LOCAL foodbanks are bracing themselves for a busy winter ahead, with demand from families for Christmas hampers already surging. With almost a quarter of families in Fermanagh living in relative poverty, this is a time when food banks, toy appeals and looking out for one another are needed most. John Shades, owner of the Enniskillen […]
Housing crisis leaving Fermanagh families desperate
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OVER 90 per-cent of people in housing stress in Enniskillen were left without an affordable home last year, the ‘Herald can reveal. Figures presented by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) to Fermanagh and Omagh District Council this week show that just 59 of the 753 people who applied for a social home in the […]
Changes ahead as phone signal crisis deepens
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FERMANAGH residents are fearing that they’re going to be “left behind” after one of the leading telecom providers in the North confirmed its plan to transition the phone lines across the county. Major frustration is growing locally over the increasingly poor phone signal in the county and it has now been confirmed that Openreach will […]
The dental crisis facing the Fermanagh council area
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THE Health Minister has acknowledged the ‘historically lower’ number of adults in the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council area who are registered with a dentist. The British Dental Association Northern Ireland recently revealed only 35% of people over the age of 18 in the local council area are signed up with a dentist. This is […]
Sewerage crisis threatens jobs and growth in Fermanagh
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THE SHOCKING state of our crumbling sewerage system has been laid bare, with NI Water revealing 1,600 local properties will not be able to connect to the network. This is leading to refusals for planning permission across the Fermanagh and Omagh area, prompting concerns about potential job losses and stalled development. As previously reported by […]
Fermanagh’s housing supply tied to sewerage limitations
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A LOCAL estate agent has said the ongoing water infrastructure issues are the root cause of a growing housing crisis across Fermanagh. With demand outpacing supply, housing prices continue to rise and the key obstacle isn’t a lack of land, but sewerage capacity. An estate agent with McGovern Estate Agents, Seamus McGovern, pictured below, said, “There […]
Fermanagh man opens up about addiction to Class A drugs
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A FERMANAGH man who came close to death after years of Class A drug abuse has warned that addiction is ‘everywhere’ as Enniskillen faces what he calls a worsening drugs crisis. Daniel Wills, originally from Newcastle upon Tyne, moved to Fermanagh in 1987 and attended school in Enniskillen. It was during those school years that […]
Lack of nursing home spaces blamed for hospital crisis
By Niamh McGovern A SEVERE shortage of nursing home spaces has been identified as the leading cause of delayed patient discharges in Northern Ireland, compounding pressure on already overwhelmed emergency departments. The Western Health Trust’s chief executive, Neil Guckian, addressed the issue during a board meeting on Thursday, revealing that over 500 patients across the […]
Hospitals in ‘crisis’ as flu cases surge
By Niamh McGovern AN emergency health meeting was convened yesterday (Tuesday) after health officials declared that Northern Ireland’s hospitals were in ‘crisis’ due to rising flu cases and the recent cold weather. The surge in winter viruses has exacerbated already severe pressures, with hundreds of people waiting over 12 hours in hospital emergency departments across […]
Big Sleep Out highlights current homeless crisis
ON a cold December night, First Housing Enniskillen hosted a sleep-out in the Diamond to raise awareness of homelessness in Fermanagh. Armed with sleeping bags, nine team members braved the winter chill as part of The Big Sleep Out, an initiative to shed light on the struggles faced by those without stable housing. Recent figures […]