for letting us know about that. Look at Donald Cadney, he's with a guitar in there and everything, singing. Air guitar should be banned. Do you think so? I think so. Did you ever do it yourself or once you saw some stuff like that? Drums may be bad on the way of guitaring. No, no, no, no. Shall we retain it? Retain it. Lee, what are you holding in your hands there? A big stick. What? I got a crowbar, this is the first time that you ever had one of these guys. God, I don't know how old it is. I don't think that's a crowbar. It is a crowbar. It's not a crowbar. That is a crowbar. Where's the camera? That's not a crowbar. That is a crowbar. That's what you do. No, a crowbar has a bend on it? No, no. That's a pole. No, that's a thing. You hammer it at the top and it's got a point at one end. That's not a crowbar. The bruise and that got over the years. Katie's fence went down, right? And what was she going to do with that? No, her husband fixed the fence. Is that a crowbar, Ashene? Ashene. That's a crowbar. Wow, I'm showing my ignorance. I know what you do with a crowbar. Can we start again? Yeah, it is a crowbar. So I gave it to Katie and Katie's been driving around in their boot this last few days. She says, here's a birthday present for you. Here's your crowbar back. So that's it. Did you have a good day? But these other set of headphones are on the way out again now. No, Greg, don't be tight. What did I tell you before Christmas? Tell Santy to buy you a pair of headphones. So, come here, what did she do with that crowbar, sorry? Fixed the fence. Right, okay, I don't know how you do that. I don't know how you do that. Hang it down and stuff. So I said, I had it in the van. I said that. No, I didn't have it in the van. I had it behind the shed. And I got it first when she returned. There you go. The weight of the thing. Good for the biceps. She's used some diesel tow in that thing around. I know, she's had to get rid of it. Can we have a busy show of the day again? Possibly. I'll let you know after I... God, you're sneaky drawers. Well, I don't, I don't... You could flag things up. Yeah, we're talking about this and that and the other. We are. Talking about this, that and the other. But that's not letting nothing out of the bag. It'll all become very clear shortly. Have a good show. Do you want me to leave this and you can do some exercise? No, no, no, no, you can take it. You might need it first. That's just a very big nail. It's not a crowbar. That is a crowbar. Okay, good luck. Nine o'clock a minute, pass. Let's get it. Who said it's not a crowbar? It's not a crowbar. No, it's not a crowbar. It's... Of course it's not a crowbar. Yeah, it's got a point on it. It's got a point on it. Yeah. No. A crowbar has the bend on it. Ah, you're totally woodley. It's not a... It's a crowbar. It's not a crowbar. A crowbar has an end on it, like that there. Does it? Yeah, and then you can pull nails out with it. And you can pull wood out. That's not... That is just a big nail. That's not a big nail. So you're insisting that it's a crowbar? That's a crowbar. Right, okay. I'll expect the apology tomorrow. All right, nine o'clock, two minutes passed. Let's get a news update. Donald, before we have to separate, obviously, the balance and the news. You've had a look at that. Do you believe that it's a crowbar? Absolutely not. Of course it's not a crowbar. Is it not okay? Thank you very much indeed. Donald knows his stuff. And it's over now to Donald Kavanaugh for a news update at nine o'clock. Thank you, Greg. Tisha Glee of Radler has told that all the Workplace Relations Commission is available to the HSC and Health Unions who are in dispute over the opening of the new community hospital in Bali-Shanan. The 37.6 million facility was to have opened this week, but hasn't done so because the INMO and SIPTU claim planned staffing levels and clinical governance models would pose a risk to staff and patients. Urging that Tisha Glee uses influence on the matter, Deputy Marion Harkin told the Dahl that opening the new hospital could relieve some of the overcrowding pressure in Sligo and Letterkenny. A state-of-the-art facility which could relieve some of the awful pressure on trolley numbers at SUH and LUH remains closed. It was expected that patients and staff at the Rock Community Hospital would move to the new community hospital in Bali-Shanan this week. However, it emerged that following a vote taken by the Nurses Union, staff have refused to move to the new facility, citing concerns over staffing levels. The government stands ready to intervene and that would be through both sides going to the Work Relations Commission. The opening of the new community hospital in Bali-Shanan is a priority and it will be fully operational at the earliest possible date. The CEO of Derry Chamber believes the British Labour Party is committed to the future of the Northwest. It comes following a meeting between the chamber and British Shadow Secretary of State Hilary Ben this week. The importance of City of Derry Airport and the need to upgrade the A5 were among the topics on the agenda. Chamber CEO Anna Doherty says it's conceivable there could be a Labour-led government in place at Westminster by the end of this year. But she says no matter what the political outlook, Chamber will continue to raise the needs of the region. They are very keen to support the Northwest. They were very receptive to the arguments that we put forward and have a lot of ties there themselves already. He came with his Shadow Minister, Flair Anderson. So I think that shows a lot of commitment from their part. But whoever takes the positions at the next election, we will be always arguing the case for the Northwest and for the Northwest City region. And the UN's refugee agency is calling on the Irish government to end homelessness among asylum seekers. Latest figures from the Department of Integration show 878 recently arrived international protection applicants have not been offered any state-provided shelter. There are currently 489 adult asylum seekers living in tentative accommodation at three separate sites. The UNHCR's Ifa Hart says they're bringing a report to the UN this morning asking for recommendations that Ireland will not leave asylum seekers homeless or destitute. So we're asking this committee to make recommendations to the government to end homelessness among asylum seekers and we want them to do this by providing accommodation for everyone arriving into Ireland seeking international protection. The number of men this week who have not been offered accommodation is now close to 900. And for many of these 900 men, this means sleeping out in the streets and they're in the cold, they're in the rain, they're freezing and they're scared like anyone who has arrived in their situation would be. Dull and Misty this morning with outbreaks of rain and drizzle, some hill and coastal fog about as well. That rain will clear later, followed by scattered chars and a few sunny spells. Top temperatures today, 10 or 11 degrees Celsius in light southwest winds. And that's Highland Radio News. Back with news in full at 10. Check all of the day's news on highlandradio.com. But for now from the news team. Good morning. Discover the new Nissan Aria. Discover 100% electric. Discover Japanese inspired design that sets it apart. Discover luxury beyond expectation. Discover innovation like you've never known. Discover smooth acceleration, quiet operation and advanced technology. Discover it today at Nissan dealers nationwide. The new Nissan Aria for €43,500 test drive it today and discover outstanding Nissan innovation that excites. Dealer delivery and related charges apply. And now it's time for the talk of the Northwest, The Nine to New Show with Greg Hughes on Highland Radio. Hello. Good morning to you. It is a 906 on this Thursday, the 15th of February, 2024. You're very welcome along to The Nine to New Show here on Highland Radio. And as we kick the show, it's shrouded in controversy with crowbar gate. We've put this big metal pin up on... Listen, I've already had about five messages of pictures with crowbars. I can't really continue this other than to admit I think I'm wrong here. I thought crowbars were a particular thing, right? I'm not working in construction. I did work in construction. Never come across one of these things, but apparently it is a crowbar. It's a type of crowbar, but I'm not going to admit that to Lee Gooch that he was possibly right. So me, Arshing, Donal, wrong, Lee Gooch, right. Okay, it seems. Anyway, listen, thanks so much for people who actually took the phones out, took a picture onsite of them with one of these crowbars and sent it into us on Facebook. It's brilliant stuff. Listen, thank you very much indeed for that. All right, stick with us for the next three hours. We've got loads of features for you. We're going to keep across all the big news stories, the events, and plenty of features as well. Plenty of fun as well. So stay with us for three hours. It's a real mixed bag here on the Ninetal Noon Show. 08, 660, 25,000. Easy WhatsApp and text. Maybe you want us to settle a family argument. Have you got a sister or a brother or a father or a mother who insists they're right about something and you believe that, in fact, you are correct about something? We will settle your arguments on the show today. So if you have something, an eternal argument, or discussion point in your house, send it into us. We will finish the argument. We will decide who is right or who is wrong. There's bound to be discussions out there across the dinner table where someone insists that they're right and they believe you wrong or vice versa. Send in your squabbles to 08, 660, 25,000. WhatsApp, some text to that number, or 07, 491, 25,000. And we will settle them once and for all on the Ninetal Noon Show. So there will be no more argument at family events. No more argument over the dinner table. Who is right? Who is wrong? We will sort it out. Let us do that for you. So text them into us, 08, 660, 25,000, or give us a call at 07, 491, 25,000. Don't forget, you can watch today's show. Most of our guests do. Go on to our YouTube channel on your smart TV or your Fire Stick and you can watch us on your big screen there. Just type in Highland Radio Ireland into YouTube. Give us a like and a subscribe too if you don't mind, it helps. Or cross-set your mobile devices on that app. And on Facebook too, Highland Hub, Highland News & Sport, and on X, formally Twitter. Radio, let's look at what's making... Let me grab my chair because I'm a person of routine, and my chair is far away. One second now. I have a little chair beside. I mean, I just don't feel right if it's not in the exact same spot that I expect it to be. Right, the Chicano Tribune coming less than a week ahead of a planned protest by the fishing sector against Finafore Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConnelogue for his alleged mishandling of the industry. A Finafore party meeting last Friday in Kilibegs was told that many of the current problems in the industry are the fault of the big boys here in this port. In comments that summon attendance at the Finafore meeting have described as delusional, a senior Finafore party member responded to a question from the floor, voicing concerns over the decline of the fishing industry in Kilibegs, and similarly in every port in the country by declaring that Finafore was fed up with the nonsense constantly coming out of Kilibegs and that the party would refuse to pander to the romance of certain business operators and that there's no satisfying these people. A highly respected Finafore spokesperson claimed that Charlie McConnelogue had the support of the right people in the industry and that he was one of the most progressive and hardworking marine ministers Ireland's ever had. Sources in Finafore told the Tribune as well as displaying arrogance and a shocking disregard for the long-suffering fishing industry people of Donegal and indeed nationwide, this statement by a senior Finafore rep begs the question of McConnelogue's poor handling of the industry being his party's policy all along or has the minister convinced his senior Finafore colleagues that he is in fact doing a great job for fishermen? Okay, controversy in Kilibegs. The Donegal news this morning, a letter came man who suffered 15 cardiac arrests in one year is hoping that life really will begin at 40 next month when he aims to undergo life-saving heart surgery in France. Chris Burroughs is fundraising to help pay for 30,000 euro in costs relating to hospital treatment in Bordeaux. You can more on that story in the front and inside that paper today. The Dairy News this morning, row over rates increase, tempers became frayed as Dairy City and Straban District councillors met to strike the rate for the 2024-25 financial year. Council struck a district rates increase of 6.5 percent, which included a non-domestic rate of 37.7408 pence in the pound and a domestic rate of 0.6 pence in the pound at yesterday afternoon's meeting. Okay, let us go now on to the farmer's journal. One of the biggest selling papers in the country, if not the biggest selling paper in the country, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConneloga has moved to bypass the department's own IT system and payment mechanisms to pay 26,000 farmers waiting for delayed acres money. Farmers in the general stream will be paid 4,000 euro and farmers in the cooperation stream will be paid 5,000 euro by the end of the month. These flat rate interim payments will be made directly from the government and through a separate delivery system to acres. Now on to the nationals and all over the RTE story because there was another bombshell that has to be said I think was dragged out of senior execs the top brass effectively at RTE. RTE is facing a substantial tax bill over a secret six-figure golden handshake to former executive Breida O'Keefe. In the latest scandal to rock RTE bosses at the station revealed its ex chief's financial officer received an exit package of 450,000 euro. Now this information wasn't given freely as such it was in the end but I'll play you a bit of the audio here it is a couple of minutes but this is it's not a couple of minutes it's a minute but this is quite significant. So this is RTE Director-General Kevin Backhurst being questioned about this payment. How much was this lady paid? And in terms of the voluntary exit package what was the cost to RTE? Of which voluntary exit package? For Breida O'Keefe. I can't say that that's confidential and I can't say... I think it's really important Mr Backhurst you put that into the public because this is really important you're building a new RTE it needs to be transparent needs to be trustworthy with integrity and also we need to see accountability. Now you're under privilege here and it's in the public interest that you provide that information to the committee. Yeah look I would I would say two things one is as I said we have had significant legal pressure over months to get this report out and to deal with this issue. I accept that. And there is a legal threat over this I agree with you transparency is important I agree with you it's important in this case Breida O'Keefe was paid 450,000 euros to leave. Can you repeat that? 450,000 euros and in terms of... So there you have it as I say it wasn't exactly dragged out of him kicking and screaming but the information wasn't necessarily forthcoming in the first instance. So now there is a tax liability arising as the redundancy did not meet the criteria for tax relief to be applied and who's going to pay it RTE? It seems RTE is acknowledged it's got no estimate of the potential cost of the tax bill arising from Ms O'Keefe's redundancy. There are calls for that money to be given back 450,000 euros just to go away really quite remarkable. Yeah so the Irish Daily Mail hand back your 450k RTE Golden Handshake. RTE's former Chief Financial Officer Breida O'Keefe is facing calls to return the 450,000 euro Gant Golden Handshake she received from the National Broadcaster. As we just heard RTE Director General Kevin Backhurst finally revealed the value of the controversial exit package yesterday. The package was not compliant with RTE's scheme on offer and was never sanctioned, never sanctioned by the Executive Board and now the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee Brian Stanley has demanded that Ms O'Keefe pay back the money. He told the Irish Daily Mail the right thing normally to do is pay it back. Now I don't know has as Ryan Toppeny ever paid his not his money back the money he got. Remember that 150k that was supposed to be paid back or there were calls for it to be paid back? Will it ever be? Perhaps not. Elsewhere we were talking last week about you know what we can do to protect our children online. I think we have a collective responsibility to ensure no more so than we would allow them to walk into a massive supermarket, engage with strangers, be asked to give pictures to strangers in the real world. We wouldn't allow never allow that to happen but sometimes unconsciously it is happening in a social media space and for young people nowadays there's not a great deal of difference often between you know reality, real world and sort of the online world. So what will the social media firms do to try and protect our children? Not much, various social media firms this is the times based in Ireland refused to give an undertaking to facilitate age verification mechanisms on their respective platforms and around table meeting with the government, the Minister for Education has said. Speaking to reporters at government buildings yesterday Norma Foley said she had raised the subject of age verification with representatives for various platforms at the constructive and robust meeting given that many children under the age of 13 are gaining access on social media sites. However an undertaking to implement more robust age verification measures was not forthcoming at present and the truth is it's not necessarily about the children in this. The greatest resistance as I said last week will come from adults who say oh well the social media company is not getting my ID and and all that type of stuff and you know I'm not saying I'm in favour of it but whilst we don't protect the children every day they're being they're being potentially exploited. The star this morning T. Shockley of Radcar in his Spanish counterpart have written to the president of the European Commission to express deep concern at the deteriorating situation in Gaza I mean you can't get much worse. In a joint letter to Ursula von der Leyen, Mr. Radcar and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called for an urgent review of whether Israel is complying with its human rights obligations under the EU-Israel trade agreement. They described the expanded Israeli military operation in Rafa as posing a grave and imminent threat that the international community must urgently confront. They asked the Commission to propose measures to be taken by the EU if it considered that Israel is in breach of its obligation under the EU-Israel trade agreement and those those suggestions will now be considered. The Deputy Mayor of Drohada has blasted the decision by a local hotel to put up refugees. The de-hotel on the banks of the River Boine and County Laith town will house 500 international protection applicants but Drohada Deputy Mayor Kevin Callan said it will ruin local business and tourism. The first arrivals are due to check in on March 5th, it's reported. Mr. Callan will be calling an emergency meeting of local reps and last night declared that the decision must be reversed. He said the announcement came without any prior consultation with Laith County Council or the elected representatives of the council to convert the town's largest hotel into an accommodation centre for international protection applicants and will be decimated. The local economy will and will impact on the town in the form of business closures and job losses. Some concern there of course and if you're watching the rugby or you've been on social media you would have heard this guy what a performer and let's see if we can actually hear him. He is a cracking singer. All right so that is Phil Coulter composed song music legend Phil Coulter said toy show sensation Stevie Mulroney is an absolute hero after his island call performance after the eight-year-old appeared on last year's Laight Laight show he was invited to perform the anthem before Sunday's game against Italy Coulter. 81 told fans on his Facebook page Stevie is an absolute hero one of the best versions of the song I've ever heard and they're absolutely no no doubt it is fantastic but another thing too I noticed the amount of negativity on social media surrounding that performance which I don't get I just saw a young lad singing his heart out having the time of his life and making a memory that will last forever but anyway that's that that's a run through some of the news some of the papers today what are you thinking any of that 08 660 25 000 whatsapps and texts and we're still if you want us to after the fact that me and Lee had a bit of a row about what is or what is in a crowbar if you in your family amongst friends or whatever have a topic that you completely disagree on that you need us to moderate on to define the answer to settle the row feel free to text us 08 660 25 000 or give us a call on 07 491 25 000 all right we'll be back with more than I until noon show after these but first actually a big thanks to our newspaper sponsor the newspapers are courtesy of Kelly Centra mountaintop letter Kenny the C store national large forecourt of the year for 2022 the 90 noon show with letter Kenny credit union now offering mortgages from 40 000 to 600 000 euro with no hidden fees or transaction charges letter Kenny credit union 9102127 in the final clearance of wants and menswear there's great savings across top labels a great selection of footwear shirts and knitwear half price selected suits and kids clothing also half price there's dress shirts two for 40 euro and denims two for just 70 euro don't miss out on some great bargains in the final clearance now on at wants 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we're joined on the program now by larry donnelly boston attorney university of go away law lecturer political columnist two with the journal dot i e larry great to have you back on the show good morning to you good morning great great to be with you yeah and it is the year of elections right across the world it might seem and a lot of attention will be on what's happening in the united states and it would seem that voters over there are becoming increasingly wary of america's two uh as someone described it unelectable candidates it looks like it is going to be a runoff between uh president biden and president donald trump just suppose just your overview of of the race uh and would we have i suppose we have to presume that is going to be those two for the purpose of this conversation larry yeah i mean at this stage it looks very much like it's unavoidably going to be joe biden and donnell trump a rematch that as you say uh the american people don't really want the the opinion polling shows that the majority of americans want neither individual to be the nominee uh in terms of trump you know look he retains a huge stranglehold on the affections of a vast swathe of republicans and far from his legal troubles uh diminishing that support or hurting him it actually seems to have expanded it and we've seen one challenger after the other fall down and now he only has nikki hailey left to vanquish and she is down 30 percentage points in her own home state whose primary takes place next week so trump um you know has a pretty clear route uh joe biden but just in relation to trump two and we'll go on to biden we're in this bizarre situation and we've i think i've mentioned these to be for this to you before that you would say well how could you close how is it possible that she could close that 30 gap it would be a major controversy or something that would just blow the campaign apart we've seen it in arland we've seen it in britain whereby there's a particular interview and everything changes and everything can swing but there is no controversy it seems that actually doesn't seem to strengthen uh the support of donald trump amongst those inclined to support him yeah that's that's absolutely true uh and and you know hailey is only holding on in the hope that something is going to land that some element of his legal trouble is going to get so bad uh that it becomes untenable for him to continue we've seen no signups whatsoever of that to date but that's been our hope what i would say greg is that um you know she's being funded by some very very wealthy individuals uh if she loses her home state by 30 points those wealthy individuals gonna say uh we're not going to throw good money away after bad uh nikki and i suspect that'll be the end of the road for her and on on to uh mr biden and this is a difficult one for me because you know we advocate an awful lot about older people and the important role they play in society and and i don't want to come across as if i'm i'm judging uh joe biden on his age but he is uh 81 and you know that that's almost besides the point if you listen to him speak um a lot of what he says doesn't make sense uh and and what i find really quite interesting about that is if you look at some of the footage of it the people in tendons cheer and whoop as if what he has said has made sense and sometimes i question if it's me uh if it's me that's not hearing clearly but you know when you when you take some of those factors together you think is this really the best person to be to be leading you know one of if not the most powerful country in the world no no and quite frankly he he joe biden is not i mean look i think your point about ageism is an important one there's different types of 81 i think we all know 81 year olds who could wipe the floor with us uh so you know this is not an age thing but there is a there are different types of 81 and joe biden is for lack of a better way of putting it uh in old 81 and look did democrats knew that he had these vulnerabilities um you know for a long long time yet they effectively boxed off the field of potential challenges and acceded fully to his ambition to seek a second term uh in the white house now i think that that was a misguided choice obviously in fairness to biden he's the one person who has beaten trump he has had some successes in his presidency he is the incumbent that carries a lot of power but these are unique circumstances i think uh in this instance and i'll put it to you this way greg the reality is that joe biden is going to have to stand toe-to-toe on a debate stage with joe with donald trump for three ninety minute debates if any of us who watch footage or watched him i just don't know if he's up to that uh and again trump is at his own missteps but people need to take this really important point trump plays the game by totally different rules to everybody else it doesn't matter what he says what he does what he gets wrong what he gets right he's still gonna have that fervent base of support joe biden doesn't have that you see in those debates you and you've really suggested this you know what you're gonna get with donald trump uh you know what i mean but it's it's it's how it exposes uh president biden so in other words donald trump can't really lose in those debates as such can it it can only be for joe biden to look completely incapable potentially yeah i mean the only way that trump can lose is and i think we did see this last time around where uh trump went on the attack about joe biden's son who was battled you know an awful lot of his own demons and i think he did so in quite a nasty way he did so in the context of joe biden referring to the son who he tragically lost now i think that did evoke a lot of sympathy for joe biden because a lot of parents can say hey i have a son who's a screw up but i would never leave his side or never abandon him whereas trump just sought to exploit that so yeah he can push things too far but on the flip side and here's what democrats behind closed doors are desperately worried about is if what if joe biden has one of those senior moments on the debate stage what if he loses track what if he does a vacant expression on his face it will be lethal to him politically i wonder what happened with uh kamala harris because i i'm not across uh really uh the situation as much as many not least you but it kind of felt to me that you know after the last election president biden gets them over the line then maybe starts to step back and they sort of start grooming kamala harris kamala harris as the next president do you think that was ever the plan of what went what what went wrong there that they don't believe that they can back her and had to go or probably felt they had to go with biden well there are a couple of things here um you know appearance is like kamala harris is a vibrant articulate attractive politician you know he's got a good education etc she's got a great story to tell that having been said she is one of these politicians who the more people seem to get to know her the less they like her remember she ran last time around she had 35 000 people at her announcement she raised 40 million bucks in a week and then a couple months later she was gone uh you know so she has her own issues and her numbers in terms of favorability are even lower than joe biden's the second point to make is that despite that the biden team and biden has a very loyal group around him and joe biden has been running for president for an awful long time and now that he finally reached the holy grail the last thing that his loyalists were going to allow was for his vice president to upstage him and again knowing that he's you know you know an elderly man knowing that she has a lot of dynamic qualities they would determine that she wouldn't upstage him so what did they do they gave her the most unthinkable task in american politics they said your special assignment is going to be the southern border god himself could not sort out the southern border so in addition to the low profile she's been given a thankless task hence her numbers are really really poor um funny story coming out this morning not funny but interesting russian president vladimir putin said he'd rather a joe biden presidency over donald trump ahead of the u.s elections in november mr biden was more experienced predictable personally setting remarks which the bbc say are sure to raise eyebrows is that an endorsement or is i wonder is that meddling it's an interesting it's an interesting yeah i just don't know you wouldn't get into uh vladimir putin's head i i don't know what that is all about i mean i think you know if we to take a step back from it i think objectively most people would say that uh donald trump is certainly sent a lot more friendly signals in the vladimir putin's direction than joe biden has so who knows what putin is getting getting out with this kind of intervention and just finally facing into the selection and it will always it'll be about you know biden versus trump but there's a the bigger picture here in terms of uh you know a shift maybe in the world order um the the importance of the dollar you know across the globe and also to the what seems to be i i can't see how america can can america can sustain its debt levels i mean even if you look at the the interest on that debt alone it's the numbers are absolutely mind boggling and then there is the issue of course with with with the the southern border and what have you i mean really the it's almost as if biden and trump are it's a sideshow uh as to the the great challenges that that country is is facing globally you know it almost feels like we're on a it almost feels like we're at we're at a changing point in history you're absolutely right we are at a changing point in history you mentioned you know the myriad structural issues that are there and you know the cold hot facts of it there is also the societal problems societal malaise in the united states what i think has resulted from some of what you said uh and has you know engendered uh the trump presidency to be franken is the reason why he is where he is but i think to be perfectly selfish about it from a european point of view i think in these conversations need to start now in the event of a trump presidency uh europe is going to have to recalculate and recalibrate its defense and a whole range of other different things and even if biden wins uh or even if democrats win in future america is going to be a much more inward-looking place as americans demand they face up to the issues you mentioned so it's going to change the global power dynamic in ways we can't even fathom right now all right okay fascinating stuff as uh always uh larry thank you very much for your time it's greatly appreciated thank you take care larry donnelly boston attorney university of go away law lecturer political columnist with the journal dot ie why are we talking about the u.s presidential elections because what happens over there either directly or indirectly has a uh significant impact on your lives although sometimes it's um sometimes it's hard to see that i don't know why charlie mccunlough is minister from the marine says a listener because charlie wouldn't know one end of a boat from the other says a listener hi greg um you'd be on about how to keep our children safe online was wondering if you could give us some tips to keep them safe from the migrants well there is an actual danger uh to the children that are uh online because if you speak to childline the amount of children that are being groomed abused exploited in this country it's crazy it's higher than it ever was is it down to migrants no um that there's an old meme um on there's an old meme on uh the internet where it's like spider man and he says he's pointing over there and pointing over there at the same time and they're effectively saying you know don't look at this look at that um if you could tell me what the present danger to children is we can discuss that no problem greg you have to pay your tv license i got another reminder in the post by law you have to pay your tv license now whether you do or not that's that's your decision many have chosen uh not to uh but i wouldn't be not paying it uh in the hope that at some point you know shin fane come into power and there's an amnesty you know you could be pursued for that they obviously have their teeth into you so um you eventually are going to have to pay it or else you're gonna be summoned hi greg what do you think the government is paying 800 euro uh 800 000 euro for transport pets from ukraine to arland when leo was asked he said he didn't know about it that came up in the show yesterday we discussed that um with the billions that are knocking around 800 000 euro i don't know a lot of people pet lovers and a lot of people wouldn't want pets to be abandoned behind them i don't know what's up to you guys what do i think is irrelevant uh the money to me is like confetti at this stage it's been chucked around everywhere i find it hard to get too worried about 800 thousand if that makes sense all right okay we're going to be back with our next guest on the show after these watch the show live now on youtube facebook and at highland radio dot com i saw your be good baker running boy again the other day she's out to help Mr Brennan ah yes is he i've never seen her stand still and she's running rings around the rest of us with our brennan's be good bread only 60 calories a slice 60 calories is i that's just a whole meal is it now to see it's the whole meal the whole grain and the waste 60 calories a slice and high in fiber whatever way is noisy that's why anything baked is better with brennan's today's bread today an unbelievable clearance sale is now on at foys in evercanny and ballet buffet with massive reductions to make way for new arrivals there's 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be the case and then also conversations about how these houses these 17 houses can come can be taken off the private owner of them the private developer and be to be made available for social housing now the council have issued a very detailed press release in relation to this the developer entered into a turnkey procurement process with Donagall County Council on foot of an advertisement in January 2018 and progressed through the various steps and stages of the process including obtaining the various statutory approvals such as planning permission and so on immediate immediately prior to commencement's work on the site the developer attended his final costs to the council in 21 the council subsequently obtained department approval in February of that year in the sum of 3.47 million to acquire the 17 houses for the purpose of social housing this was based on the maximum construction cost ceiling at the time of construction the houses were designed and laid out to meet the specific needs of the council for Milford and the surrounding areas the houses were substantially completed in July 22 as a result of delays in completing the construction works due to COVID-19 and inflation cost the developer sought an uplift increase on his tendering costs the council employed an independent quantity surveyor to identify appropriate and relevant cost increases in line with inflationary cost increases and department guidance an increased acquisition offer was made then to the developer in March of last year which to date has not been accepted the uplift in cost amounted to 360,361,000 euro the uplift calculations were consistent with other developments that were appropriate within the turnkey process at the time so the original fee 3.47 million the the the developers as costs have increased the council had a look at that and said look we'll give you another 361,000 euro because this is consistent with with with other developments and what have you the department will sanction the monies based on the year that the construction costs were incurred which was 21 and 22 it's acknowledged that since 22 the department sanction would be for a higher figure in respect of the construction years 23 and 24 for the same houses this is based on the inflation and cost prevailing at the actual time of construction the council has allocated significant resources to the delivery of this project and remains committed to acquiring these units for the existing social housing need subject to contract council officials most recently met with the developer on the 10th of January this year and again reaffirmed the council's offer to acquire the 17 housing units in the context of the developer seeking to sell the houses to an approved housing body which was one of the suggestions it is important to note that it's not accepted nor appropriate practice for public bodies funded by the state to be engaged in a competitive situation to acquire the same houses where the state through different funding mechanisms would in essence fund the acquisition of the houses i.e. the council's offer is on the table backed by the government and to go through a approved housing body it could be seen as a competitive situation that's my read on it and I'm open to correction which I might be in a moment such a scenario would result in driving up the cost of the houses for the taxpayer and indeed would have a knock on effect to the private housing market with increased prices so I thought in fairness someone sat down and went through that important to important to read it almost in its entirety. Declan Maheens an independent candidates in the upcoming elections what's your take on that council press release Declan? Good morning Greg I suppose the first thing to say is I think we're finally getting to the crux of the whole issue here and this is a statement that has been sought after from the council for several months now at this stage so it's very welcome that the council has finally put pen to paper and outlined the issue from their I suppose perspective and my take on it is this and what we have in that statement is as you said there Greg and a lot of detail but there's actually quite a key emission in the statement as well and that is that last year in 2023 the council were actually in writing confirmed that they were supporting the approved housing body which is cooperative housing Ireland in their attempts to acquire the the 17 units and so that's a huge thing and the council had initially decided that they were out of the running because they couldn't afford the price the developer was looking for and they weren't willing to meet the price that he was seeking and they then decided okay well we're going to support an application to CAF which is the funding structure through the Department of Housing to purchase the houses through an approved housing body which is cooperative housing Ireland so that the houses can still remain in the social housing stock and crucially and this is really the main thing here that I think we really need to focus on that they would be delivered for 17 families in the Milford area on the housing waiting list which should be everyone's priority so there was a stage between June 2022 or sorry 2023 up to October 2023 when the council were actively engaged in supporting cooperative housing Ireland from doing exactly what they've now said in this statement and that they cannot do but would that not be an acceptable practice Declan that there's ongoing negotiations I'm not sure if it's with the same stuff within the council but to also pursue options to pursue other options is that not responsible is that not responsible from the council to say right well look at these both options and see actually which is the best way of delivering houses well absolutely Greg but surely if they were allowing cooperative housing Ireland to go ahead with the deal at the amount of money that the developer was looking for then inherent as that is that the council were accepting that they were out of the running at that stage because they were essentially handing over responsibility to the approved housing body to purchase them instead because they had a greater ability to meet the price that the developer was looking for so in that sense you know there's a paper trail a very clear paper trail some of which I have seen and I had sent on to a producer Caroline which shows exactly that so you know this anti-competitive or anti-competition directive that they have been citing or kind of principle that they've been citing that statement today it would seem that that you know wasn't relevant last year but now it is relevant this year yeah but in but in fairness Declan in the in fairness right so there was a the contractor there was an initial agreement which we understand as to why people come back out of it of 3.47 million these houses for these houses that were constructed in the years that they were constructed he says right that's not really enough because it actually cost me more to build these houses so they went back and had a look at it and say right we accept that there's a 361 euro uplift for you so you'll get your 3.47 million and we'll give you an extra 361 000 euro because we want these houses for social housing and that that uplift obviously is not based on how much it would cost to build them now or how much you could sell them for now or last year it's the 21-22 period so the council did go back they got more money the the contractor's getting more money than he initially wanted there comes a point does the nut whereby we have to applaud the council for being responsible with public money they've put more money on the table and some might say well is this is this person holding out to maximize you know what i mean like so what else can the council do yeah i think i think that's completely fair i think that if it's beyond the council's means where they can't meet the price that's been looked for and also just to point out that the uplift works out at about 17 000 euro per unit of the 17 units so i think a lot of people will kind of will realize that 17 000 of an increase on the total cost of building a two or three bed house in that period is actually relatively modest but i would but we'd also yeah but we'd also need the figures from the contractor from the developer by the way you know like say for instance say i don't i don't know where i don't know where he sourced the materials or they sourced the materials you know what i'm on about like we don't have all the facts as to we don't have all the facts as to why the cost of building these houses increased we can only trust that the council has said right in terms of what we can judge from an inflationary perspective it would have cost 361 000 more to build these houses but they can't cover all of of extra costs that a developer incurs because how can we account for and i'm not saying this happened a poor decision in terms of ordering the wrong windows or something do you know what i mean absolutely but the fact and as you say we don't have those figures we don't have that but those facts but the fact that we do have is that and as you said the council have decided that they don't want to pursue it for that price from i suppose you know a financial standpoint and out of concern for taxpayers money but the and it is the council's prerogative to manage its own finances but my issue is that they should not then go and block someone else from buying the houses who can't afford the amount that the developer is looking where does that where does the money but then sorry which would then would deliver the houses of course i guess i'll get you but where where does the it's not just about prudence okay for for that housing body it's also about not blocking of course for that housing body though where does that money actually in reality come from it comes from the state so the the financing from comes from the state exactly and then the council funding the council i understand that but the council money also comes from the state so you could have a situation and i'll say to me not this contractor i've got 17 18 houses and i say i don't like the offer the council has given me which is money from the state i might actually deal with this approved housing body which also has access to money from the state which might give me more money i mean that can we allow developers or contractors to have that kind of pick and choose situation why would any contractor then not pull out of a procurement process with the council if down the line they can get more money out of a an approved housing body do you not see that there that in terms of accountability transparency and and delivery of property with the taxpayer in mind that the council kind of has to take a stand on this absolutely and and this is the standard they've taken is that they're not going to purchase the houses because they don't have the means to do that i think that one of the things that this is highlighted is that there is obviously a discrepancy in the system which allows funding for housing bodies to be able to pay more money because there is private money involved in those transactions as well it's not as simple to say that it comes from one part of the taxpayers money or another part of the taxpayers money it's all from the same past and approved housing body has a different funding structure which is a mixture of private money and also taxpayers money which will always allow them to offer more money should have come to us one of the issues that this has also highlighted is the pre-covid turnkey acquisitions were not set up with contracts they were set up with an agreement which allowed people either party to walk away thereafter and that's exactly what has happened here so this is all within the regulations that existed at that point in time this is a failing of housing policy again okay everything that we come back to but i can't talk about how do we know but how do we know that how do we know that 3.78 million is not actually a good price that the council's offering for 17 houses i mean 3.78 million is a lot of money it is a lot of money but it's for 17 units i mean look what we have to look at is we have to look at how are these houses going to be acquired for social housing if the developer has said that they cannot sell to the council because it is not meeting their costs and their expected profits on mass but they can sell to an approved housing body local authorities can't be held over barrels by developers though this was agreed whereby there would be no point even entering it to a turnkey procurement because down the line if a better offer comes then those houses are lost to social housing that at some point the council surely has to draw a line in the sand dachlan and say this is how we're doing houses 3.78 million for 17 units that's the price sorry Greg but that's actually not true race because now whenever anyone enters into a turnkey acquisition they have contracts signed right so therefore whenever a developer you know so that means that a developer cannot yeah cannot now hold the council over a barrel for future projects but his contracts will be signed at the time of the agreement whereas this was not the case prior to that so you have at the minute a number of developments in the county that are in similar position where there are houses being built under turnkey acquisitions pre-covid no contract and the developers are looking for more money because of the increase in costs and now the council is not supporting them to do your presumption though is generally across the board your presumption is is because if it's an increase in costs do you know what I mean like we don't know we don't really know unless we got a look at the books a look at how the the building process was done how things were required if there were no mistakes that the taxpayer might be expected to you know what I mean right we can't I mean you're taking uh not this developer because I'm not speaking specifically about them but we you're saying that if they say right the prices have gone up now we want this that we just bow to that I mean that just says the council over a barrel Declan do you not see that that whilst we want these houses of course we can't have the local authority and on our money because we can see what's happening at the hospital down in Dublin you know someone say right actually you know we need another 500 because the cost has gone up a little bit and I have to maintain my profits yeah 100 no I understand that but as I've said this is a handful of projects that are currently in the county where this is affecting this will not happen again because the regulations have changed the housing policies that we have had in this country have privatized the delivery of social housing so Greg you and I both know that the privatization agenda that has been driven in this country for the past 20 30 40 years has resulted in scenarios like this where developers whether it's for a hospital or whether it's for a social housing project and will invariably look to make profits that's the nature of privatization so again it's a failing of housing policy that we've been left into this position but you want just what I want to say briefly Declan please yeah but I want to say is yes what I want to say is here's the crux of the thing at the minute the houses are sitting there vacant there is no deal and there's no negotiation between the developer and the council there is between the developer and the social housing or sorry the cooperative housing Ireland approved housing body so there's only one deal to be made the council are currently blocking that they have a message from that statement today that for six months almost six months last year they were pursuing that as an option but changed course just before Christmas so clarity on why that is would be very necessary this statement is very welcome but there's another but do you think there's a do you know what the figure is do you know the figure that is on the table between this approved housing body and the contractor yeah well from my memory and Greg when the contractor was on a few himself there a few weeks ago and that was made clear in terms of the amount was obviously greater than what the counselor offering but it's lesser than what and yeah but what is the figure I wonder what the figure is yeah but they weren't built today they were built to they were built in 20 and 21 they weren't built today yes of course they were yeah so we I mean we have to compare apples with apples we can't pile apples with oranges I mean I would love to I would love the car I bought six years ago to get to get new car money for it now but these hit these costs these costs for the contractor were uh occurred in 2021 comparing to comparing the price of these houses to how much it would cost to deliver them now is is a is a little bit disingenuous isn't it I know you're not doing it but the difference and no and believe me Greg I am not on the side of the developer I'm not on the side of the counselor I am on the council I am on the side of those 17 families who want these houses I can tell you that the difference in the figure between the uplifted figure that the council have offered and what the contractor has secured in a deal or should be able to secure a deal from Cooperative House in Ireland is in the ballpark figure of 500 thousand euro okay that's the difference in the two figures all right listen thanks for thanks for the thanks for the conversation I genuinely appreciate it declare me an independent candidate in the upcoming local elections the nine-tone in show with letter Kenny credit union simplify your debts with a debt consolidation loan from letter Kenny credit union call us on<PHONE_NUMBER> or apply online via our app or in office today the world is getting a little more more but maybe more could mean something else more means more proactive green energy solutions more means more wind turbines and more recycling more means more biodiversity and more energy storage more means more hydrogen and more solar farms because more clean energy means more efficient living means more thriving communities means more energy autonomy that's why we're more than Mona learn more at more than Mona dada board and Mona at being q get three for two on selected colored emulsion including paint mixing so bring color to your home with big brands like dulux and val's bar for less shop in store or online at diy.ie you can do it exclusions apply the value of every third item 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the northwest to buy a bed or mattress it's rest text beds and furniture mountaintop letter kenny where comfort meets style 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 new flex underfloor heating visit grant dot ie okay let's have a look at that weather forecast for you right now and i can tell you that it's going to be a dull and misty start without breaks of rain and drizzle and hill and coastal fog to rain though we'll clear east of the region early this afternoon followed by scattered showers and a few sunny spells highest temperatures today of 10 to 12 degrees now the last conversation ran on a little so apologies for going to be going to the news just a couple of minutes late stay tuned back after the news and obituary notices the 90 noon show is brought to you by letter kenny credit union digital loans now available apply online or via our app today and get your loan transferred 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skin conditions hair and makeup packages also available janis's aesthetics and skincare clinic you do or 07495 32575 the county dunig all blackface sheep breeders association in conjunction with the sleeve league blackface sheep breeders association and the brokka perth blackface sheep breeders association will hold an in-lamp female and dry-hugged sale at balibu fae and strunauer mart this saturday the 17th of february at 12 noon the sale will be available to view and bid on marty.ie the red castle oceanfront golf and spa hotel would like to invite you to the wedding fair on sunday the 18th of february from 2 p.m to 5 p.m meet the wedding team top industry suppliers with breathtaking views refreshments and more we hope to see you there join me marty frill every friday night from eight for rocking hits on the highland radio in association with arena seven where you can enjoy dinner and drinks in a woodbury grill bar and restaurant before bowling in arena seven state of the art liens see arena seven duni lie on air online and on the highland radio app this is highland radio news good morning it's donna marie dawdy at the news desk at 10 o'clock dunig all county council says it remains committed to the acquisition of 17 houses at lock fern in millford for social housing and met with the developer as recently as the 10th of last month three weeks ago the developer told highland radio there was an agreement but no contracts were signed and the council withdrew when the process rose he said he had subsequently done a deal with the cooperative housing arland group but the council would not be supporting that deal the council says that would effectively put two state-funded agencies into competition donal kavna has more in a statement the council says on foot of an advert in january 2018 the developer entered into a turnkey procurement process with them and just before work started in january 2021 submitted his final costs the council obtained approval from government the following month to acquire the 17 houses for just under 3.5 million euro the houses were substantially completed in july 2022 but as a result of delays in completing construction works due to COVID-19 and rising inflation the developer sought an increase on his tendered costs the council made an increased acquisition offer in march last year which to date has not been accepted in the context of the developer seeking to sell the houses to an approved housing body the council says it's neither accepted nor appropriate practice for public bodies funded by the state to be engaged in a competitive situation to acquire the same houses as it would drive up the cost to the taxpayer and also have an adverse impact on the private housing market two teenagers have been confirmed to have meningitis while another one further case has been deemed as probable all attending the same school the department of public health west and northwest were notified of the cases in the west earlier this month close contacts have been identified and offered preventative treatment as appropriate more information on the signs and symptoms of meningitis can be found on our website radio dot com superintendant grady sharden is to become donnie gall's new garden chief super intendant the role has been empty now since december 2022 the rathmillan native will take up her post on monday the ceo of dairy chamber believes the british labour party is committed to the future of the northwest it follows a meeting between the chamber and british shadow secretary of state hillary benn this week the importance of dairy city airport and the need to upgrade the a5 were among the topics on the agenda ceo of dairy chamber anna daherty says while there could be a labour-led government by the end of this year regardless chamber will continue to raise the needs of the region they are very keen to support the northwest they were very receptive to the arguments that we put forward and and have a lot of ties there themselves already he came with his shadow minister for anderson so i think that shows a lot of commitment from their parts but whoever takes the positions at the next election we will be always arguing the case for the northwest and for the northwest city region there are calls for a former rte chief financial officer to hand back a 450 000 euro exit package it was revealed yesterday that former cfo brenda okief was paid 450 000 euro when she left her job at the state broadcaster rte is also going to have to pay a tax liability due to on the payoff chairperson of the public accounts committee brian stanley says the money should be repaid to the state broadcaster three people at the very top two people who arranged this and who signed off on by the head of hr somebody else that's in in the executive management position and part of that team you know totally unaware to the ordinary workers in rte marley they should be handed back there was no basis or within the procedures it was completely wrong we knew that this figure was in excess of 400 000 ish garen say repairs to a burst water main may cause supply disruptions to clon malay valley levin and surrounding areas of north and is shown today works are scheduled to take place until three o'clock this afternoon the utility recommends that people allow two to three hours after the estimated restoration time for their supply to fully return the basket of goods used to determine inflation rates here is being updated the cso will announce details of the changes later today tara doggan has the details for the past 75 years the cso has monitored the price of 600 commonly bought household goods to establish if consumer prices are rising or falling from the monthly analysis it establishes the rate of inflation in our land since the process began the items in the shopping basket have changed to keep pace with shopping habits and updates in technology in past decades things like corsets chewing tobacco and cassette tapes have made way for more modern goods like avocados music downloads and e-cigarettes the list is generally updated every year but the covid pandemic means this latest update has been delayed until today look at now two weather a dull and misty start today with outbreaks of rain in drizzle and hill and coastal fog two the rain will clear east this morning followed by scattered showers and a few sunny spells highs of 10 or 11 degrees in light southwest winds that's all for now from highland radio news back again at 11 o'clock the obituary notices for this thursday morning the 15th of february the death has taken place of charlie shill's tarry hide len karigart his remains are opposing at his late residence funeral from there on saturday to the church of st john the baptist for 11 o'clock requiem mass followed by interment in the adjoining cemetery mass can be viewed live on the meva parish facebook page family time please from 10 p.m. to 11 a.m. and on the morning of the funeral the death has taken place of katie galleher dairy husband downings removal from eternal light chapel of rest mountain top letter kenny at two o'clock this afternoon going to her sister mary galleher's residence at dunwell termin removal from there tomorrow to the church of st john the baptist for requiem mass at 11 o'clock followed by interment in umla old cemetery mass can be viewed live on the meva parish facebook page the death has occurred of charlie coel isle of doe clon money his remains will repose at his late residence from four o'clock this afternoon funeral from there on saturday morning at 20 to 10 going to st mary's church clon money for requiem mass at half past 10 followed by interment in the adjoining cemetery charlie's funeral mass can be viewed on church services dot tv family time please from 10 p.m. to 11 a.m. and on the morning of the funeral family flowers only please donations in louis desired to car and on a community hospital care of any family member or mack philly funeral directors the death has occurred of seedy harkin rin boy funnard and colt bridge scotland removal from eternal life chapel of rest mountain top letter kenny at four o'clock this afternoon going to her late residence at rin boy funnard requiem mass on saturday morning at 11 in st mary's church fan of alty with burial afterwards in the adjoining graveyard family flowers only please donations in louis desired to bonement hospital icu ward care of any family member or a min scott funeral director the death has taken place of nan donahy nae loge 54 gortaleck road donna manna formerly of bonds glenn claudie reposing at her son chemist donahy's home at 108 list narrow road donna manna from six o'clock this evening funeral from there on saturday morning at half past 10 for requiem mass in st patrick's church kalena donna manna at 11 o'clock interment afterwards in the adjoining cemetery family time please from 11 p.m to 11 a.m the requiem mass can be viewed live via the donahelly parish youtube channel the death has taken place of george peoples leed beg ballet hearing funnard george's funeral service will take place at christ the redeemer church ross nakill funnard at two o'clock tomorrow afternoon with burial afterwards in the adjoining graveyard the funeral service will be streamed live on the macketeer funeral directors facebook page the house is strictly private please family flowers only please donations in louis desired to the donahy gall hospice or parkinson's arland care of any family member or macketeer funeral directors the death has taken place of sister loretto mckeen breeder late of abbey house rath farnham and falcara reposing in funnigan's funeral home wilbrook rath farnham from three o'clock to five o'clock today with evening prayer at half past four funeral mass tomorrow morning at 10 in the church of the annunciation rath farnham followed by burial in abbey house cemetery and the death has taken place of vincent doherty clock fin barren drake lifford reposing at his home funeral from there tomorrow morning at 20 past 10 for requiem mass in st patrick's church merlock at 11 o'clock interment afterwards in the adjoining cemetery family time please from 10 o'clock tonight the requiem mass can be viewed live via the parish webcam for family information and for family information and more details regarding wakes and funerals please go to highland radio dot com after a long hard day treat yourself to something luxurious your drive home the sleek new nissan x trail has a dreamy luxurious interior and is now available with e power nissan's unique hybrid driving system that lets you experience the pleasure of electric driving without the need to plug in and it's available in five or seven seats so even the school run feels like a spa break the all-new nissan x trail with e power drive it to believe it book your test drive today at your local nissan dealer nissan innovation that excites okay you're very welcome back to the nine till noon show uh good morning if you're just after joining us you missed an interesting first hour uh right to some of your comments um morning what age has your child to be before they can get their ashes on wednesday thank you uh well i can tell you that there's no age limit but it is to remind uh us to fast so perhaps first communion age is suitable but it's a parent's choice a guardian's choice but there is no age limit as such greg are you for real you see no problem with the government spending 800 000 euro on transporting pets from ukraine buttons you say it's my buttons and yours now what i i get what you're saying right maybe i was a bit flippant in what i was saying but the cost of um whether people agreed with it or not or agreed with at the time but no longer the cost of um bringing ukranians here in housing them is billions upon billions my point being is at the time if the pop if if if the government went to the public and said look we're going to be spending you know six seven eight nine ten billion on uh i don't know exactly what the figure is but let's just say that we're going to spend like three or four billion uh in a couple of years um in taking ukranians this is at the start taking ukranians over to arden housing them keeping them safe from the war now um what about us if we also spent another 800 000 euro and it means that their dogs and cats wouldn't be left behind them what would the pop population had said back then maybe they would have said are you serious let them leave the dogs and cats behind them or would they have said right in the widest scale of things an extra 800 000 euro my flippancy and reference to buttons actually comes a little bit from frustration not on that issue but generally speaking in that it just seems that money is like confetti this money tree that we were told never existed does exist so i take your point am i happy 800 000 euro uh is being spent in this area i mean obviously there's better places it can be spent but i take your point and we're going to read your message on by the way just so you don't think that i'm in any way um in any way edit tutorialising what uh you've got to say but anyway in that case miso keeps package from r t was even smaller buttons maybe we should not bother about anything if it's less than a few million that appears to be your opinion i don't understand your logic what people are complaining about is the perceived manner in which some people are being treated differently to others people are waiting for years to get redressed for houses falling down around them yet ukrainians and other immigrants can apply to have their pets brought to islands and the money is there right away this is what uh is causing divide and dissent in our country believe me if this doesn't stop i'm afraid it will not end well the government would need to do something before it's too late and thank you for your comment do i think it's okay i don't think it's okay but just in the widest scale of things anyway so i'll have to cover mark you've had your say too so uh hopefully you feel heard i read yesterday that miss okay received an exit package of 45 000 euro the report said that she did not qualify for this payment and it had no sorry it's 450 000 uh and it hadn't been approved by the board of directors i worked out that it took 2812 license fee payers for the year to make up that payment there's no mention of the current dg looking to get that money recovered or getting the guardie to investigate if a crime was committed with public money i've always paid my tv license but i can clearly see why the public are deciding that enough is enough and not paying i can't see a court being very harsh in view of recent eructus revelations well do you remember that judge back in the day uh the the industrial military complex runs the u.s it's irrelevant to the present is anyone who thinks different is much mistaken greg don't see why you uh what i don't see why you are discussing politics in a country that's supporting the killing of 8 000 children um then i was supposed to end the next debate is you know what's child and so on and so forth i know there was a a uh a protest which we weren't given advance notice of a protest outside later kind of university hospital on the issue i believe you're referencing um yesterday okay um why can't the developer of the houses in milford not produce order to the council to the council maybe they do i don't know on the houses why were they not contract signed before they were built shows the council and government could not run a henhouse too late closing the door when the horse is bolted well that appears to have changed now uh i think it was as much to protect the taxpayer as it was the contractor that both parties could pull out if they need be um how has the price gone up if these houses were built in 2018 which is the question i was put into um deklin there who's not a spokesperson for the developer by the way but i mean you when you talk about these issues you have to have a a robust debate don't you it's believed the housing body is pulled out and that's the issue says another caller well at this point maybe they have maybe they haven't i don't know um right okay been really really busy we're going to take a break and come back with more of your comments uh onto more lighter stuff uh now if that's okay and the crowbar debate at the top of the show um lee guge produced what appears to be an incredibly long nail now i'm being a little bit um i'm being a little bit facetious there of course it's not a long nail and the debate was was it a crowbar it seems it is a crowbar but there's different views out there saying it isn't um and one says Greg let me see uh Greg it's also called a jimmy bar okay very good uh Greg a crowbar is about five foot tall straight and a nail bar can be anywhere between one and three foot long with a bend on the top of it that comes in from union well that description union matches his crowbar good morning Greg you've never seen a crowbar before it was a very common piece of tool within the construction industry kind regards of course i did i worked on building sites for three or four years and it was tough i saw an hour tough it was but even if i had a saw this thing if i'd seen it would i have known it a crowbar probably not Greg you're talking about a nail bar big slice of humble pie for Greg indeed well i'm starving i'll eat anything all right thanks very much for that uh Nikita Galligan or Gallaghan uh i'll start that again Nikita Gallaghan and pour it get married today and drum keen best wishes from Marie and Emma have a lovely day folks we're also looking for your family debates because me and Gooch we're like family now at this stage certainly radio family we were debating what is a a nail bar a crowbar a jimmy bar whatever it might be and listen there's no doubt about it at least right but anyway say nothing uh and then we were wondering if there's any debates in your house that we can help resolve you know things that you disagree on across the dinner table in front of the telly whatever it might be family debates here there's an ongoing uh tie in our house as to what swipe right means i say it means you swipe a photograph from left to right my family say you swipe from right to left i would like to settle this argument as i may need it if i'm ever on tinder swipe right wow that's a goodie all right swipe right then let's sort this one out for them does that mean you swipe the photograph from left to right or i'm going to say it has to be left no you can't you swipe from right to left no that can't be swipe right no it has to be i'm afraid i'm going to go with your family here you uh swipe a photograph from left to right no you're right sorry your family's wrong i'm backing you on that one anyone want to add to that uh does anyone know why smokeless coal seems to have a lot of smoke when you first light the fire does this mean smokeless coal is not actually smokeless and as a percentage of smoke in it or is my understanding of the word smokeless wrong we argue about this all the time but no one has come up with the answer um is it possible the smoke is coming off your firelighters and not actually the coal uh or the or whatever or kindling or whatever you might put under the smokeless coal is there any smoke this is another family debate we're going to sort out here folks i don't know the answer to this one but does smokeless coal smoke initially when you light it or is it the accelerant i.e the firelighter or the wood under the smokeless coal that's creating the smoke and once it of course is expired the smoke is gone another family debate settle those for us keep them coming in we want love peace and harmony for the rest of this week heading into the weekend the county's number one talk show the nine till noon show on highland radio it's time for a vision island bingo on highland radio it's 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top letter Kenny on august 18th 2024 following sell out live shows worldwide the renowned podcaster is bringing his acclaimed show to letter Kenny summer sessions for a fully seated highly anticipated sunday evening live podcast tickets on sale this friday from 10 a.m only 39 90 plus book and fee see summer sessions on social media for all information relay for life donnie goll is back and is now open for team registrations as a community we relay together to celebrate cancer survivorship remember those we've lost and fight back by raising awareness will you join us gather your friends and family and enter your team register today at donnie goll relay for life dot com together we can make a difference the night until noon show is brought to you by letter Kenny credit union with monster loans available up to 60 000 euro for all occasions visit letter Kenny see you dot ie so during the um covid pandemic you'd remember a lot of money was spent by government um to sort of say to nurses around the country people working in medicine come home your country needs you effectively during that crisis because of the shortages we're seeing the same again now with the construction the the the the amount of construction workers that we need there's another call for people to come home and and help build the country up your country needs you as such and these can be proved quite controversial right so we're joined on the program now by Anne Marie Anne Marie thank you very much indeed for joining us it's lovely to speak to you I'm doing good right so I mean you know I'm not sure if you answered a government call to come home but you certainly did come home talk to us a little bit about about your story and your experience um because I think it's really it's a really important point that you're making here yeah no problem Greg well to be honest um what triggered me to make this call was basically as you just mentioned the different articles and the politicians calling for everyone to return home to help build the country well to be honest um back in July 22 I did return home myself and my family were living in south London um due to a family death my dad passed away um we ended up coming home um to support mum and to I guess help carry on the family business so me and the family up six uh basically sort of overnight if I'm being honest and we turn back back to Malin and North finish home um obviously we decided to stay with three young kids one of the first things I had to do was get the kids started in school so basically one of the first questions on the form was who is your kids gp so I thought okay right I need to reach out to all the um the local practices and try and get a doctor for the kids so at the time this is probably august september uh during the summer of 22 reached out to every gp practice in any show well certainly north finish home and was told I'm sorry we've got no capacity at the minute we can't take you on can you phone back in a month or two so I thought no problem thinking naively I'll phone back in a month or two I'm sure there'll be uh maybe a free space phone back in a month or two still no place another month or two still no place roll forward a year later this is july 23 still no gp places still no room for myself my husband or the kids and any of the any of the gps now this is five or six gps I've owned in the north any shown area um obviously get a little bit frustrated um my little girl delta who was starting uh preschool need to get her her preschool job of course I couldn't get them anywhere in any shown so lo and behold as much believe it or not I have to fly myself and delta back to London to get her uh preschool job because nobody would take us on in any shown so um obviously getting quite frustrated and then phone in the hsc I was told but just before you get to that sorry just before you get to that amary because like say for instance over that period hopefully no one did but what what would you do in that situation if one of the children needed an antibiotic or if you or your partner uh felt unwell um is there any options when you don't actually have your own gp in that situation well Greg that did actually happen at one of the kids um had a had an air infection yeah and um so I had again went around every practice and listen this was at maybe eight or nine at a school in the morning the kid was screaming crying with pain it was obviously it was obvious the kids hadn't and they needed uh they needed a an antibiotic so again phoning around all the practices and what I got told was I'm sorry we cannot see if we advise you to go to lettercanny a and e and I was like you're telling me to get kids who's gotten their infection it's neither an accident or an emergency to go up from Marlon to lettercanny to sit for God knows how long because of an air infection and um the advice was just a bit currency really but um but we ended up we obviously waited and ended up going to see no doc that evening and um but at least the the kids you know we got seen by uh one of the gps and no doc that evening right okay so uh thanks for that that that makes uh that's uh that was really worth talking about because that's a talks to probably some of the reason as to why there's so much pressure on lettercanny university hospital so then after all of this frustration you start uh you continue your engagement then with the hsc so pick it up from there amary if you don't mind yeah so um so I was advised then from the hsc that actually if you are eligible for a medical card as such once you have refusal from three or more uh a gp practice that that they will assign you a gp now unfortunately um myself and my husband aren't eligible but with the kids being under eight well at the time the scheme was for under sixes had free medical care but then that got extended to under eight um late last summer so I was told then that uh just to present a letter of refusal basically uh to the hsc and they would assign the gp so finally after probably three or four months because it's now october 23 the three kids finally got assigned the gp so I thought great at least the kids are sorted made my husband will will deal with it for the moment um but thankfully the kids haven't been ill but we haven't needed to see a gp until the first of february so this was two weeks ago um one of the kids was sick one morning so you know I phoned up the gp practice that is assigned to the kids and asked to um could I make an appointment the response I got from the gp practice was I'm sorry we haven't heard of your kids we are full capacity we cannot see you I said well I have a a gp visit card in my hand uh your this is the doctor that's been assigned to the kid so can you check again they come back and said we haven't accepted your child um we don't have capacity we cannot see you so just at that point before you move on again amary at that point did they not say well uh listen we don't have you on record but obviously you've a sick child in the house bring them in uh and we'll have a quick look at them uh on and then we'll sort it out down the line like was there no was was it not so like did they there was no offer of I got told um no uncertain circumstances we cannot see your child like it it was repeated multiple times we cannot see your child we just don't have um just don't have the capacity right okay so they're in huge up resume three way between you the hsc and the gp's practice exactly so over the past two weeks there has been a ping pong between every other day they phone in the gp saying okay the hsc has told me and the hsc words were the doctor has assigned to your child has a duty of care to see your child and the gp practice response was no we do not have capacity um the gp was assigned incorrectly um that we cannot see your child so as you can imagine I've been phone in the hsc then phone in the gp going back to the hsc it's been ridiculous the past two weeks great but it's also really I don't know it depends on it it depends on your personality to amary but it actually really kind of makes it awkward if the gp's practice is actually forced to see your children you know ringing ringing them up or landing at the surgery like kind of it puts you in a bit of a sticky you know as if there's the problem yeah you know like okay now that's still ongoing but what about you you and your husband then because I mean obviously thankfully it seems like you haven't really needed any medical assistance in the last close on two years let's not forget but you're still neither the two you have a g if he wants to go or you want to go and get your blood's done or your blood pressure checked or monitored or a 24 24 hour uh but you know blood blood pressure monitor or something like that you just have no outlet for that at all you and him uh Greg we have absolutely no access to medical and and and johnny gall so um as I mentioned when I phoned the hsc they had said that well if you are eligible for a medical card we could assign you a gp but because you're effectively private we cannot do anything for you so we have no access to any doctors no access to health check no access to anything at the minute which which is what really really frustrated and rise me up was you know politicians are calling people home to build the country or rebuild the county and I can't look after the people who are already home they're the social health and infrastructure isn't there now and also too just in terms of what you're contributing here as well uh because that's really quite important in terms of you know uh business wise uh socially uh you know you're fully uh involved intertwined and adding to the community and yet within that community you can't actually access basic medical primary care yeah yeah now um not to be controversial in any way to perform but like um yeah you know we come home here to help a family business to keep going employ local people you know we're fully involved in the community I even got rubbed into you know the the current association in the school we're we're hugely involved in the local GA um willing to help out with everything but at at the minute um you know the social infrastructure isn't there there's an obvious there's an obvious thing here as well and this wherein lies the issue for a lot of people in that you know you're you're working you're contributing people can't work for for many different reasons and fair play they get access to a GP and get looked after and and rightly they should obviously there's an awful lot of people now have come to this country and they get access to a GP not that you have any issue with either of those two categories of people that I mentioned but you have to feel you have to feel uh because it would be it would be a perfectly normal human emotion to say well what's wrong with me why am I uh why is my family so insignificant that I'm two years fighting and literally uh fighting not literally fighting because that implies fisticuffs for basic health care for me and my children and my partner my husband yeah absolutely it um nobody likes to use the word discrimination but why why are we being discriminated against like that that's that's what it feels like it's what have we done wrong um we've we've come home but um but as I say uh no help yeah I spoke to a couple uh they were um not I don't use the word elderly but they were older but they weren't older older if you know what I mean and uh um he and her move back to north finish on or we're going to move back to north finish on and simply couldn't move back to north finish on because they couldn't get a GP so that's two people that wanted to move back to Ireland uh to to you know to retire to Ireland spend their retirement money add to the community and what have you they literally can't move back or couldn't move back to north Donegal because they they needed the comfort uh or the the essential service of access to a GP that's the kind of influence on people's lives this is having yeah so I I ask or or politicians what are you doing what are they doing to help what you know but I you know we don't get an answer so and even if even if the HSE compels this GP's practice to take you on there is actually still no solution for you and your partner you still have no access to blood tests and as I said you know stuff that over the last while I've nothing wrong with me as such but over the last while being a certain age there's certain things you have to get checked up and now and again I don't take it for granted but you go to your GP and you do that if you don't have a GP what do you do I I don't know the answer to that question because I keep calling and hope that someone will if the kids get sorted maybe they'll let us in the door too so um so all the two years down the line I still have an answer to that all right Amri it's a it's a it's a very interesting aspect to this call on people to come home because that's precisely what you did very sadly it was due to an abrievement but over here keeping employment going generating employment but there's no room at the inn for you the GP in so to speak and I just think it's awful that you have found yourself sort of in a in a a tetate with a local GP over just getting basic care for your children because it's it's not right in the small community and everyone knows each other you shouldn't be put in that position or be made feel like that I don't think anyway yeah yeah okay listen very interesting points incredibly well made Amri thank you so much for your time this morning no problem Greg thank you all right take care of yourself what do you think oh wait six sixty twenty five thousand um lack of GP services forces don't go mother to head to London uh so that her child can access health care Mary says if the HSC sign you to a GP they can take you on or are supposed to even if the GMS panel is full but that's not the case Mary unfortunately Jacqueline says the doctor's practice um in my area which is the same area this caller was in although it's south in the show and we're taking on new patients a couple of weeks ago this still might be uh Carol says it's a disgrace I'm glad my children are grown up uh Francis I personally think it's a disgrace yet people coming from other countries can get a GP no bother actually this like everything else is full to capacity it's really about time our government starts looking after its own people and children first and I bet you're keeping a roof over the other people's families but providing work for them but as far as I can see this all goes unnoticed I'd be in touch with the ombudsman and voice your opinion plus if you take a GP card for the said doctor then I'd be reporting them as well but most importantly I hope your son is better in better form and you get this resolved another I was just about say this Ukrainians all got medical cards and um a spot with the local GP as soon as they were placed into Hotel B&B's um Catherine says disgraceful make sure we highlight this at the next election uh Angela terrible to learn this is the situation especially when you've children who can become ill very quickly well young children really get something every six weeks doesn't always require uh a visit to the GP but you know uh Kathleen that's terrible so lucky here and Aaron Moore can get an appointment at the drop of a hat Sally says that's the way things are now go to book an appointment with a doctor and they tell you it would be a day or maybe two if you're lucky before you get one some people wait longer than two days but yes I take it your point uh Anne Mary and Tia all believe it's a disgrace as does Tracy not a bit wonder like any hospital is able to cope or unable to cope with patients in the ED when some people that could be seen by a GP if no other choice but to head to the hospital if the GP won't even let people in the dorm uh Karen says another another one that believes it's a disgrace Mary says this is terrible typical Ireland don't look after their own uh Adele sure you need to know a fortnight in advance that you're going to be sick now it's an absolute disgrace and a shambles and john says this country is a joke layers of bureaucracy getting worse uh all of the time and on it goes thank you so much for all of your comments in relation to that watch the show live now on youtube facebook and at highland radio dot com the 90 noon show with letter kenny credit union now offering mortgages from 40 000 to 600 000 euro with no hidden fees or transaction charges letter kenny credit union 9102127 don't miss david james and has banned this sunday night in the clanry hotel letter kenny from 9 p.m come along for a great night's dancing don't miss david james this sunday at the clanry details of intra makers payment revealed for more in your irish farmers journal his paul mooney find out how much and when you will get your delayed payment quarter of a million euro worth of tractor gps units stolen in just 10 days we investigate farmers brace for hike and water charges joggers sounds an arm bell and dairy costs as co-op mill prices differ by 180 euro per cow more farmer protests on the way and find out what shin fame is planning for farmers in our exclusive interview all inside the irish farmers journal on sale now the big winter sale is now on at ben swinney uranics and letter kenny and and low with the samsung jet 60 cordless vacuum cleaner reduced to 219 euros cook family meals up to 65 percent faster with the new ninja foodie flex drawer bear fryer for only 259 euros and the beco 8kg a rated washing machine with a 10-year parts warranty down to 399 save big in the uranics winter sale now in ben swinney uranics pork road letter kenny and the shopping center done low looking to upgrade your home ready to dine in style and lounge in comfort well get ready for our sofa and dining sale happening now at easy living furniture score incredible deals on sofas dining sets and more from sleek and modern jacuzzi and traditional we have the perfect pieces to match your style and budget the spectacular sofa and dining sale is now on in easy living furniture present linked retail park 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 erigal hotel joined by the one and only margo myself david james plus a special guest brendan quinn deckland ernie and patrick finney this is a night not to be missed tickets on sale now why not treat yourself to one of our package deals including dinner bed and breakfast plus your ticket to the show for more information visit the outlet at highland radio dot com or give us a call on zero seven four nine one twenty five thousand we'll see you at the highland radio birthday bash now the department of public health north and northwest is responding to two cases of confirmed infection and one probable case of infection of meningococcal disease in the west public health were notified of the cases in early february and can and it concerns three teenagers a close contacts at this point have been identified by public health and offered preventative treatment as appropriate uh dr anthony bresons a consultant in public health with the hsc and he joins us now anthony good morning to you i suppose good morning greg you might outline to our listeners what meningococcal disease actually is okay meningococcus is a bacteria that in autumn winter time about 10 percent of people carry on their throats uh it can come and go um and uh vast majority of people that does nothing they don't know they have us they never will but a very very small number they might go on to develop more serious infections such as meningitis or uh sepsis blood poisoning uh now the numbers we get a year in this part of maybe five or six uh cases a year so it's very very small and it's become smaller over the last sort of 10 years after the introduction of the men c meningitis vaccine and also the men v men b uh vaccine that came in in um 2016 so we don't see a lot of cases uh fortunately and and obviously um as soon as someone's identified as a case obviously they're the gp or the hospital emergency department they're managed and uh given medication but um because um the closed context such as um siblings or parents or a boyfriend or a girlfriend or anybody who stayed in the house overnight uh they could also be carrying the bug so what we routinely do is give them an one dose of antibiotic to go with that bug in the throat and that has two effects number one it gets rid of the bug in the throat so they may not develop infection and if the bug is gone they can't pass it on to someone else not as it is two effects but the risk of usually the risk of someone else in the household getting the infection is small and in a school setting it's very very small but because we have three uh cases uh in the school uh in Boil uh we have to follow the normal protocol which is offered and everybody in the school uh the students and the staff medication just to make sure we reduce any risk there is to uh zero and what is the and this sounds obvious but I'll ask just because it might be useful in our understanding what would be the purpose uh doctor of uh going public with two confirmed cases and and one uh probable uh one probable case particularly if they're in the same environment uh we usually we don't go public usually with uh cases but this is a technically an outbreak okay and uh we also need because it's mid-term and everybody else kids away staff away uh we needed to uh get a message out now the school will be phenomenally cooperative and sending up text messages and emails um but uh because situation we didn't want the story getting legs and misinformation going out so that's why we went down to public with the two to make to reassure people uh to reassure staff to reassure pupils to reassure parents etc uh to reassure the local population and also to encourage people and up today and so far we're what is we've um we're quarter an hour into us uh people get arrived early and so far we've uh we've given medication to 70 plus people which is a good it's rated the sour of the day and just to be clear this is down in Boyle it is in Boyle yeah that just in case anyone goes what do I need to go somewhere okay right so is it also useful at this point then because I presume like anything uh the earlier there is uh you know a proper assessment or intervention the better so as I say you know this is uh this is by definition an outbreak although a small number of cases and close contacts and others are being uh medicated but I suppose it'd be remiss not to sort of get the information out there for people to keep an eye out um as to what to look out for to watch out for I mean people are partially even though it has become rare it still can happen so uh it's often uh an infection of the very young or the elderly uh but any age can get it all form uh tired um can develop a rash uh over the body and the rash doesn't go away uh when you're pressing it um it's very lethargic it's at high temperature and if anything like that happens talk to your GP and they'll sort you out and I think the messages don't wait for that rash it can appear it can appear late if you get if you get a combination of the other symptoms yes obviously yeah kids go off and the elderly go off very quick it's very quickly if you have a concern don't hang around as you said get seen okay and with babies if they're refusing feed irritable have a high-pitched cry have a stiff body or be floppy or unresponsive and and that crosses over to lots of different things so I would hope parents or guardians if they've seen that they would definitely get straight to the GP in any case okay Dr Breslin thank you very much for your time I appreciate it thank you okay take care right so just to confirm from Dr Anthony Breslin that that is uh two cases of confirmed infection one probable case of infection and it's in the boil area so quite uh some distance removed from where I'm broadcasting right now but we're just good to clarify that because initially it was a bit varied as to you know the west and northwest and I understand that because we noticed during the pandemic if cases are less than I think it was five at that time to prevent identifying individuals for their privacy a specific region wasn't given but in this case I think it's important that important that that information is out so we've had contact from someone who works in the GP area just to sort of they wanted to give us an insight as to what the situation is for GPs at the moment um but obviously it's difficult to speak publicly but this is confirmed and Caroline's assurance it's a trusted and reliable assessment from someone in the GP realm that would have an understanding of this situation and they say the demand is exceptional on GPs at the minute there is no mandatory nature on the GP to take them on and especially if you do not have a medical card GPs do have a right to stop taking patients if the practice has reached its capacity they only have to take on a certain capacity in a year and if they've reached that then it is difficult if you're refused by three GPs then you're assigned one but if that assigned GP has reached their capacity then they have to find them a GP in the region so in other words even if a GP is assigned to you and they say look we're at full capacity here that's by the HSC they can then find you an alternative GP and they conclude which I think really is quite a damning statement this is just more evidence that the system is broken The Ninth All Noon Show is brought to you by Lettercanny Credit Union offering low rate car loans with fast approval apply online at lettercannycu.ie or in office today Get the right tools or 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Visit grant.ie Okay Doug thank you so much by the way for all your texts and calls and comments we're going to be getting to those very shortly but I'll pop up the weather for you so we can see what the rest of the day has in store right so rain will clear to the east this morning followed by scattered showers and a few sunny spells too highest temperatures of 10 or 12 degrees in light southwest winds and we're kind of going to see a lot of this weather for the next week ahead I think according to the those that know i.e. weather forecasters let me see in relation to the GP conversation we're exactly the same back here in Donegal no doctor we don't want to go on air but just want to say we're in the same boat and that is fine by the way so you don't have to come on out we will invite you to come on air but that's just part of the process that woman should do like what they do in our area where all asylum seekers are staying they just ring 999 and the ambulance comes to do their assessment and from there it's either taken to hospital or not which is not ideal tell that lady to throw away her passport and she'll get a GP another the reality is your GP is your primary carer unfortunately your first access to health care is a private business we need route and branch reform and rid our health service of privatisation across the board and other people tell me they feel it find it hard to get a doctor's appointment it could take two weeks for an appointment it's very hard for local people who have returned home to find it hard to access services in any way one person told me that a family friend who returned had to leave with his family to go to another country he couldn't get access to basic services as local actual irish who just wanted to bring his family up in his native country and you know i mean i've spoken to people on the show in the past who've had to move children or family members who have particular conditions that they've had to move away or move closer to where treatment and services are available needed to see the doctor yesterday evening half day in local town closes one now dock not open till six went to the kenny menics and seen straight away fabulous service if you have of course that is a private service isn't it but that means there's a five hour window between the doctors closing in this area and now dock being in operation and other the government's trying to encourage construction workers back to build this country up again with no gps school places etc available for their families is what they're going to face oh my god how promising is this and and you know people accuse me of being cynical or anti this and anti that and i'm genuinely not i just see things like lots of people see things and do you remember about how don't know how long ago about six weeks ago there was talk of a special package of measures that would be put into counties that had you know taken on more uh say for instance more immigrants than than others remember that nicer at the time well what does that look like how does that work i mean how would that be felt in donnie gall you know so they say there's hundreds of thousands euro and that's that is where a little bit of my cynicism comes from because it was announced as if yay donnie gall carry this county that other you're going to share in a pot we're going to get more nurses into gps practices we're going to do this that and the other but unfortunately like at the time i says well how does that look like how is that delivered what does that mean how does that make a difference and yet here we are you know one two months on and really we're completely in the same boat and that announcement was carried absolutely everywhere but there's no follow-up no understand do you get where i'm coming from like it was just announced and and what does it mean how is it implemented if anyone has any uh insight as to where that money went did it come into the county what did it deliver because we were told it was coming in because donnie gall has taken a greater proportion of new arrivals than any other county has but where is it what happened to that announcement the nine till noon show with letter kenny credit union simplify your debts with a debt consolidation loan from letter kenny credit union call us on zero seven four nine one zero two one two six apply online via our app or in office today are you worried about trees on your property northwest forestry services belly buffet are fully insured and have over 40 years experience in dangerous tree removal tree felling surgery and stump grinding for peace of mind call northwest forest services belly buffet for no obligation quotation on nine one three two zero double three at esb we're investing over one billion euro a year to drive ireland towards a net zero future our ambition is to generate five times more renewable energy by 2030 enough to power around three million homes and businesses this means investing in onshore and offshore wind farms new solar farms and innovative solutions like green hydrogen because we are and always have been invested in ireland find out more at esb dot i if you're getting married the in-house design team at bus print can get all your wedding stationary and signage needs customized to your requirements just visit wedding invites dot ie or call bus print at port road letter kenny on nine one double seven nine double five for the best breakfast in town take a seat at kelly's diner in letter kenny try the renowned erdie bird special or the full irish or go all the way with the ultimate monster trucker there's also healthy options like kelly's protein breakfast or turkey and scrambled eggs for breakfast lunch dinner or something in between pull into kelly's award-winning diner at mountaintop letter kenny with confirmation and for his communion catering also available in southern malawi communities are facing extreme floods followed by extreme dry spells malita is a single mother who farms to support her four children in 2023 a record cyclone ripped across her farm with rain waters destroying crops and damaging her home when her farm faced a withering dry spell later in the year malita was left wondering how she would access safe water or feed her family again trocura is working with malita and thousands more like her to adapt to the devastating effects of climate change you can help them build a more secure future visit trocura.org or call 1-800-408-408 together we can make a lasting difference watch the show live now on youtube facebook and at highland radio dot com okay it is 11 o'clock let's get a news update and it's over to donald cavena thank you Greg good morning donald cavena council says it remains committed to the acquisition of 17 houses at lock fernan milford for social housing and met with the developer as recently as the 10th of last month three weeks ago the developer told highland radio there was an agreement but no contracts were signed and the council withdrew when prices rose he said he'd subsequently done a deal with the cooperative housing island group however the council says that would effectively put two state funded agencies into competition superintendent gretty shardness to become the county's new guard the chief superintendent the role's been empty since december 2022 the iraq mullah native will take up her new post on monday 24 people have now died on irish roads in the first 46 days of the year the latest death was a man in his 30s on the m1 in dublin yesterday morning a woman in her 50s died on tuesday following a crash in cork on sunday 10 drivers seven passengers five pedestrians and two motorcyclists have been killed so far this year one of them a pedestrian in letter kenny two teenagers have been confirmed to have meningococcal disease while a further case has been deemed as probable all of them attending the same school the department of public health west and northwest was notified of the cases in boil earlier this month close contacts have been identified and offered preventative treatment as appropriate 70 have availed of that so far there are calls for a former ortee chief financial officer to hand back a 450 000 euro exit package it was revealed yesterday that former chief financial officer brida okief was paid the 450 000 euro when she left her job at the state broadcaster ortee will also have to pay a tax liability due to the nature of the payoff and ishka erin says repairs to a burst water main may cause supply disruptions to clon mani bali liffen and surrounding areas of northerness shown today works are scheduled to take place until three o'clock this afternoon and we're back with headlines again at 12 noon donnelly you found yourself drawn into crowbar gate yes indeed a little earlier on today you've been doing some research as a one of if not the most eminent journalist in in donnelly calls so your views are greatly respected of course a lot of people seem to believe that lee gucci's writing that his big long metal bar is a crowbar but you seem to have dug up some information that suggests otherwise don't well i did i mean i had a chat with canis basically and and so that is in the sense of your research well yes but i mean you know it definitely wasn't a crowbar i mean a crowbar does have a twist at the end almost at the right angle but curved if that makes sense and that is used to jimmy doors or jimmy something whatever but the reason a crowbar is called a crowbar is at the end of that little sort of turnaround angled part there is a sort of a v that is used for jimmying into nails and things yes yes and that resembles a crow's foot now you also it's called a crowbar also as part of your research you've stumbled across jammie dodgers and uh what what i think jammie dodgers and and custard creams okay so just how does that fit into this analysis the the analogy i was using greg would be that a jammie dodger is a jammie dodger i may choose to call it yes of course yes that's your right but i may choose to do so yes but that doesn't change the fact yes that it is a jammie dodger and not a custard cream so was leegooch holding a jammie dodger or a custard cream have we determined that yet as far as i can see he was holding a bourbon okay but leegooch is is wrong that's your your information at this point um absolutely right okay okay that's uh uh some breaking information from uh donal kavner there in the newsroom oh wait six sixty twenty five thousand is the whatsapp and text number will give us a call on 0749125 000 for when a right turn becomes a wrong turn get up to 70 euro off car insurance with onpustinsurance at onpustinsurance.ie or call us today 70 euro or 20 discount will be applied whichever is lower subject to a minimum premium of 355 or 345 euro depending on policy underwriter applied consecutively for new customers only acceptance criteria terms and conditions apply one direct island limited trading as onpust insurance is regulated by the central bank of Ireland one direct island limited as a holy own subsidiary of onpust best price online okay you're very welcome back to the nine till noon show here on uh highland radio keep your calls and comments coming to us please on 08 660 uh 25 thousand greg um that access to gps isn't only a donagall issue i family who are working in doblin after college and they can't get a gp they don't have a medical card they have to use the health insurance and if they need a doctor or any medical procedure they contact insurance and they give them details of a center or in some cases the doctor will talk to you over the phone this means that you are seeing a different doctor each time you're sick it's disgraceful how the irish are being treated okay i think we can say now good morning to dr fidelma brady good morning fidelma good morning greg how are you i am doing good no and thank you so much for joining us uh dr fidelma brady is head of education primary and post primary with dan syndrome island now your organization like others that we spoke to last week are gravely concerned by the content of a circular issued by the department of education uh the special education teacher set allocation model and the calculation of the set allocation for each school from the 24 25 school year until further notice now i think it's really important to point out here that the minister responsible in the doll and i'm sure you heard this fidelma conceded that this decision will see one third of schools uh lose um set hours effectively so that's the minister with the responsibility conceding that this measure will actually see less set support in schools which i think is a remarkable uh admission oh okay so for those new to this story maybe for dharma you might outline uh what the changes have taken place it's a box effectively that no longer exists exactly great thank you very much um up to the the um production of this circular indeed there's two circulars greg one is for primary schools and one is for post primary schools both their the content is essentially the same um up to up to this the the category of complex needs a complex education needs was always there was always considered in part of the allocation of special education teaching in schools now within this circular that category has been removed and there is no longer um a defined category or a specific category there for children with complex needs which of course um i'm speaking today on behalf of the members of down syndrome Ireland children with down syndrome have always been considered to have complex needs because as well as the syndrome many of them have issues with vision with hearing other health difficulties so that in itself becomes a complex need and essentially that that category has been removed and um we're now in a very confused state i suppose we're we're angry from the point of view of there was absolutely no consultation on this it it came as a bombshell to not just our organization or our members but to everybody and i know a lot of the other disability organizations have promoted said the same and what i find particularly well there's a lot but an element of this that i find particularly uh troubling for dalma is is that i don't think any school is going to uh to use the example of a child with down syndrome is going to pull special education teacher resources from them uh they're going to make that decision in house so any shortfall in hours as the potential to affect other children as well and and that's that's part of the big problem Greg that's that's why you know it's it's this is going to affect all parents of all children because what's going to happen now of course the child with down syndrome or indeed other complex needs they are still going to need a specific amount of support to make any progress and what's going to happen is the support is going to be allocated to the school and that support then is going to have to be spread so thinly throughout the school to try and meet everybody's needs that there's a very real risk that children who may just be on the fringes or who may have benefited from availing of additional support in literacy or numeracy they will get absolutely nothing and the support is going to be spread so thinly that nobody would really benefit so it puts teachers it puts teachers and parents all like I spoke to a parent I spoke to a parent uh last last week who's also a teacher and and of course concerned about her child but actually really the majority of the concern is is that will her child also take supports away from other children that need them like how can a parent be sort of painted into that corner where of course we all want the best for our own but we're being forced to sort of you know feel bad for other children as well it's crazy it's a very difficult situation I actually heard your your your caller on Friday and who gave a very very good account of her situation as a mother and we recently within Down syndrome we we conducted a survey of our members and 30 percent of our members have issues with education anyway have problems and have issues that they can identify with education and they don't need this on top of all that you know parents are are dealing with an often trying to to cope with an often and work with their children it's the best way possible they don't need any additional issues to to come up and this was particularly a bombshell Greg the basically the road was pulled out from wondrous last week with the the introduction of these two circulars absolutely no consultation no prior notice that this was going to happen obviously I try my best as best I can in all situations to try and come at this from a different angle to tease out the conversation to pay pay devil's advocate to maybe to represent the views of the department in the absence of them being on the program but I can't come up with any rationale to put to you to sort of tease this out with you and to get your views I am I am incapable of structuring an argument that could in any way explain or justify this decision well just one one point particularly on that Greg the department have have identified the lack of data access or the data access issue with the CDNT network and what the CDNT networks are there are teams of health and and social care professionals and they work with children from birth to 18 years they are under the auspices of the Department of Health so I suppose our big issue with that would be if the the problem as quoted by the Department of Education is stemming from a data issue with the CDNTs well that's a Department of Health issue and we cannot compr