Author name: highlandnews

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

Hundreds of farmers are expected to drive through cities, towns and villages across the country this evening as protests continue across Europe. It’ll include a gathering outside Letterkenny. The IFA has confirmed that farmers will assemble with tractors at the Manorcunningham roundabout shortly before 7pm this evening. They will then travel on the inside lane

Donegal County Council has backed a motion from Cllr Michael McClafferty seeking to have the wearing of Hi-Vis vests by pedestrians made mandatory. The council will now write to the Department of Transport and Road Safety Authority suggesting that compulsory high visibility vest wearing be examined. Members were told that 44 pedestrians lost their lives

The Chair of Donegal County Council’s Defective Concrete Blocks Committee says issues with the council’s online portal have been resolved, and it will be back online and functioning properly within days. Cllr Martin McDermott was responding to comments from Milford & District Resource Centre Manager Declan Meehan, who called on the council to get its

Donegal County Council and Failte Ireland are discussing a proposal that they pilot a bespoke Festival and Events Development Programme that will target a number of festivals and events with a three year funding commitment of €4,000 per year, accompanied by a series of supports. Details emerged this week as members passed a motion from

Bus and train services aren’t running across the north again today. Workers at Translink are staging another work stoppage over pay. With the return of Stormont imminent, workers are being asked to defer future strikes, because money will be available for increased public sector pay as a result of the deal. Northern Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris

Legislation formalising the terms of the deal to facilitate the resumption of power sharing in the north is expected to pass through the UK House of Commons today. The deal, agreed earlier this week between the UK government and the DUP will remove checks on goods moving between Britain and Northern Ireland. The EU says

A Donegal Deputy has called on the Dáil to ensure every effort is made to see that residents of the Supervised Residential Unit in Carndonagh can stay in the facility. In December, the closure of the facility was proposed as part of the planned reconfiguration of the Donegal Mental Health Service. Deputy Joe McHugh says that

The Manager of the Milford & District Resource Centre says Donegal County needs to get it’s act together after he heard of a number of issues with the administration of the Defective Concrete Block Scheme. Declan Meehan, who plans to contest the upcoming local elections, says that locals have been telling him of their inability

The Chairperson of Donegal County Council Fisheries Committee is thankful that four people onboard a boat that got into difficulty off Inis Meáin island were rescued safely. A meeting of the committee was told this morning that the loss of the 12 meter fishing vessel will be devastating for the owner and crew economically. Around

A Donegal based Minister says ensuring there are enough builders to see the remediation of homes under the Defective Concrete Block Scheme must be a priority. Minister Charlie McConalogue says there must be encouragement to bring construction workers to Donegal from other counties and abroad, as there will be a large demand when homes It’s

The government is to defer legislation to decriminalise small amounts of drugs for personal use for nine months. The Dáil debated the People Before Profit Bill this morning, with a vote to take place this evening. Donegal Deputy Thomas Pringle said looking at Portugal, the decriminalisation of drugs seen a decrease in drug related deaths

Towns in Mayo, Wexford, Longford and Wicklow have been named among the best places to live in Ireland. Castlebar topped the list of 50 towns, which were analysed in terms of work-life balance. The Mayo town scored high on the number of primary schools, GP surgeries, and cafés per 1-thousand residents. The research by switcher.ie