming up after the news at 11 we're gonna chat to Michael McDool who is advocating an oh no in next month's referendum but first let's get a news update and at 11 o'clock it is good morning to Michaela Clark Thanks Greg good morning next week Mark's the first step in the delivery of a game changing project for Letter Kenny demolition works are set to commence at the former ESB site in the time between Pierce and Port Roads in the coming days which will make way for a major innovation and business centre once demolition and site clearance works are completed construction of the alpha innovation centre and beta business centre will begin Amidlands Northwest MEP says working through the hacking of his ex-account by a former Parliamentary Assistant has had an adverse impact on his health 34 year old Jermot Hayes from Dublin was convicted in a Belgian court after admitting to posting a picture of then-green party candidate Sir Sir McHugh from Midlands at Northwest MEP Leukming Flanagan's account in September 2020 A man has been arrested in connection with an attempted murder in Derry last month. Shots were fired through the window of a house on Artkill Road in the Ardmore area at around 9.15pm on January the 6th narrowly avoiding a man who was in the house at the time. The man aged in his 60s was arrested in the city this morning. The Department of Foreign Affairs is to continue an investigation into a potential cyber security breach. It says it was notified by the National Cyber Security Centre on Tuesday evening of an incident involving its systems. As of now the department says there is no evidence claims from a hacking group that it compromised data are authentic. The Irish Red Cross's Crease Law Fund still has a balance of over 140,000 euro. The charity says the money has been earmarked for a legacy community project. The Red Cross will meet the Crease Law community in the coming weeks to determine exactly how high it will be spent. And an initial answer says while there is light at the end of the tunnel and the campaign for the restoration of services at Riverwalk Heights in Cairndona the campaign for services at Militine Heights has been hit with another problem with confirmation of the presence of defective blocks. At this week's meeting of the Regional Health Forum West Cancer Albert Doherty was told a structural engineers report has identified low levels of Micah which might be addressed in this short-term by a re-render of the outer leaf and the demolition of a small extension. Those are the latest headlines we'll be back with an update again at 12.9. Mikaela thank you. If you're not with UNO Energy chances are you're paying more than you need to for your electricity. As Ireland's newest energy provider we offer Ireland's cheapest electricity rate saving our customers up to 500 euro per year. So if you want to pay less for energy simply pay a visit to UNO Energy and sign up for big savings with smaller bills with UNO Energy you just know. UNO Energy fixed discount rate EAB 1415 euro for season season rates see UNO Energy .ie suppliers pricing may change. Right thank you so much for all of your comments that have been coming in so far this morning. John in Carragart not all people are racist to the traveling community is there a risk that they too show racism by default by thinking we're all racist towards them. I don't know and I suppose we could argue the toss backwards and forwards but really we have to find a way forward both Pamela and Ann are inspirational and great for speaking not just for the traveling community but for every community a big congratulations and well done from Margaret McAteer and on it goes Greg give them ladies a slot in Highland excellent talkers and no doubt they'll give the listeners in radio land plenty of food for thought and maybe at the same time change stubborn mindsets keep going ladies you're fantastic that comes in from that comes in from Gary there right now we're joined on the program by former Tarnashtra Minister for Justice and Attorney General Michael McDool good morning to you Senator thank you so much for joining us I do appreciate your time today good morning Greg thank you right okay so I suppose privately and amongst your friends and what have you you could have sort of gone right I'm going no no with these two referenda why did you feel important to use I suppose your platform to come out so strongly in favor of a no no well I believe that the two proposed referendums are going to be seriously damaging to our society in two different ways and I'll explain them to you later and I believe that you know what happened in the Darlan shall it was disgraceful they were rammed through in three hour debates and the government which said before it started this process that it was going to be open to amendments it put down motions which are called guillotine motions which effectively prevented any discussion of any amendments to their proposed wording and these two amendments the 39th and the 40th amendments are going to have very serious effects in the future for our society and for the legal rights of Irish citizens and you know it's about time that the other side of the story was explained to people I believe that it's my experience in Dublin and I don't know whether it be your view of Donegal but the vast majority of people who are left in a state of complete confusion they don't know what the purpose of these referendums is and that hasn't been properly explained to them they've had vague signs put up saying vote yes family and care they don't know what is exactly being proposed and they don't know the very serious damage that acceptance of these amendments will make Yeah and I think from my perspective we didn't just try we actually did have a debate but because there are two as much as I tried to sort of say right let's deal with the Fandme amendment first and then the care a second there was a crossover and it can be really difficult with the best will in the world to actually articulate articulate because they're both being jumbled in and even the greatest minds I've heard confuse one with the other so what is can I just ask before we get into it if these had been worded better or more satisfactory to you or with certain amendments or clarifications could you have quite easily been swayed to a yes yes without getting into the nuts and bolts of that is this about the the the wording or the vagueness of it or No it goes deeper than that Greg obviously the failure of the government to accept amendments to the wording has worsened the situation considerably but I mean at the at the heart of the 39th amendment is a proposal that that that families in future for constitutional purposes will be relationships either based on matrimony or other durable relationships but when it came to the to the iraqtis we said well let us decide the durable relationships that will or will not amount to a family in future by law and the government said no no we're leaving it to the courts and one of the problems about that Greg is that the courts only decide cases that come before them and that's where there are disputes between parties people don't go into court and get consent orders and what you're faced with here is that that the meaning of the term other durable relationships falls now if these are referendum proposals are accepted to be decided in hard-fought cases between people who are or are not affected by them but senator is it not clear really that a durable relationship is you know a long-lasting committed relationship but we don't really kind of have that already established you might think that but curiously the the chair of the or the referendum commission and indeed minister Roderick O'Gorman said that the duration of the relationship is not the feature it's the nature of the relationship therefore if two people get mean for instance in one case they're suggesting that a mother and her single child will be a durable relationship that's easy to understand but if two people get together at the moment and they are living together cohabiting together they may or may not in the end have rights against each other under the 2010 cohabitants legislation and they can opt out of that they can they can if they wish to they can opt out of having any obligations towards each other under section 202 of that act but if you say well durable relations it now gives rise to family status and family obligations that will no longer be the case you won't be able to opt out of you know important things such as do each of the parties to the relationship share in each other's property if it breaks up to take a simple maybe an emotional example you know a farmer having a relationship with somebody does or does not not just in relation to that say for instance I'm currently in a durable relationship and either partner has an affair and that a fair lasts for you know three or four years or whatever it might be maybe there could be the other the other person involved might have a couple of children and they might only see the weekends but all intents and purposes that is you know could be seen as a durable relationship does this create a scenario whereby an individual theoretically could be in two durable relationships and those two durable relationships could be tested as to which is the most durable or which is the actual durable but that's that's the whole point if you're going to say that a man could be for instance in two of those durable relationships at the same time then you ask yourself is it possible to be a partner in two families at the same time and can you have obligations under the constitution and rights under the constitution as a male partner say in two families at the same time all of this has been left up in the air and when does that when does that family cease is it replaced by another or okay I don't want to sound like I'm arguing for a no here but I'm simply I'm simply asking questions that for me aren't answered now you're asking very fair questions Greg and I mean for instance if I and a woman get married at the moment and this will continue to be the case we can only end our marriage and by going to court and getting a divorce and the constitution says that we must get a court order and the court is prohibited from giving us a divorce unless both of us are properly provided for and any of our dependent children are properly provided for but in quote other durable relationships unquote there is no exit mechanism except somebody walking out the door or somebody dying and if they break down there is no way of going to court to say this relationship has broken down and I mentioned earlier that cases are only decided in courts where there's a dispute who will be the parties to such disputes will people will say some women want to claim that they are a family and are entitled to family rights against the wishes of their cohabitant male partner or vice versa now under the existing law in relation to cohabitants most people don't know this by the way but since 2010 cohabitants have to be two adults in a committed and intimate relationship that's what the the iraqtas provides and then it goes on to say that qualified cohabitants means cohabitants who've been living together for five years and are alternatively cohabitants who've been living together for two years and have had a child now that's not the basis on which the new phrase has been put into the constitution and durable relationship has no constitutional meaning like it does under the 2010 act so senator if what is a family then so if a durable relationship is formed and say the man in this case enters the life of the woman and she's got two children yeah what is what is the relationship between that man and those children as a durable relationship if durable relationship means family or is interchangeable or there's a crossover and then if they exit that however you might exit that durable relationship because there's no real way to sort of determine that I'm just curious as to in terms of family law and all that type of stuff and rights and access and stuff like does that mean that if two people get together and there's a blended family or whatever it might be what is the responsibility or relationship between the adults and the children and particularly the children of the other partner in that going forward and when does it cease but that's the whole question and that's why the lawyers for no group by the way are launching a very detailed document analyzing those precise issues I mean for instance if there's a single mother with a child or two children and a man moves in with her it does if she's regarded as a family under the new arrangement is there a second family or is it a different family when the man joins it and has a durable relationship of say two years with her if he has a further child with her and then goes off and forms a durable relationship with a third party or gets married to a third party is he what happens to the original family does it still exist none of these issues are in any way provided for in the well what happens now though what happens in that scenario you've just given what is the scenario now I mean he is with someone else it would be logical to say that whether it's legally or not that the first relationship is broken up he's taken up with another person and the first relationship then ceases and the the original family returns to the makeup of the moment of the child well I mean for instance at the moment people can cohabit and if you have a child by virtue of your cohabitation you may be liable provide maintenance for that child you may if you want to have such an arrangement agree with your cohabitant that you will or will not be liable to maintain the other party to the arrangement if it breaks up Senator is it not always the case though and my word never if we had a situation whereby one party in this call knows more than another but you know we put the legislation in it's not necessarily perfect it's always potentially going to be open to challenge and interpretation is this not why we have our courts and why we have the Eroctor so we have very clever and intelligent people in both to determine all of this through the process so in other words this recognizes that families are different now and people might say why recognize it we might return to more traditional families into the future let's not change the constitution but it does account for the fact that we are a changed society there's lots of different relationships out there it recognizes it and it is the job of the houses of the Eroctors and the courts now to make sense of this all for us and this is just the norm well I would agree with you that it's the job of the Eroctors to decide these matters but it isn't the job of the courts to make the fundamental law relating to cohabitation and to decide it in a series of caseload decisions and you know that's precisely why in the Shannot we put forward an amendment saying leave it to us to decide what is or is not a durable relationship and we can tweak that change it we can when court decisions come which we're unhappy with we can amend the law by simply passing a bill but what's happening here is that if the matter is given completely to the courts to decide and the Eroctors is given no function courts will hand down judgments and the only way to amend the law so to speak or to amend the outcome of those decisions will be to have a further referendum in relation to the there's a couple of issues in relation to the second referendum firstly in relation to the language why would it be that we have it phrased in such a way that there's not an actual commitment on the state we can try and I mean then that's open to real interpretation as to whether we try or not and then why is care why is care not more broad and why is it the focus of this part of the constitution only for care within families so in other words so the actual legislative care is in families and in supporting that the government is effectively seemingly saying into the future we'll try our best to support that but you know strides very open-ended well the term strife in fact is deliberately put in there as far as I can see Greg to ensure that nobody can go to court and say help me and get a court order saying you must help me in caring for another member of my family but the care amendment has two fundamental functions number one it takes out the existing article 41 2 of the constitution which obliges the state to support the decisions of women who want to work in the home rather than be forced by economic necessity to work outside the home and that has consequences that existing word in Greg was the basis of the Murphy tax decision and the Murphy tax decision was one where the Supreme Court said to the Iraqis you can't have income tax laws which discriminated unfairly against people who are married compared to people who are simply living together unmarried so that's going to be taken out by the government and it has consequences too because there are a number of court decisions invoking that precise wording to say that when couples break up the woman in the home who's parenting can't be obliged by her her former partner to work outside the home if he has the resources to keep the situation in existence whereby she can continue to parent within the home that's being taken out and those are valuable provisions instead of that they're bringing in a very vague minded strive to assist carers family carers but I mean not my colleague in the Charlotte Tom Clonan is a veteran disability campaigner and he's wholly opposed to this and he says you know there are many many carers who sorry there are many many people in need of care for instance people who need independent living supports by the by the state to which in respect of which the family is utterly irrelevant either the family is into a position to help them or they are not in a position to avail of family help and as as people get old particularly with disability and there are family carers for them for one reason or another this particular amendment is of absolutely no use at all it's being inserted Greg in the fundamental rights chapter of the Constitution but it gives absolutely no enforceable rights to anybody at all okay but then it seems pretty useless so is it not then at least an advantage that people like myself who raise children on my own for a considerable amount of time that I'm recognised equally that I'm as important as a woman in the same position well the courts have said frequently that the reference to women in the home in the in the and their work in the home in the in the Constitution is not to be interpreted as saying that men don't have duties and rights in respect of the same kind they were they were saying that this was a special protection for women and it is a special protection for women because in even though I mean I don't know about your personal situation Greg but the vast majority of parenting is obligations are discharged to a to a larger degree by women oh for sure I don't I don't disagree with you in that just in relation to this like I sometimes we get on things words and phrases that I think is a bit of a distraction and I'm not sure what you've used your views are on a bit like I'm hearing an argument about you know a woman's places in the home it's not even in the in the Constitution but I mean that was just that was just effectively how some people perceived this part of the Constitution and then it became just normal familiar language I don't think anyone truly believed that a woman's place is in the home is in the Constitution do you think it's a distraction us arguing about that though Ministers keep using this phrase yes but it's kind of that this is to remove the language that women's places in the home yeah but we heard this long before the Constitution never said that as you just pointed out Greg and it's it's it's it's a lie effectively to keep repeating that and you know the so you actually believe that phrase is being weaponized in favor to favor yes yes okay all right that's fine it's weaponizing a lie and I mean if you look at the Constitution you'll find in article 45 that there is a recognition of all citizens men and women equally this is the phrase it uses to go out and earn their livelihoods and to provide for themselves in this way so the suggestion that the Constitution can find women to the home is just a complete untruth but did this part of the Constitution again correct me if I'm wrong was it not used to and there's many people listening to this who who you know they don't have a pension or very much reduced pension because of this this this this part of the Constitution no well the answer that is no and for instance people are saying now oh well you know the marriage bar reflected this part of the Constitution to people working in the public service that's another lie the marriage bar existed from the 1880s right through the creation of an independent dire state with its own Constitution in 1922 and 1937 up to 1973 it was this provision has nothing whatsoever to do with that it was a most unfair discrimination but it didn't it didn't arise in the Constitution and wasn't justified by the terms of the Constitution so finally we heard from from Sinn Fein that that's that they will put these to the people again even if it's a no I'm not sure what the government's position is in relation to this what is your position do you believe that these two parts of our Constitution do need to be looked at or if it's a no no would you prefer to say just leave it alone and you've made the arguments as to why yeah I think the best first of all if you don't know vote no but going ahead but you know because it's so complex Senator you know that really effectively saying including myself vote no because we're not going to all know that it's not such a thing I mean Sinn Fein said that that that they would re-amend this but I mean this the Constitution isn't isn't just you know a regulation or a statutory instrument or a statute this is serious stuff and if they don't agree with the wording they should say no and they should have they should have opposed it in the door and they should have come up with their own wording and they should have insisted on it and they should have voted against the guillotine motion they had all of these opportunities but they didn't take them and what we're faced up with faced with now is two amendments the Constitution which will do very serious damage one to the the by by by loosening the the the the definition of family to cover all sorts of situations which we don't know and which we'll decide in the future by the courts and secondly to take out article 41 2 of the Constitution which has been used to invalidate discriminatory income tax acts which has been used by the courts to ensure that women get a fair deal women in the home get a fair deal in in alimony and maintenance payments and we're being asked to take these out just simply to put in place the so-called care referendum article which in in fact gives no rights to anybody okay senator michael mcdull thank you very much for your time I do appreciate it all right take care of yourself that senator michael mcdull who is of course the former thonister minister for justice and attorney general he's advocating a no-no we've heard from people as well advocating a yes-yes and we're trying to mix up to the yes-no's and the no-yes is but as I say in the round we are giving all views so listen keep listening to the show we will have further debates where yes no we're on together at the same time but we've had an opportunity for a yes-yes on a couple of occasions to have their saying that's no-no there and and do you know what debates are fine but I think actually what I want to hear is you know conversations that are challenged like in relation to no-no but also in relation to yes-yes I think that's I think that's really helpful to have two people on at the same time arguing yes no yes no I'm not sure that I actually really in this show should be more of a fan of debates but I think debates are entertaining I'm often not sure how we're not showing away from debate by the way we'll have them they're they're entertaining but I'm not sure how informative they are right okay thanks to Senator McDowell there let us see taking a break now the county's number one talk show the nine till noon show on Highland radio choose life choose fun choose not sitting at home getting bored choose something better something really fun choose Fundamenia coming to the Brunswick movie bowl from March 1st choose regular junior or family wristbands and enjoy some of Europe's top thrill rides choose fun for all ages a legendary Fundamenia event first to the 17th of March for details see fundamenia.co.uk creative landscaping works are the Donegal distributors of millboard cladding and decking thanks to its unique polymer resin construction this decking and cladding doesn't deteriorate like natural wood and won't be beaten for durability it also has superb slip resistance even when wet and every board is produced using recycled materials live life outside with millboard at creative landscaping works listen in and letter kenny see creativelandscapingworks.com do you need a UK address save hundreds of euros on custom charges shopping online with spacehubdairy we provide a full virtual address mailbox service for all your business and personal use save hundreds possibly thousands on custom charges with spacehubdairy call 04871878077 or online spacehubdairy.com for more details this sleep day some things are absolutely guaranteed like boyfriends mysteriously going AWOL for the day and 84 year olds having 21st birthday parties but another guarantee this sleep day and only in Ireland is that one Eurodreams player will win 2,000 euro every month for the next five years that's 2,000 euro a month for five years guaranteed but only if you play Eurodreams on the 29th of February the national lottery it could be you play responsibly play for fun local enterprise week is back and 2024 is all about inspiring you to be brave when starting growing or scaling a business running from Monday the 4th to Friday the 8th of March local enterprise week is organised by local enterprise office Dunnegall in association with their enterprise partners during the week over 20 events are taking place across Dunnegall booking is essential to see the lineup of events and speakers and to book visit localenterprise.ie forward slash Dunnegall or call 9160735 choose life choose fun choose not sitting at home getting bored choose something better something really fun choose fundomania coming to the Brunswick movie bowl from March 1st choose regular junior or family wristbands and enjoy some of Europe's top thrill rides choose fun for all ages a legendary fundomania event first to the 17th of March for details see fundomania.co.uk aqueous payments land and farmers accounts for more in your Irish farmers journal here's paul mooney over 20,000 farmers to receive key farm payment this week hogget prices hit record high beef finishers losing close to 200 euros per head in autumn stores full reaction to EU nature restoration law milk price top up for a revos suppliers beef and cheap farmers lose out in trade deals plus we hear from three farmers devastated by tb outbreaks all inside the Irish farmers journal you cannot afford to miss it Nutrious XL Yo with lamb and Nutrious Yo with lamb crunch are formulated to ensure a vigorous lamb and excellent milk yield avail of our lambing season offer 25 kg bags by 10 get one free and 15 euro off per tonne in bulk available at your local homeland store visit nutrious.ie for full nutritional information I have exciting news to share at Mofford tails we have prices beyond compare tails as low as $13.99 a yard yes they're really cheap transform your space without making your wallet weep lamb on a floor no so niche starting from just $10.99 a yard sure we can't be beat if you need bathwear don't you fret with reduced prices you won't regret sure where would you get it Mofford tails and Mofford retail park we are open Monday to Friday 9 30 to 5 and Saturday 10 to 4 you can call us on 08 3 091 0707 Highland radio are celebrating another birthday we are inviting you to join us for our Highland radio birthday bash on Tuesday the 19th of March in the Mount Eregal Hotel joined by the one and only Margo myself David James plus special guests Brendan Quinn Declan Ernie and Patrick Feeney this is a night not to be missed tickets now on sale for more information visit the outlet at HighlandRadio.com or give us a call on 074 91 25000 we'll see you at the Highland Radio birthday bash okay and that birthday bash is on March 19th it's going to be a great night if you can get along please do if you want more information on tickets give us a call here 07 491 25000 or go to the hotel or call in as I say it's great for you to be a part of it if you can in relation to our your voice your community your voice to call us it's very disappointed with that interview you kept speaking about the problems they face but never once asked any of them how they can improve our perception of them reconciliation is a two-way street we had a conversation you know like why should they always have to defend themselves you know it's about a better understanding of them as individuals of a community we're all the same really fundamentally I'm not going to use an opportunity where and we're going to do it over the next while of course I'll challenge but do you know it's also good to focus on on the goods which at ways any bad in any section of society you know that's like saying if if if you know a settled person come on the show and talked about what they were doing but say yeah but I was you know I was in the looked at the paper today and the first four pages were where pick members of your community in courts you know because the general population doesn't the settled population doesn't have to if the white settled population doesn't have to deal with that they're not challenged every turn that there are bad apples so why every so I wanted to have an opportunity where we talked about positivity as well Michael McGarvey's director of water and environment with Donegal County Council with responsibility for the private enhanced effective blocks grant scheme Michael good morning to you thanks for joining us good morning Greg and we have the positive news it was we had it flagged that it could have been the end of next week or the start of this week but be that may be that as it may is the week this week sorry the online portal for the enhanced effective concrete blocks grant scheme is now open yeah I'm delighted to say Greg and thanks for having us on here look in the first instance supposed to acknowledge here the the people affected but that to respect the homeowners in the first instance you know this it's a lot of trauma and uncertain the people are going through so it is something that hopefully that this will help them in their journey and that that's in the first instance supposed to end the homeowners representative groups the competent building professors and their contractors you know the homeowners liaison officers the elected members and and also the department so and and as well as that maybe the staff and also just want to acknowledge that the first foot but we are delighted before we go on to the portal because I want to ask you specifically about that but the the council's effective concrete block grant office has been busy perhaps not as busy as some might like but quite a bit quite a number quite an amount of payment claims have been processed to date yeah and well I would say in the first instance Greg extremely busy and I just want to acknowledge that first of all and I know it's been frustrating for people people talk about you know a vacuum and information I suppose that's one of the reasons we want to get out there we've oppressed release out today as well and we'd hopefully do more of that communicating and getting that clarity but they have been extremely busy and I would say right right up until Christmas and in the week since then right through last weekend I can staff work till 8 o'clock Friday even right through Saturday and Sunday and the last number of days so very busy but I would say just as you said there yeah and since the scheme opened that we've 21 million processed for 112 applicants and we continue to do that and will continue what I would say is well Greg that the portal isn't just opening the portal has been open but that basically that it's now available to more of the applicants out there so that there's over 365 applicants out there now who will have access and see where they are in the process the payment have received etc right talk to us about the function of this portal then so presumably it's at a stage of the process that a homeowner is given access to this portal because you talked of it being opened to a limited number that's now been expanded expanded to over 350 so the portal becomes available to a victim of this crisis at what point on this journey through the scheme I suppose what I would say in the first instance and we'd maybe there's good information available on the council's website I would say in the first www.donniegallcoco.ai of people clicking that one of the first links that they'll see there is the enhanced effective concrete block scheme there's good information on there so I'd suggest anybody who's even thinking of entering or has been on it that's a very good source of information and what people can do they're even thinking whether or not they want to register in the first instance and they can go on there and they can actually the homeowners themselves can register and they get a username and a password and after that then they can get information on what's available and any applications they submit they can do it online through the portal etc and that's where they get messages back as to if there's further information or just progress being made in their application all right so but what what does the portal what service does it provide and at what point does someone get access to it well as I said there that's basically they can if they have already registered they can go on there and and get access further access to more people today but people who haven't yet access they can still register on there as I said so people can go on to the website see how to okay so just to be clear so just to be clear I've got cracks in my house um the an engineer I've got an engineer out he's determined that it matches the criteria for it to be referred to be bored right have I access to the portal at that point yeah you can go on there people can actually access in the first instance and go on and um what they get the application form set I would suggest that people after just starting off that they go to the the www.tronicall.co website they'll get the information but they'll also get information there of how to register on the portal they'll get information then on the application forms the steps that the follow etc when they complete those how to actually upload them on to the system and when there's updates then provided through the process this is going to be you know in some cases a long process through the different steps when they fall out their application when they engage their competent building professional they actually provide the BCA then the report the assessment which is then submitted back on through the portal that's referred when it's validated it's referred to the housing agency they'll then get word back again through the portal get messages there at what stage whether it's been approved or not approved for the meeting the minimum damage threshold etc and on so through the process in terms of you know receiving payments you know be rental storage a stage payment as part of the construction process that's all done through the portal and is it done timely if that's correct that's right yeah there's three parts supposed and the updated system release includes for applications and respect there's three I'm so this ancillary grant on the online portal firstly as opposed to the alternative accommodation where the relevant dwelling is no longer you know habitable or due to damage or where the alternative accommodations necessary during the carrying out the remediation work and there was 15,000 available for homeowners for that first option secondly then the ancillary grant also provides for storage costs and up to 5,000 for the contents of their homes while the remediation works are ongoing and lastly where immediate emergency repairs are required to be complete so they can apply through the portal and through the system again and that's at June of 5,000 and in terms of say for instance an inquiry so you know you know yourself there's going to be certain scenarios and we heard of one last week whereby someone had put a shed on the site and stored stuff in there and they were wondering would the 5,000 cover the cost of the shed I'm not asking you to respond to that individual case per se but what I'm saying is is that is there a human also that you can speak to if you need to appeal or clarify anything you know if something is a little bit sort of outside of the the simple yeah and again what I would say there there's very good information available in the first instance on the website and myself I wasn't involved directly until this until you know a few months ago and I was able to familiarise myself I found user friendly there's very good frequently asked questions sections there as well but there's also on the system that for people want to submit queries they can email in queries they can put them in through there again through the portal when they register and that they we do try and respond of what we are trying to do is professionally this as much as possible we've a very dedicated team there we've technical staff we've administrative staff we've our information system staff and between us there's a team there and I suppose the focus has to be on trying to get information as accurately as possible and as quickly as possible to respond to the queries from the homeowners you know I'm not just saying it Greg but just but the point there really is I want to get that across that's where our focus is and will be and I suppose this system yes we'd like to have got some of this out sooner but we're absolutely focused that we'll get the turnaround so Greg Dancer just your question again emailing in the queries going on through the portal of force and so we're looking at as turnaround times as quickly as we can but there's also information on the website of when there's staff available to talk to applicants or the compliment but that's what I want to say what do what do people do who maybe they've literacy issues IT they've got IT limitations maybe they're older and can't act can't do this process digitally what support is there from the council for that group of people well there is a group and I would say look at what I did at the council there to help but they will need to engage if someone is concerned about their house or what they might do or what options they do have to engage a competent building professional they will be able to help them with a lot of the questions uploading I'm on about say if you're doing that in terms of uploading to the portal reading the writing that's there some might have an issue with some might not even be able to open the lid of a laptop what support is there for that group of people from the council to process their applications are you saying they need to get third party support or is the council going to support them no absolutely the council want to support them for sure but I did say and I think it's important to get that message across there in the first instance they still not in the first instance there's information available there we are able to deal with queries and like you said there are a lot of people do use emails etc and those that don't we have staff that are available they are that they're available the days they're available are on the website they're not but I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm really stuck I might make more points not being clear there are people out there that can't access the internet they can't read they can't click the links I'm looking at the page it's incredibly detailed but for them that's gobble de gooke is there any support for those people to say look I can't do this online I even maybe struggle to read or what have you is there any support from the staff to support those people is there any support from the council to help them with the application process or do they have to yeah there is party help no no Greg enough look I'm sorry if I haven't got the point across quickly I've already said there is without a doubt we have dedicated staff we actually have telephone availability there are dedicated as well as that Greg what I would say that there's actually dedicated homeless liaison officer available there and they can be contacted and they will sit what people talk them through the process and the council staff are available those details of when they're available and they are on the website so I'm sorry if I didn't get it across because that's very important I do understand that's good in terms of those who are out money for quite some time that they're entitled to refunds on does that include the testing costs that could be people like six, seven, eight grand waiting on that money or it could be other money in to do with storage or temporary accommodation that they're waiting will this portal accelerate those refunds where people are entitled to them do well and look at we have been able to and what I doubt and you we've heard it on your show and others as well there's people that would have liked this portal available earlier so they could actually claim through the portal and that's obviously what we're talking about here today we have been and have processed payments in the last number of weeks and months that and that's been ongoing as I said there's 21 million process so far outside of this but we are continuing to process payments what I would say now that people can claim through once they're registered once they've approved grant amounts etc that they can register and claim those and salary costs accommodation the immediate emergency repairs and storage costs and there are there I will mention there are there is a cohort of people out there who'd who'd incurred engineers expenses quite considerable engineers expenses before they were approved under the old scheme and I know that they are now being assessed through the new scheme by the housing agency and that they until they're approved until their options approved they have been able to recoup those costs I do know that we're in engagement what the elected members what the department is see how that can be actually expedited and that's something we're working hard working department on okay Michael I look forward to as you see fit or whatever or in terms of inquiries working with you to get as much information out there and support families out there through this platform as well as the other platforms at the council's expense so we look forward to that I know you're very fresh into the relatively fresh into the position Michael so we look forward to working together for the benefit of the the families and those on the scheme going forward yeah and we will then before we finish all please just in case people think oh it's already very well seen this year we are absolutely determined we make it easier for people we will work with them and hopefully we'll listen then you to see those improvements in the coming weeks and months that does make it easier for people in this journey which is very different for people and that includes the addition of more staff where needed and what have you but thank you very much for that Michael McGarvey director of water and the environment we've done a go count to council choose life choose fun choose not sitting at home getting bored choose something better something really fun choose Fundamania coming to the Brunswick movie bowl from March 1st choose regular junior or family wristbands and enjoy some of Europe's top thrill rides choose fun for all ages a legendary Fundamania event first to the 17th of March for details see fundamania.co.uk with Brennan's today's bread today we're driving the Citroen C4X on Dublin's most speed bumped road as voted by an online poll to test Citroen's progressive hydraulic cushion suspension the music is coming from a vinyl record playing on a record player set up in the back seat there comes a speed bump let's see if this record skips perfect went off without a scratch book a test slide in a Citroen today visit citroen.ie just like if a social live tickets from 25 euro are on sale now on sale now donning all ETBs for their education and training fair is on this Wednesday and Thursday in the Radisson Blue Hotel letter Kenny Wednesday evening is aimed at leaving search students their parents and anyone looking to upskill and on Thursday from 10 it's for anyone interested in full and part-time education or training opportunities join me John Breslin on Around the Northwest live from the fair on Thursday as we find out about some of the many options available in more than 100 venues across Donegal that's this Thursday live from Donegal ETBs for their education and training fair in the Radisson Blue Hotel letter Kenny other updates brought to you by Grant building a new home choose grants a triple plus rated air owner air to water heat pump and you flex under floor heating visit grant.ie okay today we'll be cold with sunny spills and showers of rain or hail with a chance of thunder temperatures five to seven degrees with moderate to fresh gusty west to southwest winds now our competition winners today they're heading they're heading up to Fundomania the answer correctly was Balaba Fay Frankie Quinn Alstern Auler Frankie just across the bridge actually was the answer well done you've got a family passed to that amazing event running from the first to the 17th of March and also Denis O'Donnell out in manner Denis you are also taking your family for a fun day of entertainment we've another set of passes to give away tomorrow and I just want to mention too that Don John Breslin he is the Don I suppose John Breslin quite literally is out and around the Northwest is coming live today from the Radisson Hotel for the Donegal ETBs 2024 further education and training fair which is really well worth going down to you know whether you are starting out in your career or maybe you want to change your career or to look at different options it's all there in the one spot down at the Radisson Hotel stay tuned because John Breslin is going to give you much more information in relation to that now one of the highlights set for me last year was the whole process of the community hero and particularly its culmination with our community hero being selected that was for 2023 it is back for 2024 and heading that up is our head of sales here at Highland Radio Sean Quinn so it is officially being launched today community hero 2024 so I suppose Sean from the get go for new listeners or those that this passed by talk to me about the community hero 2024 yeah so we're I suppose what we're doing Greg is we're trying to grow on what we did in 2023 we had a we had a nightmare in that room remember trying to pick a winner because there was so many entries that were so deserving so what we tried to do is we looked at it and said how can we go and how can we award multiple people for the things that they do in the community and again we've been very fortunate and we've got a generous listener who has donated some money towards this as well and he's been very good to us over the last 12 months and what he wanted to do also was to reward those people that are they go beyond the call of duty they make that extra call at night they don't look at the clock they are just part of the community to help people so today what we're doing is we're asking people to nominate somebody that they feel goes beyond that call who is part of the community and what we'd love to do is we'd love to have five winners and what we were going to do is we're going to give them one thousand euros each to do what they want to do with it it's entirely up it could be a holiday it could be a tank of oil it could be whatever it might be and this is not limited to but this is to give an idea people who work in the community tirelessly could be tidy tans could be carers could be volunteers in any other area they're going the extra mile that person's jumping out to you in your mind now as you're listening but don't be confined by the suggestions you've heard from me or for Sean this is open to interpretation people work in their communities in all different ways Sean but as I say I think as you mold over the category not the categories but the suggestions there and I there are names hopping into my head that are worthy of a nomination and that thousand could be going towards their cause it could just be going towards them that's up to them we're not we're not worried about that or that's up to them but this is about recognizing five individuals right across our region here yeah and you know it's a great opportunity to it could be that somebody's using their own petrol money to to go and visit people in the night time that there is every every person has an opportunity to vote that for that person now because there's five people that are going to be rewarded and it's a nice thing to do in a nice time of year a public thanks and the prize is a lovely bonus but this is about recognizing people yeah yeah and we're going to make it really simple because last year we got a lot of we got a lot of letters and we got emails and outlining why that person should win we want that again this year and in your words why do you think they should win and and what we'll do is we have a panel of judges who will sit down deliberate and come up with what we hope will be the best five that will develop and it's not a writing competition no absolutely not so don't worry about that in as simple as you want but as much detail is better as well tell us why you want to nominate someone as I say it's not we're not basing the show and I'm correcting them saying it's about the person and their qualities not how that's articulated the more detail the better of course but I don't want anyone to be put off thinking well I'm not a great it's not about that it's not a writing competition it's about in your own heartfelt words why this person is special to five people will be honoured and each of them then will also receive a gift of a thousand-year-old each thanks to a generous listener who wants to work with us in what we're doing and support what we're doing here as well how do you go about nominating someone so we've talked a little bit about how you know you can write a letter you can do an email show them take it up take it so so if you want to do my email it's the email address is heroathighlandradio.com or if you want to write to us and feel free to do that as well it's so it's Highland Radio mountaintop letter Kenny County Dunny Gull and we'll that'll come to me the we obviously have to have a closing date for this so it's the 18th of March is the closing date for entries and what we'll do is we're going to try and do this pre-easter if we can I don't know when Easter is it's it's the end of March it's right at the end of March so we're we're going to try and do this now what I'd love to do is we'd love to have a little bit of a secret element to this as well so when you're nominating somebody please give us your details as well phone number that what we can do is we can ring you we can get more understanding of this person and we if they're lucky enough absolutely if if they're lucky enough what we can do then is we can work with that person to to try and give them a surprise of Easter and you know if somebody lands in and you're in a coffee shop or in your work and we'll have a check for a thousand euros it's not a lovely thing to do isn't it and an Easter egg well we might throw an Easter egg in there too some leftover shamrock you heard it live now Greg is going to donate Easter eggs for everybody all right yo okay so listen it really couldn't be any simpler and the more we explain we could be at risk of complicating it not you shown me it couldn't be simpler you know that person in your life who works really hard in the community and for others they go that extra mile as Sean said for neighbours and friends or for the community as a whole five of them will be selected and honoured as community heroes and each will be gifted a thousand euro if we can sort of jazz it up a little bit and surprise them all well and good so include include who they are and also a little contact detail for you the closing date's the 18th of March we'd love to get it all done in the last week of March as well because what a lovely way to to head into that Easter break more information at highlandradio.com but it isn't it's very simple email name address and reason why and your contact details to hero at highlandradio.com we'll post your nomination to Highland Radio mountain top letter Kenny Cantadonegore we'll get it absolutely absolutely thank you so very much indeed pleasure we'll mention that again in the not too distant future we've loads of exciting wee things that we're going to be announcing over the next wee while but I'm going to depart now thanks to Caroline and Shannon working on the show Caroline researching and producing we're back with you tomorrow morning at nine with the Friday panel and John Breslin's live from the Radisson after the news and obituary