:: News In Brief

Moville Port Scouts seek volunteers 25.01.15
THE 18th Donegal Port Sea Scouts based in Moville are seeking volunteers to become Beaver leaders.
The Moville scouts are the first of only two sea scout groups in the Northern Province and have only been operating for the past six months.
In that time, they have successfully worked to help young boys and girls enjoy the scouting experience while having fun in the outdoors and meeting new friends. The youngsters have also been learning new skills, achieving goals and developing their potential. Volunteers will be asked to give up just an hour and a half per week to work with the Beaver Scouts. Anyone interested is invited to a meeting at St Eugene’s Hall, Moville, on Monday, February 2 at 6.50pm.
For more information please contact 18thdonegalmovilleportseascout@gmail.com or see Facebook MovillePort Seascouts. You can also call Mairead White on 086 8365199.

TD calls for review of WDC appointments 21.01.15
INISHOWEN T.D., Padraig MacLochlainn has called on Taoiseach Enda Kenny to review his government’s appointments to the board of the Western Development Commission.
Deputy MacLochlainn revealed that four of the nine board members are former Fine Gael and Labour councillors as well as a candidate.
He said the appointments should be reviewed immediately "to restore confidence" in State-sponsored boards and charities in receipt of subsidies.
The Western Development Commission is tasked with promoting strategic social and economic development in the counties of Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon, Mayo, Galway and Clare.

€35,000 grant for Donegal Youth Service 20.01.15
DONEGAL Youth Service is celebrating an award of €35,000 to bring four international volunteers to the county to teach skills including multi-media, drama and video edition.
The funding has been granted by Leargas through the Erasmus+ programme.
The volunteers will hail from Spain, Italy, Jordan and Russia. Two will be based in Letterkenny Youth Information Centre; one with Donegal Youth Council and one in the cross border Activ8 project.
Letterkenny Youth Information Centre co-ordinator Gareth Gibson said: “We are excited at the prospect of offering young people the opportunity to sign up and benefit from the expertise that these volunteers will bring in terms of drama, DVD production and editing. It really is a win-win for all concerned.”
An opportunity now also exists for young people aged between 18 and 30 to link with DYS and spend up to 12 months volunteering in Europe at no cost to themselves. For more details call 07491 29640.

Thirteen patients on trolleys at LGH 19.01.15
THERE are 13 patients waiting on trolleys for a bed at Letterkenny General Hospital today. The figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives' Organisation (INMO) also show that there are total of 383 patients waiting on a hospital bed nationally including 290 on trolleys and 93 in wards. Overcrowding is worst today at the University Hospital Limerick where 37 people are without a bed. Meanwhile, the INMO, SIPTU and the Psychiatric Nurses' Association welcomed a call by Health Minister, Leo Varadkar, for the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland to enter into talks with the unions in a bid to resolve a dispute arising from the board’s attempt to increase its fee by 50 per cent.

Donegal patients face "deplorable" overcrowding 14.01.15
DEPUTY Charlie McConalogue described the overcrowding at Letterkenny A&E as "deplorable" as Fianna Fáil prepares to debate a Dáil motion later this week on the issue.
"The Government failed to adequately prepare for a situation they fully expected to happen and were warned would be the result of their cuts to key services. Now patients in Donegal and around the country are suffering.
"Figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation show that 31 patients were on trolleys at the hospital’s Emergency Department yesterday, while more patients are having their planned operations cancelled as a result of the crisis," said the Inishowen-based TD.
Fianna Fáil's motion demands that the Government immediately provide beds and increase frontline staff so that the overcrowding can be eased. The party also wants the number of Nursing Homes Support Scheme beds to be restored to at least 2013 levels.

LGH overcrowding "utterly unacceptable" - TD 08.01.15
INISHOWEN T.D., Charlie McConalogue has described as "utterly unacceptable" the overcrowding levels at Letterkenny General Hospital.
At the peak of the crisis this week, 31 people were waiting on trolleys and chairs in the hospital’s A&E.
“There are two major problems affecting Letterkenny General. There is a shortage of staff and a shortage of beds," said the Fianna Fáil deputy.
"The capacity issue within the hospital must be addressed but the cuts the Government made to the Fair Deal scheme has impacted significantly on the number of people who remain in hospital but no longer require intensive medical care and could be move to another care setting if it was available." He praised the "extraordinary work under intolerable conditions" of hospital staff. And he called for a shift in strategy combined with realistic budgets before the crisis worsens.

Free course for people with long-term illnesses 05.01.15
PEOPLE in Inishowen with long term health conditions and their carers are being invited to sign up for a HSE self care course.
The HSE said previous participants on their self management skills course have reported "a significant positive impact on their lives" from implementing what they learned. The course is free of charge and is run over six weekly sessions, each lasting 2½ hours. The next course will commence on Friday, January 9, 2015 from 10am to 12.30pm in the Inishowen Development Partnership offices at St Mary's Road, Buncrana. If you would like more details or want to book a place, please contact the HSE Consumer Services Department on 91 91770 or email paula.quinn@hse.ie . All enquiries welcome.

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