Author name: highlandnews

The Justice Minister says efforts must intensify to reach agreement on a new Garda roster. Rank and file gardaí remain locked in a dispute with Commissioner Drew Harris over the scheduled return of the pre-covid roster on November 6th. Minister Helen McEntee claims three of the groups representing gardaí are in favour of coming up

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar says the investigation into spinal surgeries at Temple Street Children’s Hospital needs to be independent. He made the comment while attending Fine Gael’s Small Business and Enterprise Conference in Waterford. It comes as it’s been revealed that non-medical grade springs were used in the spinal surgeries of three children. Deputy Varadkar also

Fine Gael says they have made tangible progress in building social and affordable homes this year. Budget 2024 will be unveiled on October 10th with an overall package worth at least 6.4 billion euro. There will be an additional multibillion euro package of temporary measures to tackle the cost-of-living crisis. Senator Barry Ward says they’ve

There’s a call on the Government to help end the ‘deepening child homelessness crisis’. Focus Ireland wants children better protected while they’re homeless. The charity is reacting to the record number of 3,895 kids who are living in emergency accommodation. Focus Ireland spokesperson, Conor Culkin says the Government must give homeless children a child support

Ireland will not be in a position to meet its climate targets unless the planning system is radically overhauled. The government has been called on to address what has been described as an ‘unfit for purpose’ process Ireland South MEP Sean Kelly says in the last twelve months, not one single wind farm was given

There will be a Coastwatch survey training event in Lough Swilly at 12.30 tomorrow. The event will begin at the Quay shore in Newtowncunningham where volunteers will divide into pairs and spread out to cover as many shores as possible. Coastwatch Co-ordinator Karin Dubsky has more:

Its now illegal to hold an anti-abortion protest too close to an abortion clinic in Northern Ireland. New buffer zones have come into force – designed to protect women and staff from harassment and intimidation. Former Green Party leader Clare Bailey brought the bill to Stormont, and used to be an abortion centre escort:  

Donegal motorists have been affected by a backlog in traffic on the Kilmacrennan Road today. Traffic has been reportedly at a standstill in the area. Councillor Donal Coyle says that he will be raising the issue at the next Municipal District meeting. Irish Water have responded with the following statement: Works to replace almost a

There’s calls for urgent clarity from the Housing Minister as its emerged defective block homeowners who rebuild their properties will be unable to sell of remortgage them. CEO of the Banking and Payments Federation, Brian Hayes confirmed this week that mortgages can only be issued on homes built to current building standards. The issue has

The deadline for submissions on the All Island Rail Review is midnight tonight. The review published this summer proposes a rail link between Letterkenny and Derry. However, Steve Bradley, Chair of Into the West -a rail campaign for counties Donegal, Derry, Tyrone and Fermanagh says while there are indeed some welcome recommendations, there remain a

A Donegal Senator says people in the county have no other option but to drive because of the lack of public transport. Senator Eileen Flynn has called for more investment in public transport during statements in the Seanad on road safety. She says tougher sanctions are needed to crackdown on drivers driving under the influence.

Restaurants across the country are in crisis and in some cases are facing closure. The warning comes from the Restaurants Association of Ireland, which is calling on the government for a permanent reduction in the VAT rate to 9% in this year’s budget. Paul Lenehan President of the Association says the sector is in real

A Donegal County Councillor has issued a stark warning over the county’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service. Councillor Gerry McMonagle says he doesn’t know how much longer families in need of the service can continue. So far this year, over 30% of young people in Donegal referred to CAMHS have been refused access. There

Additional safety concerns around schools are coming to the fore. Safety around schools in Donegal has been thrown into the spotlight in recent times after a number of near misses involving pupils. There were previous calls for footpaths to be put in place at schools in rural parts of the county however, the issue of

Action by Gardai to crackdown of the theft of Japanese imported vehicles in Letterkenny has been welcomed. Gardai have confirmed that as of September 22nd, five people were arrested in connection with the theft of 16 such vehicles. A warning was previously issued that the theft of Japanese imported vehicles was becoming a weekly occurrence

Donegal County Council has been told that they are on target to achieve ambitious environmental targets by 2030. In a report to members at the authority’s September meeting, officials said the target is to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 51%, and increase energy efficiency by 50%. They said both these targets are realistic, and initiatives

The Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Agency Bill is too little too late. That’s according to Donegal Deputy Thomas Pringle. Speaking in the Dail today, he says the country appears to be going backwards in its efforts to tackle sexual and gender-based violence. Deputy Pringle says with a two fold increase in sexual assaults against

Sinn Fein’s Vice President Michelle O’Neill is convinced patience is running out with the DUP’s blockade of Stormont. With the assembly in flux since March 2022, the first Minister Designate says there’s no reason for Jeffery Donaldson’s party to continue its boycott, with parts of the Windsor Framework coming into effect this weekend. Michelle O’Neill

The Justice Minister has been accused of being “hands-off” in the dispute between the Garda Commissioner and rank-and-file members. Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty has called for Helen McEntee to intervene after delegates of the Garda Representative Association announced it would strike on November 10th. They will also opt out of over time every Tuesday in

Gardai are being urged to monitor the operation of traffic lights on the Four Lane route in Letterkenny once they become operational. Work on the project is nearing completion, with lights erected at a number of points between the roundabouts, and on the Polestar Roundabout itself. Councillor Donal Coyle says its vital the traffic lights

There are calls for immediate action to ensure the safety of children attending Scoil Eoin Baiste at Umlagh in Carrigart. A public meeting was held over a year ago after which a petition gathered and a motion raised through the Council calling for traffic calming measures. However, no progress has been made since. Now, locals

Radical reform is now the only viable option for the Irish health system. That’s the warning from the Irish Medical Organisation as it releases its pre-budget submission. Health Minister Stephen Donnelly is already under pressure for budget overruns, despite continued pressure on services. IMO President Dr. John Cannon says Ireland has less beds in the