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Thursday 16 February 2017
NEWS
Letterkenny Post
NEWSINBRIEF Pioneer dinner
The north Donegal Regional Pioneer dinner will be held this year in the Lagoon, Termon on Friday, March 24. Music by Eddie Gallagher and Tirconnell Country. Tickets on sale in the near future.
Polar Plunge
Special Olympics Ireland is calling on members of the public to get “freezin’ for a reason” by participating in Donegal’s rescheduled Polar Plunge at Rathmullan Beach on Saturday, March 4 at 11am. You can register at www. specialolympics.ie/polarplunge.
Simon Community Tea Day
The North West Simon Community are holding a regional tea and cake day. The event will be held in the Silver Tassie Hotel on Friday, February 24 from 11am-1pm. To request a reservation telephone: 074 9125619 or Email: sales@ silvertassiehotel.ie. For those wishing to host their own tea day in aid of the Simon Community contact Collette Ferguson on 087 05524785 or email: collette@ northwestsimon.ie.
Caolan Melaugh fundraiser
There will be a tea party in the SVP centre in Rathmullan on Sunday, February 26 from 2-5pm, to raise money for the Caolan Melaugh fund. Caolan was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma at 10 weeks old and is currently going through chemotherapy in Crumlin. All money raised will go to fund specialist treatment, which is only available abroad, to give this beautiful little boy the best possible chance. Please visit Caolan’s Facebook page and help support this worthy cause if you can.
Brain Gain
Are you aged over 35 Years of age? Are you curious about your memory? Do you want to find out how to keep your brain active? Then this free six-week programme may be for you! The programme will be held in Kees Hotel, Stranorlar, from Thursday, March 2 beginning at 7-9pm. The programme content is as follows: Week 1: Introduction to the Brain. How the brain works, what is memory? Normal aging of the brain. Week 2: How diet can have an effect on brain health. Including vitamin deficiency, foods that improve cognitive functioning. Week 3: How to stimulate your brain. Download apps to exercise your brain. Take part in puzzels, brain games. Week 4: Stress Management, Learn how to manage and alleviate stress from your life. Week 5: Exerciase. How exercise can improve cognitive functioning. Week 6: Strategies to aid memory difficulties. This new iniative has been developed by HSE Donegal to promote awareness of brain health and encourage cognitive functioning. To book your place please contact Diane Donnelly, Tel: 087 2770103 or e-mail: diane.donnelly@hse.ie.
Senator Pádraig Mac Lochlainn; Sean Murphy, Manager Letterkenny Hospital; Minister Michelle O' Neill; Minister Simon Harris; Noelle Duddy, Cancer campaigner and Elaine Way, CEO Western Trust.
Jim O'Donnell and Noelle Duddy, CCC(NW) (centre) pictured with Health Ministers Simon Harris and Michelle O'Neill during their visit to the North West Cancer Centre at Altnagelvin.
Cancer patients to benefit from Altnagelvin Hospital expansion Donegal cancer patients have been given a welcome boost this week, following the opening of the new North West Cancer Centre at Altnagelvin Hospital. The new Radiotherapy Unit at the Derry hospital has been in planning for many years. Construction of the new unit was completed recently and opened on November 28. The Centre aims to cater for a population of approx. 0.5 million, including approximately 110,000 people from the Republic of Ireland (mainly Donegal). The North West Cancer Centre is connected to the existing Sperrin Suite at Altnagelvin, which provides oncology /haematology services to patients in the north west of Northern Ireland. Patients from the Republic of Ireland will generally only require radiotherapy services in Altnagelvin, as they will
continue to have their diagnosis, surgery, chemotherapy and other treatment in either Letterkenny University Hospital (LUH) or Galway University Hospital. Chemotherapy will be provided in Altnagelvin for a small number of patients who have combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy as their first treatment. A number of Donegal representatives including Junior Minister Joe McHugh and Senator Pádraig Mac Lochlainn joined local cancer care campaigners and Health Ministers Simon Harris and Michelle O Neill during a tour of the new multi-million euro facility. Welcoming the commitment to the expansion of health services in the North West, Minister McHugh said: “I want to pay tribute to all those who campaigned for this centre over many years and who can now see the end
result,” said Minister McHugh. “There are nursing staff from Gaoth Dobhair and others parts of Donegal now working at the radiotherapy centre at Altnagelvin and that is an important part of the care being delivered. “Patients from Donegal are getting a first class service from highly-trained professionals using equipment which is world-class.” Minister Harris later told a reception that the co-operation on services was a “two-way street” with future services in Donegal available to patients from the North. “This is an important commitment from health ministers on both sides of the Border,” added McHugh. “Delivery of first class health care to the people of Donegal remains a priority for all of us.” Senator Pádraig Mac Lochlainn described the centre as
“a victory for people power”. He again commended the cancer campaign groups on both sides of the border who campaigned for the centre. Senator Mac Lochlainn said: “Today (Monday) is a proud day for the cancer campaign groups in Donegal and Derry. “They told their harrowing stories of having to travel to Galway, Dublin and Belfast and rightly said that this had to stop. “They said that the people of Donegal, Derry and the North West deserved equality of access to cancer care and they campaigned vigorously for our peoples rights. “They have demonstrated what can be achieved when our people and our governments work together.” He continued: “However much more now needs to be done. We need to ensure that cross border cooperation works both ways and that Let-
terkenny University Hospital receives the investment to deliver some services for people in Derry and Tyrone as well as Donegal too.” Donegal cancer care group Co-operating for Cancer Care NorthWest (CCC(NW)) took the opportunity to impress on both Health Ministers the urgent need to further develop cross border health services on both sides of the border. A spokesperson for CCC(NW) said: “Members of CCC(NW) have long campaigned for this much needed facility to treat cancer patients in the North West region of this island, ending for the majority of radiotherapy patients in Donegal the very stressful journeys of travelling to Dublin or Galway. “It has taken many years for this project to reach its end goal and it’s fantastic that treatments have commenced.”
Help to buy combats ‘fear of cost’ for self-builders
Bert Galbraith will be among the experts at this Saturday's #Build17 expo in Letterkenny. PHOTO: Clive Wasson.
A construction expert is urging anyone considering building their own home in Donegal to fully explore the financial benefits of the Help to Buy scheme. Bert Galbraith of Galbraith Construction, one of the #Build17 team of experts, says the scheme offers a clear incentive to first-time, selfbuilders. Ahead of this Saturday’s, build expo in Watson Hire, Letterkenny, Mr Galbraith is urging anyone considering building their own home to be fully aware of how the scheme could help them. The construction expert made the comments after new revenue figures showed that in the first month of 2017, there had been almost 2,000 applications made under the scheme. More than 430 applications have so far been deemed successful. “We know that Donegal is building again and that there are many people planning on getting their project under-
way in 2017. But there are also many people who believe they can’t pursue the dream of building their own home because they don’t deem it financially viable,” Mr Galbraith said. “However, there are clear incentives in Minister Coveney’s Help to Buy scheme that challenge the idea of the fear of cost,” he added. Introduced in October 2016, the scheme allows first-time buyers to access a refund of income tax and DIRT paid over the previous four tax years in order to buy or self-build a new home. In total applicants can get back 5% of the purchase price up to €400,000. Mr Galbraith added: “If you have been thinking of or planning building your own home, it’s vital you know what potential incentives and benefits are available to you. “Anyone wanting to explore how the scheme might benefit them, or any other aspect of self-build, can avail of ex-
pert advice and guidance at #Build17.” The #Build17 building expo, will take place at Watson Hire, Lineman, Letterkenny on Saturday, February 18 from 10am to 2pm. There will be prizes galore on the day with a top prize of €500 in tiles and bathroom ware from McDaid’s Bathroom, Plumbing and Tiles in Buncrana. #Build17’s team of experts includes Peter Cullinane, from Cullinane Steele Architects; Darren Donaghy, from Donaghy Safety Training; Bert Galbraith, from Galbraith Construction; Garry Clarke, from Lanigan Clarke Solicitors; Jonathan Doherty, from Efficient Renewables; Gareth McLarnon, from Glen Estates; Michael McMahon, from Cavanagh Hooper Dolan Insurance and Dean Spencer from BER in Donegal. To register your free place at #Build17 today email: info@buildireland.org or message via Facebook or Twitter @buildireland.