Archive for July 2009

Axe man story – alarmist & exaggerated say HSE

July 15, 2009 Donegal News & Sport No comments

 

Letterkenny General Hospital - HSE says Axe man story was alarmist & exaggerated

Letterkenny General Hospital - HSE says Axe man story was alarmist & exaggerated

 

 

The HSE said this afternoon that reports of an incident at Letterkenny General Hospital yesterday in which a man was said to have wielded an axe were alarmist and exaggerated. 

The hospital confirmed that two men were observed in a waiting area, one of them carrying a hatchet. Hospital staff were alerted and when challenged one of the men handed over the hatchet to hospital staff.

It later emerged that the weapon had been brought into the hospital by a child who was the son of one of the two men. The child’s father said that the hatchet was being carried for his protection.  

Gardai were called to the scene and took possession of the hatchet but there were no disturbances. It is understood that the child, his father and the other visitors were all part of an extended family who were waiting to see an ill relative. 

The HSE has said that a wide range of security measures, human, electronic and mechanical are employed at various health service locations but details are never discussed as a matter of policy lest their effectiveness be impaired or challenged.

Lisbon Treaty ratification a must – Pat the Cope

July 15, 2009 Donegal News & Sport, Sligo News & Sport No comments
Pat the Cope Gallagher MEP pictured in the European parliament this week

Pat the Cope Gallagher MEP pictured in the European parliament this week

Pat the Cope Gallagher MEP has said that the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty is the first step in the revival of fortunes of the Irish economy.

He was speaking this week as the first plenary session of the European parliament was held in Strasburg.

The Donegal man has also been appointed as the leader of the Fianna Fail delegation in parliament.

Ironically, Fianna Fáil are aligned with just the third largest grouping in the European parliament, a new entity called ALDE, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.

 

Jim Higgins MEP from Mayo and Fine Gael are members of the largest grouping, the European People’s Party, while Labour members form part of the second largest grouping, the Socialists.

Sligo based MEP Marian Harkin

Sligo based MEP Marian Harkin

 

And while Marian Harkin is an independently elected MEP for the North & West, with her home base of Sligo, she is also a member of ALDE. 

She put in an exceptional performance at the recent European elections and is definitely back on merit, as she did not have the backing of a major political party. 

The vote on the Lisbon Treaty, second referendum, is set to take place on Friday, October 2nd, 2009.

Donegal praise from Arts Council

July 15, 2009 Donegal News & Sport No comments

Donegal praise from Arts Council

Donegal praise from Arts Council

VIBRANT’ DONEGAL ARTS CAN BOOST JOBS, TOURISM AND LEAD RECOVERY

Donegal’s vibrant artistic heritage and creative, collaborative
approach marks the county out as resilient and filled with potential,
the Director of the Arts Council has said.

 Mary Cloake today welcomed a new report on County Donegal, and said it
showed the arts could boost jobs, draw more tourists, restore our
self-confidence and spearhead economic recovery.

The Cultural Compass report, the work of the Donegal County
Development Board’s Cultural Forum, points to a rich and diverse arts
landscape, created by some 429 cultural facilities, providers and
practitioners. Those facilities attracted 480,000 visitors to the
county last year, the report says.

 

“Unique in its richness of artistic and cultural heritage, this county
offers its citizens many opportunities to experience the very best
that is happening, locally, nationally and internationally, in the
contemporary arts,” Ms Cloake said.

 

Cloake praised the Eragail festival – which is funded by the Arts
Council — as part of Donegal’s rich heritage, pointing to its
ambitious and wide-ranging programme of exhibitions, music, theatre,
film and arts for young people.

 

And she stressed: “The arts are not simply a leisure activity, or a
diversion from the business of making a living. To put it at its
simplest, the arts are a resource; one of national importance.”

 

Intelligent investment in the arts paid enormous economic dividends,
Ms Cloake said. These included inward investment by multinational
corporations; employers that need a workforce with initiative and
adaptability; and the extended visits by cultural tourists.

 

“These two areas alone contribute billions to the Irish economy.
That’s before we even mention the 50,000 individuals directly employed
in the arts throughout the country. Taking all that together, there
could be no more important work than that of advancing the arts; no
endeavour more urgent than that of creating the best possible
environment in which they might flourish,”

 

And she paid tribute to the County Development Board, adding: “This
report is the first step in creating that environment, right here in
Donegal.”

Fermanagh Crime Report 2009.07.15

July 15, 2009 Fermanagh News & Sport No comments
PSNI Fermanagh crime update

PSNI Fermanagh crime update

A COMPUTER has been stolen from a business unit in Lisnaskea.A glass panel was broken to allow access to the unit at Manderwood Park on Friday night (10th).  The computer hard drive was stolen from
an office.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact police
on 0845 600 8000.  Alternatively, information can be given anonymously
to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

 

 

POLICE in Enniskillen are appealing for information about damage that
was caused to a car in Lisnaskea.

A bottle was thrown through a side window of a car parked near a hotel
at Main Street on Monday night.

The number to call is 0845 600 8000.  Alternatively, information can
be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

 

 

POLICE in Enniskillen are seeking assistance in identifying a group of
people who stole cash and cigarettes from a shop.

At about 3pm on Saturday (11th) two men and a woman went into the shop
at Sligo Road, Letterbreen, and while the men distracted staff, the
woman went into a private office.  There she gathered together the
money and several cartons of cigarettes and concealed them under a
long skirt, before leaving the premises.

The trio were joined by another man, and they all left the scene in a red car.

Anyone with information about the incident or the thieves is asked to
contact police on 0845 600 8000.  Alternatively, information can be
given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Calls for extra security at Letterkenny General Hospital

July 15, 2009 Donegal News & Sport One comment
Letterkenny General Hospital

Letterkenny General Hospital

Letterkenny Sinn Fein Councillor Gerry Mc Monagle is calling on Management at Letterkenny General Hospital to immediately review and increase its security at the hospital.

 

Cllr Mc Monagle was speaking after being contacted by members of staff at the hospital after the latest breach in security at the hospital when a man armed with an axe made his way through the hospital to the ICU unit on the fourth floor.

 

The man barricaded himself in the staff room on floor E and had to be talked out of the room by friends and members of the hospital staff. He eventually came out and surrendered the axe, during this time parts of the hospital were sealed off to prevent movement until the incident was over.

 

 Cllr Mc Monagle said this incident is just another in an increasing number of violent incidents at the hospital involving members of the public, it is causing widespread concern amongst staff at the hospital and clearly demonstrates that there is a need to review security at the hospital and to increase the number of personnel employed in security at the hospital.

“I have regularly raised these concerns with management at the hospital only to get the answer that they regularly do keep their security under review, well I am afraid its long past the time for another review, what’s needed is extra security personnel to be employed on a daily basis at the hospital. The management at the hospital must do all that they can to protect staff and patients alike from potential harm arising out of incidents such as we had on Tuesday lunchtime.

Mc Monagle concluded by condemning the person responsible for this latest scare, anyone who carries a hatchet into a hospital and is intent on doing harm must be brought before the courts and receives the full rigors of the law.

“ The disruption and fear that he caused cannot go unpunished and should not. I would ask that anybody who has any information in relation to this latest incident to pass it unto the Gardai.”