Author name: highlandnews

There’s still no agreement on the new Donegal County Development Plan. Councillors met again yesterday to discuss the draft plan. A number of changes were agreed and changed which means elements of the plan will now be edited before going back out to public consultation. The Office of the Planning Regulator will also review the […]

Child benefit will soon be paid to those up to their 19th birthday, once they are still in full time secondary education. The extension will also apply to teens with a disability. Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys will tell her cabinet colleagues today that it can now be implemented from May 1st, months earlier than

A woman is due in court in Derry later today following a shop robbery on Sunday. The 32 year old entered the shop in the Earhart Park area of Derry claiming to be in possession of a gun before stealing a number of items and assaulting members of the public who tried to restrain her.

Sinn Fein is calling for the TV licence to be scrapped. The Party will table a private members motion in the Dail later saying the fee should be replaced with exchequer funding for public service media. It’s also calling for an amnesty from prosecution for those who haven’t paid the charge. Currently 60 people per

Donegal Adult Education Tutors are joining a national protest tomorrow to demand parity with post-primary colleagues. A protest is taking place tomorrow outside Leinster House at 1pm calling for Adult Education Tutors to be given a contract that reflects their professionalism and dedication. After an agreement reached between Adult Education Tutors and Government last year

Two people have been taken to hospital following a crash between Strabane and Sion Mills earlier today. The two car collision occurred on the route between O’Neills Roundabout and the junction of Peacock Road at around 2:15pm. Police say the injuries sustained are not believed to be life threatening. The road has since reopened.

Stormont leaders have been asked to give commitments to make sure the devolved government in the North doesn’t collapse again. The Assembly hadn’t sat for two years, until the DUP recently agreed to post-Brexit trade changes. Opposition leader Matthew O’Toole says a commitment from the First and Deputy First Ministers would go some way towards

Two dolphins have been rescued after becoming stranded on a South Donegal beach. A mother and her calf were found in the Mountcharles area on Saturday. The pair were safely refloated. Assistance was provided to locals by the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group as they made their way to the scene. A spokesperson for the

The Melmount Road between Strabane and Sion Mills is currently closed following a crash this afternoon. Police are at the scene. The road is closed between O’Neills Roundabout and the junction of Peacock Road. Motorists are advised to seek an alternative route via Liskey Road or Orchard Road. No further details are known at this

It’s emerged police in Derry came under attack while carrying out a search operation on Friday night. Officers were attacked by around 15 young people who had gathered in the Galliagh area and started throwing stones. Derry City and Strabane Superintendent Clive Beatty says no injuries were reported. Meanwhile, in separate incidents, one officer was

A woman has been arrested by police in Derry investigating a robbery at a shop in Earhart Park, Shantallow at the weekend. At around 3.10pm yesterday afternoon, it’s reported a woman threatened female staff members, asking them for money and claiming to have a gun. Failing to gain access to the till, the woman took

There have been a number of water outage notices issued for Donegal this morning. Repairs to a burst water main may cause supply disruptions to Liscooley, Liscooley Villas, Carrick and surrounding areas. A traffic management plan will be in place for the duration of the works which are scheduled to take place from 10am until

People who are medically certified as unfit to drive are to be included in the free travel scheme. Social Protection Minster Heather Humphrey’s has announced the move to mark International Epilepsy Day. From July the State’s free travel scheme will extended to those who’ve never been able to drive because of a disability, and to

There’s a call for pay increases of 4-6% in the private sector. The Private Sector Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions is today publishing its Pay Bargaining Guidance for Unions. It’s also seeking to improve the position of lower-paid workers, by improving new entrant rates of pay. Congress General Secretary Owen Reidy says

Donegal County Council officials say the cancellation of the 2021 census for a year is having an impact on the authority’s new Local Economic and Community Plan, work on which will be getting underway in the coming weeks. The 2024 to 2029 plan will be completed in the coming months, but because the census was

The Danske Bank branch in Derry’s Shipquay Place will close in June, but a local MLA says she’s been told no jobs will be lost. Ciara Ferguson says the closure will come as a blow to the town and local community, particularly the elderly of the community. She added that following a conversation with the

  Donegal County Council officials have indicated that a new mattress recycling facility could be developed in Donegal. A submission was made to the government regarding such a facility. It follows concerns surrounding mattresses requiring transportation to Galway for disposal. At a recent council meeting Cllr Patrick McGowan asked if the council could arrange transportation

Gweedore born singer and musician Moya Brennan has been named Donegal Person of the Year 2023, with her nomination to be officially confirmed at a function in Dublin in April. Moya was lead singer with Clannad for many years, the band’s farewell tour ended in Seattle last October. Her nomination was announced in Creeslough last

The Strand Road in Derry has reopened after an earlier incident in which a pedestrian was struck by a car on the Strand Road in Derry. It happened early this morning, around 1.40am. The PSNI say a black coloured Volkswagon Golf was involved. A man in his forties was taken to hospital with serious injuries

A free Home Energy Clinic is to take place in Letterkenny this week. It is part of a national effort to make knowledge about energy consumption more accessible. The Central Library in Letterkenny will host the event this Thursday from 5.30pm – 7.30pm. It will offer advice on energy awareness and efficiency on a community

DCI John Caldwell     A 44-year-old man has appeared before Dungannon Magistrates Court today, charged with the attempted murder of Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell outside a Leisure Centre in Omagh in February last year. Alan Lundy, from Flax Street in Belfast appeared via video link at Dungannon Magistrates’ Court, charged with attempted murder,

Uisce Eireann are investigating reports of supply disruptions affecting Manorcunningham, Newtowncunningham and surrounding areas in Co. Donegal. No further details are available. Meanwhile, repairs to a burst water main may cause supply disruptions to Killymard and surrounding areas in Donegal Town. Works are scheduled to take place until 3pm this afternoon.

A 44-year-old man is due to appear before Dungannon Magistrates Court today, charged with the attempted murder of Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell in Omagh in February last year. Mr Caldwell was putting sports equipment in his car when he was attacked in front of his young son and other children, who were seen running

A initiative to protect victims of domestic abuse in the Derry City & Strabane District has entered its second year. It looks to provide those who faced abuse with security equipment. The PSNI and Derry and Strabane Policing and Community Safety Partnership aim to make victims feel safer with assistance of equipment. Since November 2022

  The latest National Treatment Purchase Fund Hospital Waiting List data is out. As of the end of January, there were 679,247 patients on the active hospital waiting lists in Ireland almost 14,500 of those are outpatients of Letterkenny University Hospital. Over 12,500 are adults, while 1,919 are children. In adults the longest waiting list