Councillor Joy Beard

02/11/2026

Donegal County Councillor Joy Beard has called for Donegal to be urgently included in Government discussions on the future use of the State’s rapid-build modula...

02/11/2026

** UPDATE (10am) - work is anticipated to be complete at 1.15pm **

Water burst - FAHAN (Cyclists Rest)

I’ve had a call this morning about a burst at the Cyclists Rest.

I have reported this to Uisce Eireann and engineers are on their way to investigate.

02/11/2026

THERE IS NOWHERE FOR FAMILIES TO GO. WHY IS THAT STILL NOT BEING HEARD BY MINISTER BROWNE?

I wrote to Housing Minister James Browne asking that Donegal be considered for the future use of the State’s rapid-build modular homes.

His reply makes no mention of modular housing🙄!

Instead, he outlines the €16,500 accommodation provision and says social housing tenants must be rehoused where necessary during remediation.

But where, Minister? Please answer me that question!
We cannot magically make homes appear.

He has been told time and time again about families living in structurally unsafe and unhealthy homes, with damp, mould and continuing deterioration.

Families are trapped. They need somewhere safe to go, but suitable accommodation simply is not there.

The Government has identified March 2027 as the current timeframe for Ukrainian residents in its rapid-build accommodation, and discussions about the future use of these homes are already underway.

Donegal must be included in those discussions now. Our need for safe accommodation is every bit as urgent. We have two crisis here - the defective concrete humanitarian crisis and a housing crisis, there is no greater need than here in Donegal.

Where suitable units become available, their use in Donegal should be examined. I have also written to the Chief Executive of Donegal County Council and brought this up at the DCB Committee meeting.

An accommodation allowance cannot solve a shortage of actual homes. The Council needs practical options to rehouse tenants, and homeowners need somewhere to live while their properties are remediated.

These proposals deserve a direct answer and a meeting to work towards a solution.

📄 A copy of the letter I sent to the Minister is in the comments.

01/11/2026

⚽ A lovely day at Cockhill Celtic FC for the second annual North West Charity Cup!

Wonderful to see girls’ teams from across the North West coming together to enjoy their football while raising funds for two fantastic local charities … Jigsaw Donegal and Buncrana’s Children’s Charity. 💚

A huge thank you to the organisers, everyone at Cockhill Celtic and all the volunteers whose hard work makes this tournament possible. Thank you too to the coaches, referees, sponsors, parents, families and everyone supporting the event.

Most of all, well done to all the girls taking part, you are at the heart of this tournament! 👏⚽

Only in its second year, I’m sure the North West Charity Cup will grow from strength to strength. Wishing all the teams the very best today.

01/11/2026

🎃 Halloween is over. Now for a truly scary story…

Once upon a time, a family bought a home in Donegal.

They painted the bedrooms, marked the children’s heights on the doorframe and looked forward to growing old there.

Then a crack appeared.

They filled it. Another appeared. Then another.

As winter arrived, the rain found its way in. Damp spread. The wind outside became something to fear. When it rained outside it was raining inside as doors and windows warped.

At night, they lay awake wondering: How much worse will it get? Where would we go? How could we afford to rebuild?

Morning brought more and more paperwork and waiting and waiting pursued. The children asked when everything would be fixed. Their parents wished they had an answer.

👻 There was no ghost in the attic. No monster beneath the bed.

The fear was in the walls around them and if the walls would support the roof or bison slab floors about their families heads.

This is a Halloween-style telling of a reality too many families affected by defective concrete know all too well.

You can take down the decorations and switch off a horror film. You cannot switch off the fear when it follows you into your own home.

Families need safe accommodation, proper support and 100% redress so they can rebuild their lives.

Halloween lasts one night. This nightmare has lasted years.

31/10/2026

Very sad to hear reports of a firework related incident in Buncrana this evening. My thoughts are with the young boy involved and his family, and I wish him a full and speedy recovery.

This is a worrying reminder of the dangers posed by fireworks. In a split second, they can cause severe burns, permanent injuries and life-changing harm to those handling them or standing nearby.

Please speak to your children about these dangers, know where they are and make sure they do not have access to fireworks. Never approach or attempt to relight a firework that has failed to go off.

Thank you to the Gardaí and emergency services who attended.

31/10/2026

Cracks in the concrete at Leinster House? I wonder where it came from! 🤔

Thankfully, it’s only the ornamental pool. Imagine if it were someone’s HOME. Then they might have to spend years campaigning, completing applications, waiting and waiting for testing, years on appeals - all while living in fear that your home could collapse on top of your family while mould and damp cover every wall and ceiling. Then having to find somewhere to live and get finances in order and pack up your life while suffering mentally at the stress of the enormity of what lies ahead. ! 🙄

The OPW is looking at repairs. No cost estimate yet. After the bike shed and security hut, that’s a reassuring start.

Meanwhile, families in Donegal have homes literally falling down around them and are still fighting for 100% redress.

Perhaps we should have called our homes “reflecting pools”. We might have got further.

You couldn’t write it.

Leinster House water feature was drained due to cracks

31/10/2026

🎃👻 Happy Halloween, everyone!

Wishing everyone across Inishowen and Donegal a lovely evening of costumes, treats and Halloween fun! 🧡

As celebrations get underway, please heed the safety advice from Gardaí in Donegal:

🎆 Leave fireworks out of your celebrations — they can cause life-changing injuries and lead to serious legal penalties.

🧙 Parents, check that children’s costumes carry the CE marking and keep costumes away from candles and naked flames.

🚗 Drivers, please slow down and watch carefully for children out trick-or-treating in the dark.

🔦 If you’re heading out, stay visible, carry a torch and take extra care crossing roads.

Look out for one another and have a safe, happy Halloween! 🎃

31/10/2026

🌳🚜 Overgrown hedges and trees can reduce visibility and create hazards for road users.

Donegal County Council is reminding landowners and occupiers to keep roadside vegetation cut back to help make journeys safer for everyone.

31/10/2026

📅 A date for your diary!

The DCB Silver Circle OAPs are holding their second meeting:

🗓️ 17th November
🕚 11am
📍 An Grianán

The group will give an update on their meeting with Donegal County Council’s DCB Committee.

Please come along. Everyone is welcome. It’s important that older people affected by defective concrete blocks have their voices heard. 💛

Please share to help spread the word.