Author name: highlandnews

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 Councillor Patrick McGowan believes the current criteria drawn up in 2016 is beyond outdated.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

A digital policy expert is encouraging parents to teach children about the dangers of social media. Dr Elizabeth Farries says targeted advertising and hyper personalisation of “For You” pages are trapping young people in a “rabbit hole” of harmful content. Human rights group, Amnesty International have accused social media platform TikTok of romanticizing mental health

West Tyrone MLA Maolíosa McHugh says that increasing difficulties being experienced by patients attempting to access NHS dental provision are highlighted by a Strabane mother being told that July of next year is the earliest date that an appointment could be offered for her children. Mr McHugh says a BBC investigation earlier this year found that

There are calls for the publication of a key report on the A5 to allow work on the long awaited project begin as soon as possible. The Planning Appeals Commission has delivered its report to the Department for Infrastructure following the most recent public inquiry. West Tyrone MLA Daniel McCrossan says it’s clear the redevelopment

Gardaí are appealing for information in relation to two incidents on Halloween night, one in Donegal Town, the other in Carndonagh. On the Community Garda Information Slot on today’s Nine til Noon Show, Sergeant Eunan Walshe told Greg Hughes that in the Donegal Town incident, a derelict factory was targeted…….

The Agriculture Minister says nitrates derogation will be to the fore of discussions with the EU Environment Commissioner when he arrives here later this month. Charlie McConalogue says the commissioner will visit Ireland on November 23rd. It follows major rows between farming groups and the government over changes to the current limits, which will take

Gardaí in Ballyshannon are investigating an incident on the N3 Belleek Road outside Ballyshannon in the early hours of Saturday morning last. Two pedestrians were hit by a vehicle, with both brought to hospital. On today’s Nine til Noon Show, Sergeant Eunan Walshe made this appeal…………..