Author name: highlandnews

Sinn Fein will be laying out its stall later today as to why it should be leading the next government. The party’s two day Ard Fheis gets underway in Athlone, Co. Westmeath. Sinn Féin Vice President Michelle O’Neill will deliver the key note address during which she is expected to concentrate on the housing crisis,

Ashling Murphy has been described as a ‘vibrant, intelligent and highly motivated young woman’ by those closest to her. It’s after the man who killed her along the grand canal in Tullamore in January 22 months ago was found guilty of the schoolteacher’s murder by a jury yesterday. It took the 9 men and 3

Cathoirleach of Glenties Municipal District says he intends to call on the five Donegal TDs for another meeting regarding the National Policy which restricts access on the N56, that is if no progress has been made by Christmas. The policy has been a long standing bone of contention, preventing planning permission being granted along the

A Derry City MLA has launched a public consultation on her proposal to see it legislated the area’s like the North West aren’t left behind by the Northern Irish Government. The private members Bill aims to change how Stormont operates in a central manner. SDLP Economy Spokesperson Sinéad McLaughlin says the same job and investment

Jozef Puska has been found guilty of the murder of Ashling Murphy. The defendant, of Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, Co. Offaly was mostly unmoved in the dock, and had his head down as the verdict was delivered before the Central Criminal Court. After their deliberations, the jury of nine men and three women returned the guilty

A month on from when a group of doctors and consultants in Donegal wrote to Health Minister Stephen Donnelly raising serious concerns about the level of care at Letterkenny University Hospital, the Minister has failed to travel to see first hand the ongoing crisis at the hospital. In the letter, particular concerns were raised around

There’s concern over the length of time it is taking for applications for SI housing applications to pass through planning. Councillor Patrick McGowan believes the current criteria drawn up in 2016 is beyond outdated. He says an urgent review of policy is needed:

A Donegal doctor has appealed to elected public representatives in the county to raise the concerns over patient safety at Letterkenny University Hospital at Oireachtas level. At a frank meeting with GPs yesterday, Saolta promised that the Acute Medical Unit at the hospital will be open by the end of year and will allow GPs

Donegal County Council is aiming to have applications submitted under the enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme processed within two weeks. The Council’s Defective Concrete Block Committee meeting yesterday was given the commitment that new applications received will be passed onto the Housing Agency within 14 days. 1,400 applications have been transferred from the old

Molly Martens and her father Tom could spend as little as seven further months behind bars for the manslaughter of her husband Jason Corbett. The 39 year old Limerick man was beaten to death in his home in North Carolina in August 2015. In his ruling yesterday, Judge David Hall imposed a sentence of between

The Taoiseach is in Paris today where he will attend an International Conference on Humanitarian Assistance for the Civilians in Gaza. Leo Varadkar will meet with leaders from the region to discuss how to help Irish citizens who want to leave, and will hear from aid agencies working there. Former member of the Defence Forces

The Dail has voted to ban the sale of vapes to under 18’s. TD’s accepted the bill which also includes an advertising ban of vaping products around schools and on public transport, as well as a strict new licensing system for retailers selling vapes. The Health Minister hopes it will be law before Christmas once

A West Donegal councillor is calling for the installation of a pedestrian crossing in Gaoth Dobhair following safety concerns. Cllr Michaél Choilm Magiolla Easbuig says unclear lines of vision and the cluster of amenities including a post office leads to heavy footfall crossing the road at the local supermarket. He now says proper safety measures

  Junior Education Minister Josepha Madigan is to meet with Donegal Deputy Thomas Pringle to discuss delays to an extension for Errigal College in Letterkenny. Deputy Pringle told the Dail climate-proofing is necessary for infrastructure projects, says the Errigal College expansion has been delayed because of the risk of downstream flooding. He said all the

A major European Youth Conference which took place in at the end of August last year has received a special European Citizens’ Award. The event at the ATU Donegal Campus in Letterkenny brought together 100 young people, politicians and civil activists to discuss how to shape a more democratic and sustainable Europe, under the theme

The Performance Management and Improvement Unit has this week commenced a review of Letterkenny University Hospital. The unit was deployed to the hospital on the back of serious concerns raised by GPs and consultants over the hospital’s Emergency Department. The review will focus on all aspects of the hospital from the number of people presenting

The Saolta Hospital Group has promised that the Acute Medical Unit at Letterkenny University Hospital will be open by the end of the year, with GP’s able to refer patients directly into it. The commitment was given by Saolta Chief Executive Tony Canavan at a meeting with a group of Donegal GPs today to discuss

The Taoiseach has rejected claims Ireland is being penalised for its stance on a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. No Irish citizens have been allowed leave the Gaza Strip since the Rafah Crossing with Egypt opened. There are around 40 Irish citizens in the territory. People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy is questioning whether Ireland

Donegal TD Thomas Pringle has told the Dail that home care workers should be given guaranteed hours and paid at least the Living Wage, as well as travel time and mileage. He also called for the immediate reversal of recruitment bans in the home care sector. Speaking on a Labour Party motion in the Dáil

Manager of the Donegal Rape Crisis Centre agrees with calls for consent classes to be expanded to secondary schools. The topic was raised at an Oireachtas committee yesterday. Marina Porter says the key to prevention is education, and waiting until University is much too late. Marina added that she thinks the idea of consent should

Donegal County Council’s Defective Blocks Committee has been told that a number of older applicants are living in a state of anxiety because of the slow pace of progress. Cllr Terry Crossan told the meeting that some of the older applicants fear the pace of progress is so slow that they may not live long

A Castlefinn councilor has condemned the theft of a memorial stone from the family plot of an off-duty RUC officer. The stone was unveiled last week to mark the 50th anniversary of the killing of Detective Constable John Doherty. Cllr. Gary Doherty says these actions do not represent the community of the village:

The Agriculture Minister says he’s liaising with Chinese authorities to ensure our beef exports restart as soon possible. Shipments were suspended yesterday after a case of atypical BSE – which occurs sporadically – was discovered in a cow. It doesn’t relate to feed contamination, which was the cause of the major ‘mad cow disease’ outbreak

A senior garda says she does not believe that increased road deaths are down to a lack of Gardaí. Deputy Commissioner Annemarie McMahon says road crashes haven’t increased in the areas where the numbers of gardai working on roads policing has reduced. 165 people have been killed on the roads so far this year, 10

A Donegal deputy says it’s important to understand the process required to see works in the A5 come into fruition. Deputy Joe McHugh says the publication of a report from the Planning Appeals Commission is of utmost importance. West Tyrone MP Orflaith Begley, previously said the project could start within a matter of months, provided

A group of Donegal GPs will meet senior SAOLTA management today to discuss patient safety concerns and ongoing access issues at Letterkenny University Hospital. The meeting, which will be attended by Tony Canavan and other senior SAOLTA figures, will focus on timely care of patients at the emergency department, as well as timely access to

Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty has called the current housing climate a ‘social disaster’ in the Dáil yesterday. He was speaking during the motions on housing. The Sinn Fein Finance spokesperson said that in the last 12 years the cost to buy a house was increased by €70,000 while the cost to rent has gone up