Author name: highlandnews

A Donegal Deputy has called on the Government to put families at the centre of housing policy. Deputy Charles Ward was speaking in the Dáil earlier this week, where he highlighted the homes that remain unsafe and unsellable, due to “Government inaction”. He also stressed that investor activity, which is often portrayed as a solution,

Donegal County Council is set to launch Seachtain na Gaeilge next week. This is due to take place at Gaelscoil na gCeithre Máistrí, Donegal Town, on Thursday next at 11.00am. Seachtain na Gaeilge will take place internationally from 1-17 March. Cllr Micheál Choilm Mac Giolla Easbuig will be at the launch and says Seachtain na

The President of the Letterkenny Chamber is coming to the end of his term, with a new President set to be elected on 3rd March. The work of the Letterkenny Chamber is to support different initiatives such as the ShopLK programme. Reflecting on his year, Jimmy Stafford says it was a great success:

A project to protect Wader birds on Tory Island has called for engagement from the local community to help complete capital actions. The Breeding Waders EIP project aims to secure the remaining populations of Ireland’s Waders through targeted landscape management and informed policy development. A wider national initiative is in receipt of €25m co-funded by

A man has been jailed for 20 years for the sexual abuse of his five children over two decades. 70-year-old Noel Farrell of Rathedmond Estate, Sligo, Co. Sligo pleaded guilty to a number of counts of sexual abuse against his four daughters and one son at various addresses. Sentencing him today at the Central Criminal

Members of the National Ambulance Service are to ballot for industrial action. SIPTU members aren’t happy with salary scales given how much practitioners roles have changed in the last 15 years. Medics are calling on the HSE not to force in additional workplace demands without addressing concerns of members. SIPTU Ambulance Sector Organiser, John McCamley

There’s been major confusion over the number of beds at a new hospital in Galway. The development in Merlin Park was previously described by the Government and HSE as a “200 bed” hospital. However, the HSE has now clarified that the new centre is an elective day hospital, and no overnight beds were ever planned.

The Dail has been told that a previous government-backed decision not to fund flood alleviation works in Burnfoot has left eight people still out of their council homes since the floods of 2017, probably never to return. During statements on flooding in Leinster House, Deputy Padraig Mac Lochlainn acknowledged that during his first tenure in

Just over a million euro is being invested in four tourism projects in Donegal ; Oakfield Park in Raphoe, Wild Ireland in Burnfoot, Inishowen Maritime Museum in Greencastle and The Workhouse, Dunfanaghy. It’s part of a wider cross border funding package announced today under the Shared Island Initiative, that will see a total of €2.7

Planning approval has been granted to Uisce Éireann to carry out what have been described as much-needed upgrade works on the wastewater treatment plant in Fahan. The existing plant will be upgraded to convert it into a wastewater pumping station, with the construction of a 6.2 kilometre stretch of wastewater main connecting the proposed new Fahan

The Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council is welcoming the announcement that technology manufacturer Vertiv is to create 200 jobs in the North West over the next six months. The company has two plants in Donegal, one in Letterkenny, the other in Burnfoot, as well as a base at Campsie in Derry. Cllr Paul Canning says

The government is being urged to expedite reform of the planning regulations to stop objections from people who have no material interest in the application being made. Aontu are putting a new planning bill forward to reform the system and reduce the number of judicial reviews being sought. Mayo TD Paul Lawless told Minster Kevin

The minister with responsibilty for special education has promised TDs the government will make the right decisions in relation to Special Needs Assistant placements in schools. A protest is planned outside Leinster House in Dublin next week over potential cuts to SNAs across the country. The national demonstration will take place at 5pm on Wednesday,

The Minister for Agriculture has praised the work of the Shared Island Initiative. Earlier this week, the initiative launched a cross-border pilot project to tackle Bovine TB. One benefit that Minister Martin Heydon cites is the work being done on the ground. The Kildare South TD says the investments being made are helping people on

A proposed new hotel at Kerrs Bay Road in Rathullan has been granted planning permission. It is to be named The Pier Hotel, in honour of the hotel which previously stood on the site until it closed in 2002. The permission is for a four-storey, 37-bedroom boutique hotel, incorporating a restaurant, bar, dining area, reception,

The Minister for Agriculture says he is committed to eradicating Bovine TB form the island of Ireland. A major new cross border pilot project to tackle the disease has been launched in Newtowncunningham today. Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon, and his Northern counterpart Andrew Muir were both in attendance. Minister Heydon says he knows first hand the

Domestic abuse incidents have surged by 74% since 2018 in Donegal. These figures were received following a Parliamentary Question from Longford-Westmeath TD, Sorca Clarke. Stranorlar based Councillor, Dakota Nic Mheanman, says the statistics are worrying and that the issue can no longer be neglected. Across the county, domestic abuse calls have increased by 24% since

Donegal County Council has confirmed that a full pedestrian crossing with lights is to be provided at the Oatfield roundabout in Letterkenny, under an active travel project. he issue was raised recently by Cllr Michael McBride, who was seeking to have the current crossing, which currently has no lights, further up the hill. €15,000 has

A major new cross-border pilot project to tackle bovine TB is being launched today in Newtowncuningham. Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon and his Northern counterpart Andrew Muir will launch the project as part of the Shared Island Initiative this afternoon. On today’s Greg Hughes Show, Minister Heydon said the experience elsewhere is that regional approaches work…….

The leader of the Seanad is to invite Marine Minister Timmy Dooley into the house to debate seaweed licensing. Applications have been made by a number of companies to harvest large quantities of wrack seaweed from the west coast, including Arramara Teoranta, which was previously based in Donegal, but is now owned by Canadian company

The Drumkeen Environmental Community Group has recently held a meeting to unveil a five-year strategy for community enhancements. Multiple local Councillors from the Lifford-Stranorlar MD were in attendance at this meeting to hear proposals gathered from a survey of residents. The community raised a number of amenities they would like to see in the survey,