East Coast FM Wicklow News

43 Covid-19 deaths have been confirmed over the past week.

Works will take place at the Mountain Bay Reservoir in Arklow tomorrow.

32 people accessed emergency accommodation in County Wicklow last month.

The National Immunisation Advisory Committee has recommended Covid booster vaccines for everyone over the age of 16.

Big news for Bray wanderers as they have announce they will merge with Cabinteely FC into a single leauge of Ireland entity.

Primark is creating 700 new jobs in Ireland over the next three years as part of a 250 million euro capital investment.

Irish consumers are expected to spend 25,000 euro a minute today.

The European Commission's proposing member states ban air travel from the southern African region due to the emergence of a new Covid-19 variant.

It'll be towards the end of December before Covid-19 vaccines will be rolled out to children aged between five and 11.

New figures show almost 4,500 drivers have been arrested for drink driving so far this year, with some found to be four times over the legal limit.

Concerns have been raised in West Wicklow over changes to the inner relief road in Blessington.

The amount of heroin in particular seized in Ireland's latest drug bust has been described by Revenue as "significant".

The CSO is looking to hire enumerators to deliver and collect census forms to and from every home in Wicklow next year.

It's given the green light to Pfizer to allow reduced doses in 5 to 11 year olds.

Garth Brooks has announced a third date in Croke Park next year.

The number of first-time home buyers under the age of 30 has more than halved in the last 16 years.

The European Medicines Agency's expected to give the go ahead for the use of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine on children aged between five and 11.

A requirement for children to wear masks in primary schools will be considered by NPHET when it meets this morning.

The rollout of booster vaccines to people with underlying conditions will begin next week.

The Deputy Chief Medical Officer has said he won't be drawn on whether   more Covid-19 restrictions might be needed.

Non-profit social enterprise FoodCloud has partnered with Bray-based cancer support, Purple House for an online series to drive awareness that food waste poses in Ireland.

The Deputy Chief Medical Officer has said no health service in the world could deal with the current demand for PCR testing.

Minister for Health Wicklow TD Stephen Donnelly has welcomed the news that Squirrel Scramble is set to reopen next year

The Department of Education is due to meet with teachers' unions today to discuss students serving as substitute teachers.

The head of the HSE will warn of the challenges facing hospital staff due to Covid-19, when he appears before an Oireachtas Committee later.

Hauilers are making their way to Kildare Street in Dublin to protest against rising fuel costs.

Local Gardai are advising of disruption to traffic on the M11 tomorrow morning.

The Minister for Transport says there's always been a spot check approach to Covid-19 documents for people arriving into Dublin Airport.

Gardai say the public is being fed 'spin' about police staffing numbers.

It comes as an RTE Investigates report highlights a series of complaints of suspected abuse of unconscious patients by a doctor.

Counties Wicklow and Wexford have the lowest rates of Covid 19 in the country.

Irish Water is due to begin works this week on upgrading supplies for residents and business in Roundwood.

Gardaí are to clamp down on Christmas Tree theft in the run up to the festive period with increased nightly patrols and checkpoints near tree farms.

Air pollution levels from traffic fell by up to 50 per cent in some areas last year, according to a new report by the Environmental Protection Agency.

New data centres owned by big tech companies likes of Google, Amazon and Facebook will need their own emergency power supplies.

Sinn Fein say the Government's poor planning has pushed back subsidised antigen testing even further.

Credit and debit card fraud in Ireland has reached record levels, with consumers being warned to shop safely online.

Irish Rail says it's working to co-ordinate security systems with Gardai at it's new Train Control Centre.

The Irish Cancer Society is calling for volunteer drivers to provide transport for cancer patients to and from their hospital chemotherapy treatments.

The project will see the construction of a new main linking the village to the Redcross Water Treatment Plant, providing the local community with a more secure, safe and robust water supply.

Wicklow County Council has awarded tree grants to 29 communities and groups around the county. 

The Cabinet sub-committee on economic recovery will meet later, to look at delaying cuts to the wage subsidy scheme and hospitality specific business supports.

An incident which saw a car drive through a Christmas parade in the US State of Wisconsin has been described as 'a senseless act'.

Ministers will meet later to consider retaining covid supports for businesses in the hospitality sector.

Primary schools couldn't find a replacement substitute teacher in almost a third of cases in the first two weeks of November.

The number of people in hospital with Covid-19 is at its highest level since February 21st.

His comments come after further meetings between the UK and EU negotiators in Brussels.

A statue honouring Olympic Gold Medallist, Dr Ronnie Delany, has been unveiled in Arklow this afternoon.

Tickets for Garth Brooks Dublin gigs go on sale next week

The HSE is asking some hospitals to prioritise urgent treatment and Covid care over the next two weeks due to pressure on the system.

More than 1,000 creche's and playschools are taking part in a national fundraiser today.

Covid-19 restrictions have been reintroduced due to a surge in cases.

Drugs worth over €118,000 have been seized in Wexford.

The head of the HSE warns the health system faces 'unyielding pressure' due to the recent Covid surge.

The Education and Health Ministers announced the move today.

The local authority in Wicklow and surrounding counties will benefit from €61 million worth of government funding for their efforts during the pandemic.

It comes despite a warning Ireland could face a major shortage of construction workers.

A woman who posted a photo online of one of the two boys who murdered Ana Kriègel has been handed an 8-month sentence, which was suspended in full.

TDs and Senators will be able to get free antigen tests from next week.

More than 71 MEPs have signed an open letter in support of an Irish man facing trial in Greece today.

The dates for two Garth Brooks' concerts at Croke Park have been confirmed.

The European Court of Justice is expected to give an opinion later on the challenge taken by Graham Dwyer

Prosecutions for drug possession are up 500 percent in 25 years.

A covid curfew for the hospitality sector will come into force later.

The group representing independent radio stations says the sector has proved they're good value for money in public service broadcasting.

The government is calling for a permanent change in behaviour on farms to reduce the number of deaths.

CSO figures published today also show a sharp decline in the number of young landlords, while most rental properties have a 'C' BER rating.

An Taisce has awarded Glendalough Cemetery in Wicklow with a Green Flag award

The Children's Minister says he recognises some survivors of Mother and Baby Homes are disappointed with the new redress scheme.

The Health Minister says cheaper antigen tests will be made available "very shortly" - but hasn't been able to give an exact date.

The Taoiseach has said he can't rule out further Covid restrictions in the coming weeks.

Management at Tallaght Hospital have said services are resuming, following a power outage this morning.

If you over 50 or between 16 and 59 living with an underlying condition you're eligible for a Covid-19 booster vaccine.

The government has approved an 800 million euro redress scheme for survivors of mother and baby homes.

After years of soaring prices, recently motor insurance premiums have finally started to come down.

Blain Doyle aged 29 of 9 Woodlands, appeared before Gorey District Court charged with assault causing harm at Oscars, 64 Main Street in the town.

A population the size of Carlow Town has died on Irish roads over the last 60 years.

Nightclubs, pubs and restaurants will have new closing hours of 12 midnight from this Thursday under plans agreed by Cabinet.

Three County Wicklow towns achieved the coveted Gold Medal award in this year’s national Tidy Towns Awards.

A new website providing information on more than one thousand local government services has been launched. 

The Cabinet will consider covid measures including working from home, when it meets this morining.

The funeral of Sean FitzPatrick takes place in Greystones, Co. Wicklow this afternoon.

A 90-minute fare has been introduced across the Greater Dublin Area.

Residential property prices jumped by 12.4% in the year to September - that's up from 10.9% in August.

More than €230,000 has been raised for a grieving family left devastated by the tragic death of a Wicklow man in recent weeks

Hair and beauty salons will start displaying QR codes on mirrors to link people to information on domestic abuse.

5 Wicklow-based charities have become the latest beneficiaries of Aldi’s Community Grants programme,

The Mental Health Commission says Ireland can’t keep criminalising people who are mentally unwell.

The Cabinet Sub Committee on Covid-19 will meet this evening to consider what action needs to be taken to tackle the escalating covid cases.

There’s been a fall in the number of people claiming the Pandemic Unemployment Payment in Wicklow.

First issued in early February, the notice affects 213 residences from Barndarrig village to parts of Kilbride.

The Minister for Higher Education Wicklow TD Simon Harris has said progress in advancing a Technological University in Wexford is progressing at a significant pace.

Gardai have arrested a man in connection with alleged corrupt practices at the Kildare and Wicklow Education Training Board.

The following arrangements are in place for Wicklow County Council Offices and the Municipal District Offices for week commencing Monday, 7th June, 2021.

Last month, a jury found Ms Morley NOT guilty of murdering her three children in their home at Parson’s Court, Newcastle, Co Dublin, by reason of insanity.

An increase in tax revenue is behind a slight improvement in the exchequer deficit.

The Seanad is debating extending the quarantine rules until the 31st of July.

The numbers in Kildare are less than Wicklow and Meath combined.

The competition, which has been held annually for the past 60 years, was cancelled last summer due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Former Debenhams workers have accepted an offer of a three million euro training, upskilling and business start-up fund.

More than 13 weeks since it was first put in place, Irish Water says the Do Not Consume Notice for 213 customers supplied by Barndarrig Public Water Supply, remains in place.

Gardai have issued a warning that Covid-19 doesn’t take the weekend off for house parties or social gatherings.

Jonathan Dowdall, with an address on the Navan Road in Dublin, was brought before the Special Criminal Court this morning.

Plans are underway for an urban greenway between the Grand Canal and Lucan.

The RSA believes drug-driving detections will continue to rise for the foreseeable future as enforcement levels go up.

Over 11,500 people have attended the walk-in Covid testing centres open since last week.

The CEO of the VHI has stepped aside while the board of the company investigates how he received a Covid vaccine at the Beacon Hospital in Dublin.

The City Council says it is investigating a number of options.

The Wicklow parents of a young boy waiting two years for an urgent hip correction operation, say they feel they have been ignored by the health service.

Ireland's newest outdoor tourism attraction is being officially launched today.

The €25 million facility near the IFSC was given the go ahead in 2019.

Over 750 individual dumping sites have been removed from the Dublin and Wicklow uplands in the past year.

More than half of women in Ireland would not use public transport at night over safety concerns.

Members of the public are being asked to give their input on a Masterplan for Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains National Park. 

Almost €2 Million in funding has been secured for the second phase of a tourism project involving local authorities in Wicklow, Wexford and Waterford, with their counterparts in Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion in Wales.

Wicklow Minister Simon Harris has welcomed the County Council move to carry out a social audit in Delgany after planning permission was granted for a housing development on the former lands of the Carmelite nuns.

Last year homophobic and racist graffiti, targeting the Minister for children Roderic O’Gorman and the Dublin Mayor Hazel Chu, appeared in various locations around Bray.

Local authorities received over 78 thousand environmental complaints in 2019, most of which related to waste issues.

Over 7,800 new social homes were delivered in 2020, including over 5,000 new builds, according to the Department of Housing.

The Department of Education has granted Woodbrook College funding for a substantial extension to their premises in North Wicklow.

€50 million in funding has been announced to support the live performance sector.

His comments come as an overhaul of the CAO system is planned.

The funding is being given to projects in areas including the north and south inner city, Dundrum, Balbriggan, and Adamstown.

The Garda Commissioner is to look again at the resourcing of public order units and push for the early vaccination of gardai against Covid 19.

A swimming pool for West Wicklow has been named as a priority project under the County Council’s Capital Plan with €50,000 being allocated for a feasibility study in 2021.

The current Covid-19 travel restrictions are being partly blamed for an increase in electrical items being dumped in waste bins in Wicklow in January of this year.

In a joint statement issued last night, the football associations here, Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland welcomed backing from the UK government for the bid, describing it as an "incredible opportunity".

Plans to build a 13 storey apartment block just opposite the train Station overlooking Dun Laoghaire harbour, is facing strong opposition from locals.

Over €1.5 million in funding has been made available for home adaptation works for older people and those living with disabilities in Wicklow.

New laws on mandatory hotel quarantine have now passed all stages in the Oireachtas.

Irish Water expects construction work on the Arklow Wastewater Treatment Plant to begin in the second half of the year.

19 counties had an increase in vacant business premises in the final three months of last year.

A new online survey has been launched by the Minister for higher education Simon Harris on the provision of school places in Wicklow.

The Shoreline Leisure Centre is Greystones has replaced Charlesland Golf Club as a Covid 19 vaccination centre after it was deemed by the HSE to be too small for their needs.

The figures for 2020 show an increase of over €81 million on the numbers for 2019.

CervicalCheck is warning a lack of trust in screening programmes is causing women with cancer to risk their health and lives.

Wicklow County Council has rejected a claim that boxing coach Pete Taylor should be granted an injunction, preventing the council from terminating either his or Bray Boxing Club’s legal interest in a premises previously used by them at the harbour in Bray.

The Social Democrats have called for a free vote on their private members motion, which they say is vital to ensure that survivors and their families, who are angered by the commission’s findings, get the answers they are seeking.

Three people have appeared before the Special Criminal Court accused of laundering money allegedly made through criminal means.

It makes Ireland the world leader in share of the grid from onshore wind energy.

Dublin Airport is seeking contractors as part of expansion plans worth up to €50 million.

A former teacher at Terenure College in Dublin has been jailed for eight years for abusing 23 boys at the private school between 1973 and 1990.

An Bord Pleanála has granted permission for a 232 unit housing development on the former lands of the Carmelite nuns in Delgany.

Irish Water says plans to build a new reservoir in Saggart  will help to safeguard supplies to homes and businesses in the Greater Dublin Area. 

Gardai are to be given extra powers to stop scrambler bikes and quads being used in public parks, on waste ground and beaches.

Over €12.5 million in funding has been announced for the maintenance of regional and local roads in County Wicklow.

Wicklow Minister Simon Harris has called on the County Council to apply for funding from the OPW towards temporary ongoing remedial works at the Breaches in Kilcoole.

The National Transport Authority says the projects, which includes €1.2 million for the Strand road cycle route and €50,000 for the Arklow to Woodenbridge and Shillelagh route, will provide high quality facilities for cyclists and walkers.

A new €60 million COVID Business Aid Scheme is being made available by the government.

A man has been arrested after cocaine worth €150,000 was seized in Sallins in County Kildare.

The government today expanded the eligibility criteria, which will see cards available to all those who are terminally ill and have a prognosis of up to 24 months.

Local celebrity chef Catherine Fulvio has been nominated for 7 Taste awards in the United States for her television series A Taste of Ireland at Ballyknocken Cookery School.

Six people died on Irish roads last month despite a significant drop off in traffic volume.

A closure order has been issued for an outbuilding occupied by a food company in Wicklow, where mouse droppings were found.

A new Daft.ie report shows the average rent paid in Ireland is over €1,400.

A Wexford Fianna Fail senator has drafted legislation which he says will overcome a legal issue preventing local authorities in Wicklow and around the country, from using CCTV footage to prosecute people accused of illegal dumping.

The National Immunisation Advisory Committee's recommending that any currently authorised Covid 19 vaccine can be given to adults of all ages, including those aged 70 and older.

Gardai have confirmed the woman who has been in a serious condition since the attack near the IFSC was pronounced dead at the Mater Hospital today.

Construction is set to start in the next few months on almost 600 public housing units in South County Dublin.

Hauliers travelling from Ireland to France can now avail of free Covid-19 antigen testing at a new site at Holmestown jsut outside Wexford town.

The mother of a boy who was murdered in 2019 has called for changes to a law prohibiting the identification of child homicide victims to be fast-tracked.

A new traffic management layout is in place on the N11 southbound carriageway between Junctions 7, the Bray south exit at Hills Garage and junction 8, the Roundwood exit at Kilmacanogue.