Author name: highlandnews

The Chair of Donegal County Council’s Defective Concrete Block Redress Committee has hit out at the local authority and the Department over the slow pace at which defective block homes are being remediated. The Council is waiting the go ahead from the Department to carry out works on 60 social homes for almost two years

Farmers will protest at the Fianna Fail ‘think-in’ in County Tipperary this morning in frustration over the cut to the nitrates limit. The Irish Farmers’ Association is also angry about the Agriculture Minister’s plan to delay payments to farmers in 2023. Today’s demonstration will be outside the Horse and Jockey Hotel and it will also

  A missing kayaker was recovered inside a cave after a five and a half hour search and rescue operation in Donegal yesterday. The Malin Head Coast Guard received a report that a kayaker had got into difficulty near Owey Island at around 3pm. The Rescue 118 helicopter, Bunbeg Coast Guard, Arrnamore RNLI, Mulroy Coast

Today marks the opening of applications for GP visit cards across the country. The Minister for Health has announced that over 200,000 people are newly eligible for free GP care from today. Donegal Dr Denis McCauley says that pressures on General Practice will be higher due to people attending surgeries more regularly:

Sentient Rights Ireland will host an event in Letterkenny next Saturday. The aim of the event is to raise awareness in society for the plight if animals in Ireland. Denis Nealis, Party Leader with Sentients Rights Ireland has more…..

The Newtowncunningham Community First Responders have announced the successful installation of five new public access defibrillators. These are located at the following locations : – Harkins Gala St. Johnston – Doherty’s Café, Bridgend – Halfway Stores, Tooban – Callaghan’s Gala, Burt – McElhinneys XL Stores, Manorcunningham Defibrillator Maintenance Officer Paul Rooney says that the these

Donegal is among the three counties to escape this week’s thunderstorms. A status yellow thunderstorm warning is currently underway for all counties, except Mayo, Sligo and Donegal. Met Eireann is warning of the possibility of frequent lightning and spot flooding. Alan O’Reilly, from Carlow Weather, says hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean are causing forecasters headaches.

The Letterkenny Dyslexia Association Workshop will return next Monday the 18th September after its summer break. The aim of the workshop is to provide effective literacy teaching in a motivating and systematic way. Odhrán McGowan from the Letterkenny Dyslexia Association says that it is a learning preference as opposed to a difficulty.

The Children’s Minister says upcoming childcare closures this month aren’t ‘warranted’. Creches will be closing for three days, calling for more funding to avoid having to increase their fees by “at least” 25 to 30 per cent. The Federation of Early Childhood Providers says many small and medium sized creches are running at a huge

As the hot weather is set to continue over the weekend and thousands of sun worshipers are expected to head to the beach people are being warned about the potential dangers when swimming. Water Safety Ireland is urging the public to use common sense and watch out for potential dangers if swimming or participating in

Sinn Fein says a failure to provide funding for defective homes is adding to the frustration of home owners across the country. The party’s spokesperson on Housing says Minister Darragh O’Brien must release emergency funding to repair building defects, without delay. Eoin Ó Broin says homeowners were told at the beginning of the year that

Donegal Deputy and Sinn Féin Finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty has called for the introduction of temporary relief after mortgage interest costs increase by 51%. He says that the planned price hikes for petrol and diesel in October should not go ahead, adding that people can’t afford these hikes in the middle of a cost of

There’s calls for the provision of beach wheelchairs to be expanded to all beaches in Donegal. Councillor Johnny McGuinness says the introduction of the wheelchairs to some beaches means those who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to experience the beach can no do so. He says such a resource ensures inclusivity for all:

Minister Heather Humphreys and Minister Charlies McConalogue are being further lobbied to extend Clar funding to additional areas in Inishowen. Donegal County Council is to write to Minister Humphreys on the matter. Councillor Albert Doherty has renewed his calls for other rural parts of the peninsula to be afforded the same access to funding. He

The Atlantic Technological University has made a further commitment in combating racism in higher education. The ATU has formally signed the Higher Education Authority Race Equality Anti-Racism Principles for Higher Education Institutions. The Principles document set out by the HEA was signed on behalf of ATU by its President, Dr. Orla Flynn, as part of

The PSNI has confirmed 16 officers were injured after rioting broke out in Derry yesterday. Police were carrying out searches in the Creggan area of the city, as part of a terrorisim investigation, at the time. It’s thought children as young as 8 were involved in the disorder. Assistant Chief Constable Bobby Singleton:

The Agriculture Minister says his door is always open to farming groups, who want to discuss issues affecting the industry. It follows a large picket outside the Department of Agriculture yesterday, where a meeting was scheduled to take place to discuss new nitrogen limits. Four of the five farm groups invited to the meeting by

Industrial disputes will increase in the coming months, if the Government doesn’t offset the rising cost of living. SIPTU says the Coalition must take steps to increase real wages for its workers, as inflation reached 6.3% this week. Energy, fuel and social welfare are areas identified by the Union, where the State could intercede. SIPTU’s

The government’s being warned the taxation of construction materials is counterproductive during the current accommodation crisis. The Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland is opposing the 5% Defective Concrete Products Levy, saying it hinders development at a time when construction costs are soaring. It was introduced following the publication of a redress scheme for those impacted

Farm leaders are being told they were ‘wrong not to attend’ yesterday’s meeting with the Agriculture Minister. The Irish Farmers’ Association was meant to talk to Charlie McConalogue about new changes to nitrogen limits for dairy farmers,  but boycotted the meeting instead. It held a picket with four other groups outside the Department of Agriculture,

Uisce Eireann has been criticised for failing to inform a significant number of Buncrana businesses prior to planned works which forced them to close their doors. Councillor Rena Donaghey says it is totally unacceptable that business owners were not informed of the works and were left without water for four hours. She has called on

Agriculture and Marine Minister Charlie McConalogue has pledged to invest money from the new Maritime Fund into an initiative to attract more young people into the fishing industry. He was speaking at an online meeting of Donegal County Council’s Fisheries Committee, which was told there have been only 20 new entrants into the sector this

O’Doherty’s Keep in Buncrana has been sold to a private bidder. The owners of the Keep in Swan Park felt they were left with no other option but to put it on the market as they made fruitless attempts to secure funding to restore it and keep it in use. Councillor Jack Murray says the