It s emerged that it will be some time before the National Broadband Plan will be fully rolled out in Donegal.
Figures received by Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty show that over 32,000 premises in Donegal are currently awaiting high speed broadband and it will be 4 years at least, before the service is delivered to 90% of them.
The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications confirmed that surveys have been completed in some areas of the county, however, further survey works for Creeslough, Tamney, Bunbeg and a number of offshore islands may not be carried out until as late as 2022.
Deputy Doherty says Donegal is a county that should be prioritised:
Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty has asked the Government to review the waiting times for operations for children suffering from Spina Bifida.
In the Dail last evening, Deputy Doherty raised the case of 6 year old Oisin, a relation of his wife s who has been waiting almost 3 years for life-changing surgery.
He urged Minister Frank Feighan to ensure enough resources are in place for children with the condition:
A new Central Bank report has found that the majority of insurance companies are using dual pricing, resulting in customers being charged 35% more.
The interim report also revealed that around 70% of customers renewing policies with the same provider are being charged significantly more than new customers of the same risk.
Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty who is due to publish legislation in the coming days, banning the practice of dual pricing says this report is yet another damning indictment of the insurance industry:
Leo Varadkar was responding to questions in the Dail from Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty.
Deputy Doherty says students nurses are not exploited by other nurses but by the present system.
He s also calling for any decided pay increases to be backdated.
The Tanaiste said that the issue of student nurses pay cannot be decided in the Dail but rather through formal negotiations.
Listen to the full exchange here: