Author name: highlandnews

‘8,200 children being failed’ – Early Childhood Ireland

Early Childhood Ireland says 8,200 children in Donegal are being failed. The organisation says the ongoing issues facing early years and school age care settings in Donegal can only be addressed with a coherent 5 year plan. They say the lack of proper planning is failing providers, parents, and, most importantly, the estimated 8,209 children

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Announcement from British PM expected today on Post Office scandal

A major announcement on the UK Post Office/Horizon scandal is expected today from the British Prime Minister. More than 700 sub postmasters, including in Co Tyrone and Derry were wrongly convicted over financial irregularities between 1999 and 2015 – which were caused by a faulty computer system. The scandal’s in the spotlight after the release

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Re-evaluation of Fair Deal scheme proposed as way to ease pressure on nursing homes

A re-evaluation of the Fair Deal scheme may be one way to ease the pressure on the nursing home sector The ESRI reported yesterday that 60 nursing homes had closed between 2018 and 2022 with 336 beds lost since the start of the pandemic. There are warnings that more homes may close their doors this

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Taoiseach says 14 migrants found in refrigerated trailer can apply for asylum or be helped leave Ireland

The Taoiseach says the 14 migrants who entered the country in a refrigerated trailer can apply for asylum, or be helped to leave the country. 2 children and 12 adults were discovered in a container which arrived into Rosslare Europort off a ferry from Belgium on Monday. Minister for Justice Helen McEntee says she’s extremely

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85% of households in Donegal still reliant on high carbon fuels for home heating

85% of households in Donegal still reliant on high carbon fuels for home heating. That’s according to a report published by Liquid Gas Ireland yesterday. They say that many rural counties have a high rate of fossil fuel dependency, and in the case of home heating oil between census 2022 and 2016, that has increase

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Gritters out from 4 o’clock this afternoon across Donegal

All of the Donegal gritting routes are being treated this afternoon. The gritters will be out from 4 o’clock. Donegal County Council are urging drivers to assume no road is ice free. The following are being gritted: 01: National Primary North 02: National Primary Central 03: National Primary South 04: Inishowen South 05: Inishowen East

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Cllr believes gang responsible for overnight break in at his shop

An Inishowen Councillor believes a gang is responsible for an overnight break in at his shop in Culdaff. Extensive damage was caused and McGuinness’ Grocery Store ransacked sometime between 3:30am and 4am this morning. It’s believed tools stolen from a nearby farmyard were used to gain entry to the shop. A large amount of cigarettes

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Headstones damaged in ‘despicable’ act at St Eunan’s Cathedral, Raphoe graveyard

Gardai have described the damaging of headstones in the graveyard at St Eunan’s Cathedral, The Diamond, Raphoe as ‘despicable’. Damage was caused to 8 headstones, some were broken while others were pulled out of the ground between December 19th and January 3rd. Meanwhile, on January 3rd between 12:10pm and 2pm a person entered the graveyard

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Garda

Substantial amount of valuable jewellery and cash stolen in Letterkenny

A large amount of money and a substantial amount of valuable jewellery has been stolen from a house in Letterkenny. A safe within the property at Creeve was forced open and a number of rooms ransacked between 3pm on Wednesday last and 12:10am on Thursday. Among the items of jewellery stolen was a white gold

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‘Enhanced Defective Concrete Block Grant scheme designed not to work’ – Paddy Diver

The Enhanced Defective Concrete Block Grant scheme is designed not to work. That’s according to an affected homeowner and campaigner. Paddy Diver says there’s widespread frustration among those impacted with their mental health suffering as a result. He told today’s Nine til Noon Show that the vulnerable are being left even more vulnerable by the

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Donegal has one of the lowest supplies of nursing home beds according to ESRI

Nursing Homes Ireland says an ESRI report released today, must act as a wake up call to Government. It shows a reduction of 336 beds from the beginning of the pandemic, while HIQA has recorded 50 nursing home closures between 2018 and 2022. The report shows Donegal has one of the lowest supply of nursing

Donegal has one of the lowest supplies of nursing home beds according to ESRI Read More »

Further calls for clarity on future on Carndonagh mental health residential unit

There’s further calls for urgent clarity on the future of the mental health residential unit in Carndonagh. The unit provides residential and outreach services for patients experiencing mental health difficulties. Aontu representative, Mary T Sweeney has described the proposal to close the facility as ‘senseless’. She says an expansion of the services is vitally needed

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Finance Minister ignored warnings from his Department before introducing landlord tax breaks

It’s emerged the Finance Minister ignored warnings from officials in his Department before introducing tax breaks for landlords in the Budget. A FOI request by Sinn Fein found Michael McGrath was advised against moves that would see landlords receiving a boost of 1 thousand euro a year by 2026. The Minister said the measure was

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Helath Minister to bring memo outlining further reduction in waiting lists

The Health Minister is to bring a memo to Cabinet this morning outlining a further reduction in the number of people on waiting lists around the country. Stephen Donnelly will tell his ministerial colleagues that 2023 was the second year in a row to see the numbers fall. In Budget 2023, 443 million euro was

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ERNACT and Donegal County Council co-designing community-based Virtual Power Plant

Donegal County Council and Letterkenny-based ERNACT network are co-designing a community-based Virtual Power Plant with another four communities in Northern Europe under a budget of €1,498,935. The project commenced in June 2023 with the first steps to develop a viable business model completed. Once operational, the plant will collect, analyse and communicate real-time energy data

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Stark difference between defective concrete block crisis response in Canada and Ireland

A workshop was hosted in Ulster University to examine the difference between the responses to the defective concrete crisis in Quebec and in the Donegal/Derry region. It was hosted by Dr Eileen Doherty and Professor Paul Dunlop who visited Canada last September. Issues arose in both countries around the same time in the year 2010,

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DUP talks with British Government to recommence this week

The leader of the DUP says his party’s discussions with the British Government will recommence this week. Jeffrey Donaldson says its “goal throughout this process has been to restore Northern Ireland’s place within the UK Internal Market.” Stormont institutions have been suspended for almost two years because of a DUP boycott in protest at post-Brexit

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Donegal Deputy hopes 2024 will be the year of a General Election

Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty hopes a General Election takes place this year. Yesterday’s Ireland Thinks/Sunday Independent opinion poll revealed that support for Sinn Fein is up to 30% while support for Fine Gael has dropped to 20% and backing for Fianna Fail is down to 17%. Deputy Doherty told today’s Nine til Noon Show that

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INMO says it’s seeing “overcrowding challenges” in each part of the country

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation says it’s seeing “overcrowding challenges” in each part of the country. 626 people are waiting for beds in hospitals nationwide today, with RSV, COVID and influenza infections expected to peak this week and next. 39 people are waiting on a trolley at Letterkenny University Hospital. The INMO says the

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HIQA identifies delays in implementation of Tusla governance mechanisms

Delays in the implementation of governance mechanisms have been identified in Tusla services in Donegal/ Sligo/Leitrim and West Cavan. A HIQA inspection was carried out in August last year, focusing on the implementation of the Child and Family Agency’s Child Abuse Substantiation Procedure which came into operation on June 27th 2022. HIQA found that overall,

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Education Minister accused of throwing towel on teacher recruitment and retention crisis

The Education Minister has been accused of throwing in the towel on the teacher recruitment and retention crisis. The Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland says Norma Foley doesn’t have the “political will or wherewithal to properly tackle the problem.” It says there are hundreds of unfilled post-primary teaching posts advertised on education recruitment websites

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