Author name: highlandnews

The Higher Education Minister is urging technological universities to plan ahead for the provision of more affordable student housing. The institutions have been told to prepare plans by March 15th as part of a government scheme to improve access to homes for third-level students. It’s the first time TUs have been given the opportunity to

Sinn Féin Deputy Leader  Michelle O’Neill has been elected the first nationalist first minister of Northern Ireland. Devolved government has been restored at Stormont, following a two-year boycott by the DUP over post-Brexit trading arrangement. The DUP’s Emma Little-Pengelly has been elected deputy first minister, while her party colleague Edwin Poots is the new assembly

Power sharing is due to return to Northern Ireland this afternoon for the first time in almost two years. MLAs are currently electing a new assembly speaker at Stormont the first stage in bringing back the executive. There’s been no devolved government there since February 2022 – when the DUP walked out in protest at

Steps can be taken to reduce the risk of developing lung and bowel cancer. The HSE says almost 2,600 people are diagnosed with lung cancer every year. It’s advising people to be physically active and limit alcohol which lower your risk of developing these cancers. National Cancer Control Programme, Specialist in Public Health Medicine, Dr

Pressure’s being heaped on the Government to slash the VAT rate to 9%. The Restaurants Association of Ireland is welcoming Fine Gael Senator Garret Ahearn’s call for it to be cut for restaurants and pubs. However, he this the reduction should exclude hotels. Restaurants Association Chief Executive Adrian Cummins thinks if a hotel provides meals

After a two-year boycott, power-sharing at Stormont is due to be restored. The D-U-P has agreed to a deal that means no checks or customs paperwork will be needed on goods coming into Northern Ireland from Britain. Today will also see the appointment of the North’s first-ever nationalist First Minister – Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill:

Drivers are being warned to stay safe on the roads this bank holiday weekend. 19 people have been killed on the country’s roads so far in 2024, including one person in Donegal. Junior Transport Minister Jack Chambers says there are higher risks at this time: Meanwhile Donegal Gardaí say they will be conducting high visibility

Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien has commended Donegal County Council after latest figures from his department show 1,074 vacant social homes were brought back into active use in the county between 2014-2023 under the Voids programme. €11 million was spent in order to renovate and refurbish the homes. The Voids Programme supports local authorities in preparing

The Taoiseach says he can’t guarantee a crackdown on illegal immigration will reduce the numbers seeking international protection. The Government has taken steps to tackle the issue, recently adding Algeria and Botswana to the list of safe countries. There are also plans to see chartered flights deport illegal immigrants later this year. Despite this, Leo

18 people have now died on the roads so far this year, with one person in Donegal. The Road Safety Authority has issued an appeal ahead of the bank holiday for drivers to slow down, not drink and drive and to put away mobile phones. Bank Holidays tend to be the most dangerous on the

A Sinn Fein councillor says he always believed his party would hold the seat of First Minister in the North, and that a Sinn Fein Taoiseach will follow. Cllr. Jack Murray was speaking on this morning’s Nine ’til Noon show when he welcomed the immanent re-formation of an Assembly an Stormont. His party colleague, Michelle

Farmers throughout the country have vowed to continue protesting against EU regulations of the industry. Last night farmers in their thousands protested in solidarity with their European counterparts who say EU bureaucracy is severely impacting their livelihoods. This included a demonstration from Manorcunningham to Letterkenny and back, causing some disruption on the Polestar roundabout. Munster

Fishermen want their vessels to be viewed as a place of business. In a recent meeting of the Donegal County Council Fisheries Committee, members said that fishermen should qualify for more business support schemes to maintain their work. Chairperson of the committee, Cllr. Niamh Kennedy says what happens behind the scenes, usually at home, in

The government could be facing an uphill battle to reach its 2030 target of having 945,000 Electric Vehicles on Irish roads. Figures from The Society of the Irish Motor Industry for January show the sale of EV’s account for 12% of overall new car sales nationally, in Donegal that figure was 7%. The figures also

The need for more apprenticeships has been highlighted at two council meetings in Donegal this week. At the full council meeting, members agreed to write to Education Minister Norma Foley and Higher Education Minister Simon Harris asking them to provide more course places and supports to get people training to be electricians, plumbers, plasterers and

The Local Enterprise Office in Donegal supported 440 businesses in the county between 2020 and 2023. In a presentation to Donegal County Council’s Economic Development SPC yesterday morning, Head of Enterprise Brenda Hegarty said they invested €3.6 million over that period, and want to do more. Members of the Strategic Policy Committee were anxious that

Donegal County Council is beginning a process to recruit more firefighters. In a report to the council’s Economic Development SPC, Chief Fire Officer Joseph McTaggart said a series of open nights will take place at fire stations across the county as part of the process. It follows a debate at the full council this week

A man has been sentenced to jail for assaulting another man who was on a night out in the Derry city centre in May, 2022. Caoimhin McSheffrey was sentenced today, at Derry Crown Court to two years in jail, suspended for three years, for the offences of grievous bodily harm and common assault which occurred

The leader of the DUP has written to the Speaker of the Stormont Assembly to confirm his intention to return to power-sharing. Northern Ireland has been without a functioning Government for almost two years as a result of a DUP boycott. Jeffrey Donaldson says he expects the Assembly to meet on Saturday to elect a

Alcohol Forum Ireland is holding a briefing event in Letterkenny tomorrow morning for Donegal politicians and the public in relation to the Proposed Sale of Alcohol Bill. The bill seeks to extend trading hours, the number of drink outlets and the removal of limits on the number of on-licences. These, according to CEO of Alcohol

Heated exchanges took place in the Dáil this afternoon following Deputy Pearse Doherty calling for better protection systems to be put in place for those who fall victim to digital scams. The Donegal Deputy again stated the need for a data sharing system to be instated between the banks and the Gardaí in a bid

A man with severe mental health difficulties was held in a Donegal Garda Station for 12 hours last week because no GPs were available to fulfil the necessary paper work to seek the appropriate care. Deputy Thomas Pringle told the Dáil about the issue this afternoon. He has called it “an injustice” to both the