Author name: highlandnews

There’s calls for a specific meeting to develop a tourism plan for East Donegal. Councillor Patrick McGowan says previous efforts to promote tourism efforts have fallen by the wayside due to a lack of support. Donegal County Council has agreed to an initial meeting with Councillors in the Lifford Stranorlar MD. Cllr McGowan has proposed […]

Pressure is mounting on the Housing Department to ensure defective block homeowners with outstanding fees are reimbursed. Some homeowners who had engaged with the previous redress scheme remain out thousands of euros. A commitment was given by the Housing Department before Christmas that the issue would be resolved. Councillor Martin McDermott however, says it’s time

  Some people in Donegal were unable to vote on Friday on the family and care referendums. Several people did not receive a polling card while others upon turning up at polling stations discovered they had been taken off the register for unknown reasons. Councillor Michael McClafferty, Cathaoirleach of Glenties Municipal District, is concerned as

  A new Garda sergeant is to be redeployed to Muff in the upcoming weeks. Councillor Terry Crossan, Cathaoirleach of the Inishowen Municipal District, has welcomed the announcement and hopes it will signify a more visual garda presence in the village. There has been ongoing concerns over the lack of adequate policing in the area.

There’s serious concern over road safety on approach to Clady Bridge. Overhanging trees on the route from the N15 are hampering travelling conditions for motorists. Councillor Gary Doherty said he himself had a number of near misses. A request for additional lighting at the junction off the Castlefin Road was previously requested. Councillor Doherty says

  The Government failed to change the constitution on family and care. An ‘Ireland Thinks’ exit poll – published today in the Sunday Independent – reveals high levels of anger behind the ‘No’ vote – with voters citing a ‘lack of clarity’ and ‘mistrust in Government’ for the rejection. Yesterday’s double count returned the highest

The referendum results are a clear sign that a change of Government is needed. That’s according to Dr Joe Kelly. Meanwhile, an ‘Ireland Thinks’ exit poll – published today in the Sunday Independent – reveals high levels of anger behind the ‘No’ vote – with voters citing a ‘lack of clarity’ and ‘mistrust in Government’

The Green Party leader has admitted the case the Government presented to the public ‘didn’t win’ in the referendums on Family and Care. Minister Eamon Ryan initially said there was still a long way to go, but has now conceded it looks like both referendums will be defeated. Speaking at the Dublin City count centre

Early indications suggest Donegal will return a ‘No/ No’ vote in both referendums. Counting is well underway now at the Donegal Count Centre at the Aura Leisure Centre, Letterkenny. Final turnout figures in Donegal range from 38% in Stranorlar, to 41.5% in the Donegal Local Electoral area to under 50% in Buncrana. Tallies carried out

It’s been confirmed Letterkenny University Hospital is operating on half of what it needs in terms of ICU bed. Just 6 ICU beds are in operation at the hospital. It falls well short of the 15 beds recommended in 2021. An application was previously made for funding to open additional beds however, that was unsuccessful.

The Government is being urged to urgently address what’s been described as Ireland’s ‘unacceptably high electricity prices’. The call from Sinn Fein comes as profits at the ESB surged by 30% to €868 million for 2023. Energy prices are 66.4% higher than the average in other EU member states, while residential gas bills are over

It’s been proposed the Lifford Stranorlar Municipal District twin with Spanish village Simancas to mark the connection with Red Hugh O’Donnell. The Council in Simancas has already passed a motion to twin with the area in recognition of Lifford being the birth place of Red Hugh O’Donnell and there his place of death. Cathaoirleach of

A measles’ vaccine catch-up programme will be rolled out following a second confirmed case here. On Wednesday, the HSE was notified that a person in the West of Ireland had contracted the disease. They are now finalising plans for the broader rollout of the MMR vaccine in response to the rise in the UK and

The UK government is being urged to release the identity of the British Army’s top agent in the IRA during the Troubles. It follows the publication of a major report into the activities of the mole, known as “Stakeknife”. The report found more lives were probably lost than saved – and that murders that “should

The HSE has confirmed today that following meetings with the HSE, Tusla and the Raphoe Diocesan Counselling Services, an interim funding proposal has been agreed by all parties. This proposal addresses the immediate issues that were highlighted by the Raphoe Counselling Service and it ensures the delivery of the Raphoe Diocesan Counselling Services for the

Loganair’s summer schedule opens on 19 May with three flights weekly, rising to four between 6 July – 17 August for the peak season. The route will continue through the winter, with flights every Friday and Sunday. It follows protracted discussions between the airline and Donegal Airport. The Managing Director of Donegal Airport is Eilis

There are renewed calls for a co-ordinated approach to tackling gender based violence on International Women’s Day. Women’s Aid says the government’s strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence must improve education, legal protection and support services. One in four women in Ireland have suffered abuse at the hands of a current or former partner.

The government is looking into the possibility of providing funding to local communities on the outskirts of large towns to allow them decommission septic tanks and connect into the local sewerage systems. Minister Ciaran O’Donnell told the Dail this is predominantly an issue for Uisce Eireann, but his department will examine the options. He was

Family Resource Centres across Donegal says there needs to be consistent funding to allow them to provide proven therapeutic services. The national ‘Recovery and Resilience Programme for Children’ grant provided one-off funding of €1,000,000 for therapeutic community supports in 83 Family Resource Centres across Ireland. This included Cara House, Donegal and Downstrands Family Resource Centres

Donegal Minister Charlie McConalogue says he is liaising closely with the Minister for Education, Norma Foley, to secure approval for new building for Scoil Íosagáin in Buncrana, He says all that’s left to do is to secure the final approval and capital funding. Scoil Íosagáin is the largest primary school in Donegal with over 750

Today marks International Women’s Day and Midlands North West MEP Maria Walsh is calling for the creation of the first ever EU Female Founders’ Fund. The Fine Gael MEP wants to establish the project through the European Investment Fund in a bid to eradicate the gender credit gap that exists for female-owned businesses. It would