Articles in the General News Category

Confirmation by the HSE that 23 additional beds are to be opened at Monaghan Hospital was welcome but must lead to more meaningful service restoration at the facility in the near future, Fianna Fáil member of Monaghan Co Council Seamus Coyle told the Northern Standard this week. Councillor Coyle obtained information on the increase in the hospital’s bed capacity, which the HSE says is designed to alleviate pressure on other hospitals in the region, at Monday’s meeting of the Regional Health Forum for Dublin and the North- East. He said ...

Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys told the Dáíl yesterday that she was introducing a regulation to allow people receiving the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) and Jobseeker’s Allowance to travel to “green list” countries on holidays without having their payments stopped. The Cavan/Monaghan TD found herself at the centre of controversy this week when it emerged that PUP payments had been stopped in the cases of numerous people following checks conducted at airports. In a statement earlier in the week, the Department of Social Protection had reiterated the recent Government ...

A single-vehicle road accident on the R181 Shercock road between Castleblayney and Lough Egish early yesterday, Wednesday, afternoon claimed the lives of two men, Gardaí confirmed as we went to press. The male occupants of the vehicle were aged in their 30s and 40s. They were pronounced dead at the scene. It was being reported locally that the men were Polish nationals who were resident in the mid-Monaghan area but Gardaí said that their identities could not be released until relatives were notified of the tragedy. Gardaí appealed to motorists ...

MINISTER MALLON SAYS IT WILL BE MADE ‘AS SOON AS POSSIBLE’ Michael Fisher EirGrid’s northern subsidiary SONI is ‘still crying out’ for a big planning decision on the controversial North South interconnector, according to the company’s Managing Director Jo Aston. Meanwhile the Stormont Minister for Infrastructure, Nichola Mallon MLA has said as soon as it is possible for her to take a decision on the matter, she ‘absolutely will’ make it. She is awaiting advice from her Departmental officials on the matter. Her comments were made yesterday in a webinar hosted ...

Michael Fisher Coach tour and private bus operators say they need a more substantial stimulus to stay afloat. Last week the industry’s representative body said the future was bleak because of Covid-19 restrictions. The Coach Tourism and Transport Council (CTTC) called for a government subsidy of €32 million to be pumped into the sector to put 11,000 buses back on the road. Last Friday the Minister for Transport Catherine Martin TD announced that the government had decided to establish a €10 million Business Continuity Fund for coach tourism operators as ...

Co Monaghan businesses have received €2,312,179 to date from the Government’s Covid-19 Restart Grant to help them get back on their feet, Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys said yesterday. The Cavan/Monaghan TD said the grant had been crucial in helping the county’s businesses get back on their feet after what had been difficult times. “The funding is designed to help businesses with the costs associated with reopening and re-employing workers following Covid-19 closures,” the Minister stated. “Businesses can avail of between €2,000 and €10,000 for this purpose. “Getting these ...

FAMILY CARERS IRELAND LAUNCHES 2020 NETWATCH CARER OF THE YEAR AWARDS Brigid Finnegan of Family Carers Ireland, Cavan/Monaghan branch is seeking nominations for 2020 Netwatch Carer of the Year Awards, which recognise, celebrate and shine a light on the remarkable contribution of Ireland’s 355,000 family carers. There are 4,743 Family Carers in Monaghan, one of whom will be named Monaghan Carer of the Year for 2020 at the awards’ ceremony on November 6th 2020. Family carers across Ireland make extraordinary sacrifices and work extremely hard, sometimes 24 hours a day, to provide ...

Michael Fisher A blood delivery service for hospitals in the North East established by motorcyclists four years ago as a voluntary group is to get funding from the Covid-19 stability fund. An Cu Chulainn Blood Bikes in Monaghan, will receive €8,535. One of the bikers involved in setting up the group in 2016 Derek Duffy said it would provide a massive boost for them at a time when they were unable to carry out street collections on which they would usually rely. In May the group unsuccessfully applied for a ...

Michael Fisher The former Cathaoirleach of Monaghan County Council Cllr Seamus Coyle (Fianna Fáil) says he is outraged to learn of the lengthy delays (in some cases over five years) in accessing medical services such as occupational therapy and physiotherapy for children in Co. Monaghan. Cllr Coyle told The Northern Standard: “Over recent years, I have been continually contacted by parents of children awaiting appointments for services in County Monaghan with the County’s Child Development Team. To me the delays are inordinate and totally unacceptable, as delays in intervention to ...

On Sunday afternoon last Emyvale club held a Drive-In Bingo at the GAA Grounds in Tully and it proved a hit with the punters. We were greeted to an afternoon of sunshine and between the Bingo organising committee and the many volunteers the event ran smoothly for one and all. The bingo was held on the training pitch field and all spectators had the enjoyment of listening to our regular Bingo callers George McCarron for the first half and Niall McKenna for the second half. Plenty of horns were beeping ...