:: News In Brief
Gardaí warn against PPS scam 13.04.21
Gardaí are warning the public to be aware of fraudulent phone
calls and texts from scammers, impersonating an official of the
Department of Social Protection, advising them that their PPS number
has been compromised.
The person receiving the call is asked to verify their name, PPS
number and bank account details. This personal data will then be
used by the scammers for fraudulent purposes.
Gardaí would like to advise members of the public:
• Not to engage with the caller or return the call
• Never share personal information data with such callers or with
people who make contact by text
An Garda Siochana or Department of Social Protection would never
request bank account details or personal data in a cold call or
text. If a member of the public believes they have received such a
phone call or text, they are advised to contact their bank and the
Department of Social Protection’s helpline number on 1890 800 024.
They are also advised to take a note of the number and report the
matter to their local Garda Station.
Muff - Derry greenway 12.04.21
Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Planning Committee
has approved plans to develop a cycling and walking route linking
Muff to the Derry City. The proposed development will see an 8.5km
route constructed, beginning on the quay trail at Penny Burn,
connecting to Canning’s Lane, Muff via the Culmore, Culmore Point
and Coney Road. Once developed, the greenway will connect to the
proposed Muff greenway, which Donegal County Council issued the
works tender for on 31 March. Read
previous story...
Bus Éireann issues travel guidance 12.04.21
With changes to travel restrictions and the full resumption of
education from Monday 12 April, Bus Éireann, has advised passengers
to plan their essential journeys and to be aware of the continuing
25% capacity limit on all public transport.
• For city and county services, Bus Éireann is operating to a normal
schedule. With the resumption of all second-level education on
Monday, some city and town services may see an increase in demand on
morning and afternoon services.
• For intercity travel on Expressway services, guaranteed seats can
now be purchased online at
www.expressway.ie . This guaranteed booking facility is
available to people with free travel entitlements.
• With the full reopening of schools, the school transport system
will be operating as usual with substantially all post-primary
services now at 50% capacity.
Allen Parker, Chief Customer Officer, Bus Éireann said: “Public
transport remains at 25% capacity and therefore should only be used
for essential journeys. Generally, buses and coaches are currently
limited to carrying between 10 and 20 passengers, dependent on
vehicle size."
“We thank customers for their patience and understanding and
encourage people to monitor the @buseireann and @ExpresswayIRE
Twitter feeds for service updates,” Allen concluded.
Gardaí in Donegal seize €2.8m of cocaine
18.03.21
Gardaí in Donegal have seized a substance believed to be cocaine
with an estimated value of €2.8 million. Milford District Drugs Unit
said that a vehicle was searched as part of an intelligence led
operation and 41kg of the drug was discovered. They are liaising
with the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau and the
Police Service of Northern Ireland in respect of this investigation.
Superintendent David Kelly, who is leading the investigation, said:
‘This significant seizure has reduced the supply of illegal drugs in
our community thereby increasing community safety”.
Thatch Repair Grant Scheme opens 12.03.21
Donegal County Council’s Thatch Repair Grant Scheme has opened
for applications. Now in its third year, the scheme assists the
owners and occupiers of thatched dwellings and businesses with their
maintenance and repair. The grant scheme provides advice to owners
on the conservation of thatched roofs, allocates funding for
small-scale thatch repairs and helps homeowners carry out necessary
repairs under conservation supervision. The scheme is open for
applications until 12 noon on Monday, April 12.
Application forms for the Thatch Repair Grants Scheme are available
online at
www.donegalcoco.ie or by contacting Joseph Gallagher, Heritage
Officer or Collette Beattie, Conservation Officer at 074 91 53900 or
by email at
thatch@donegalcoco.ie .
Rope-thatched cottage in Ballykeeny, Inishowen
was one of the properties that benefited under the Thatch Repair
Grant Scheme in 2019. The scheme allows for small-scale thatch
repairs as evidenced by the ‘patch’ repairs shown.
Donegal woman wins €30k 12.03.21
A lucky woman in Donegal has claimed €30,000 on a Diamond Bingo
Doubler scratch card. The overjoyed woman, who wishes to remain
anonymous, purchased her €3 winning ticket at McFaddens Service
Station in Letterkenny. She ‘couldn’t believe her eyes’ as she
scratched her way to the top prize. She said: “I was down to the
second last number and I could see that I had four corners in the
last box. I thought I had won the €25 but then noticed the line
across and thought that looked unusual. I was sitting in my kitchen
with my family so it wasn’t long before we were all checking the
ticket.”
Healthy Ireland at your Library 11.03.21
As part of the Healthy Ireland at your Library programme,
Donegal County Council has teamed up with the HSE and the Irish
Hospice Foundation to host a series of “Wellness Wednesdays” talks
on Parenting, Stress, Mindfulness, Grief and Overeating. The Council
have also partnered up with Dr Mary O’Kane and her online talks will
be available on Saturday 20th and 27th March at the
Donegal
Library Facebook page.
Community Heritage Grant Scheme 10.03.21
The Heritage Council is inviting applications to its popular
Community Heritage Grant Scheme. The aims of the programme are to
support capital projects that improve access and inclusion to
heritage sites and that apply good heritage practice to the
management of places, collections, objects and buildings. The scheme
also supports the purchase of essential equipment. Grant
applications must be submitted using the Heritage Council’s on-line
application system at
www.heritagecouncil.ie by Monday, March 29 at 5pm.
Covid vaccination scam awareness 09.03.21
An Garda Síochána, the HSE and The Department of Health would
like to advise members of the public to be aware of potential scams
relating to the Covid-19 vaccine.
An Garda Síochána is aware of members of the public having received
fraudulent text messages and calls regarding Covid vaccinations.
A number of people have recently received phone calls or text
messages in which they are offered vaccinations. However, the
callers are then providing fraudulent vaccination dates and looking
to extract sensitive personal details. The details requested
include, the person’s name, PPS number, date of birth and address.
Text messages have also made requests for people to confirm private
information such as PPS number, date of birth and address. The HSE
will never text seeking such information.
Gardaí issue fines for Covid-19 breaches
06.03.21
As of close of business on Thursday, March 4th 2021, almost 12,000 fines had been issued by Gardaí across the country for
Covid-19 breaches:
• 9,021 fines of €100 for non-essential travel
• 445 fines of €500 for non-essential journeys to airports/ports
• 375 fines of £100 for non-essential journeys to airports/ports
• 370 fines of €500 for organising a house party
• 1,416 fines of €150 for attending a house party
• 218 fines of €80 for not wearing a face covering
• 103 fines of €100 for non-essential travel by persons not
ordinarily resident in the State
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