Author name: highlandnews

Pinergy, energy supplier and solutions company, has today announced a second decrease this year to its standard residential electricity prices effective from the beginning of next month. Electricity bills for customers will drop by 9-and-a-half percent – the second time the company has dropped it’s prices this year. Business journalist Jonathan Healy says there will

The first Osprey Bird chicks from a new National Parks and Wildlife Service programme were introduced in to the wild at the weekend. 50 Osprey chicks are being brought in to the country over the next five years. The aim is to establish a breeding colony in the republic. There is breeding taking place in

Most beaches and coastal areas across the country are not clean, according to the latest report issued this morning by IBAL, Irish Business Against Litter. Both Bundoran and Killybegs Harbour are deemed to be moderately littered. There’s been a 50 per cent rise in clean sites overall, but coastal areas are more littered than towns.

One Family, Ireland’s national organisation for one-parent families, has launched it’s Annual Report for last year. A 15% increase in queries to the national helpline was revealed from the report. This statistic relates to families who struggled with tightening energy, food and housing prices. Karen Kiernan, Chief Executive Officer for One Family organisation says that

Today the Fair Fees Campaign Group has written to Minister for Justice Helen McEntee calling on her to reduce the extortionate immigration fees related to the Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card as part of the upcoming budget. With many anticipating measures in Budget 2024 to ease the burden of the cost-of-living crisis, migrants are calling

The State may start buying new-build apartments that developers can’t sell. The Housing Minister has told the Sunday Business Post he’s considering a new scheme in the Budget, that would see the State use the apartments for cost-rental housing. The backstop could see developers subsidised with up to 144 thousand per unit, to bridge the

A Fine Gael TD is calling for the age limit to buy tobacco to be raised to 21 years of age. Colm Burke has called for the change in order to help Ireland meet its public health target of a less-than-5 percent smoking rate by 2025. The Royal College of Physicians had previously said in

The Federation of Early Childhood Providers is accusing the Department of Children of misleading the public. The Department stated recently there were 46 net closures of creches around the country in the first seven months of this year. Elaine Dunne is Chair of the Federation of Early Childhood Providers. She says the figures on the

An incident room has been set up at Clonmel Garda Station while investigations into the cause of Friday’s tragic crash continue across the weekend. The collision claimed the lives of four young people, the driver, who was in his 20s – and three teenage girls who were on their way to celebrate their Leaving Cert

There are calls for investment into the Meenacladdy area with regards to recurring burst water mains. Another burst occurred yesterday evening affecting houses last night and this morning. Councillor John Séamus Ó Fearraigh says that that area needs proper investment :

It’s the last weekend the hospitality sector and its customers will benefit from the lower VAT rate. Its due to rise from 9 to 13 and a half percent next Friday. That’s despite the sector appealing for the low rate to be extended again, warning that jobs and entire businesses are at risk. Padraig Cribben

A member of the Oireachtas Public Accounts says his colleagues are still waiting for explanations from former RTÉ Director General Dee Forbes about her alleged role in the payments scandal. He was reacting following the publication of the 24-page Mazars interim Report on RTÉ which was published yesterday. According to Media Minister Catherine Martin, the

The Irish Second-Level Students is calling on the Government to construct more student accommodation around the country. The call comes after 62,000 Leaving Cert results were published yesterday. The wait for CAO places and the demand for third-level accommodation places will intensify in the coming weeks with little on offer as it is. Shari Irfan

Works to deliver a further phase of the redevelopment of Burtonport have gone out to tender. A number of buildings have been demolished at the port to make way for the construction of two new buildings which will house a Harbour Master’s office, a viewing area as well as office space for ferries and recreational

Homelessness in Donegal is up 16%. A record 12-thousand 847 people are registered as homeless in Ireland. Department of Housing figures show in Donegal 57 adults are homeless, in the North West as a whole that figure is 120, up 9% when compared to the pervious month. 35 children are also accessing emergency accommodation in

Long-awaited safety works are to commence in Newtowncunningham next week. Just under €1m in funding has been allocated to develop the village’s Main Street and install traffic calming measures. The works are the coming to fruition of a Masterplan developed by the Newtowncunningham Focus Group. Councillor Paul Canning says the safety of the pupils of

Body cams, CCTV and drones could be implemented to combat illegal dumping in Ireland. Under new legislation, the technology would be utilised by local Government bodies following continued reports of prolific dumping across the country. Senator Malcolm Byrne says more education is also needed on the impact of the practice:

Mica redress campaigners have applied to register as the country’s newest political party. The 100 Percent Redress Party says it’ll be a “force to be reckoned with” and will field candidates in Donegal. The party’s aim is to secure full redress for homeowners affected by defective concrete blocks, not just in Donegal but all impacted

A Donegal teacher has backed calls for education reform, saying it’s time to consider a two tier system after the Junior Cycle. Joseph MacBride, co-author of the Leaving Cert Politics textbook ‘Power and the People’, says there are many students who talents and interests do not lie in the area of academia, and their needs

Donegal ETB CEO Anne McHugh says it’s vital that if students feel that they would like to look again at their choices, they should seek advice from the wide range of sources that are available to them. She says this includes family, friends, guidance counsellors and their own research. In a statement this morning, Ms

The Government’s being urged to scrap plans to increase excise on fuel next week. Aontú Leader Peadar Tóibín says the state is jacking up the price of petrol and diesel for the second time in just a few months. The Government argues prices are returning to normal after it temporarily reduced excise duties as a

Around 60,000 students are due to get their Leaving Certificate results later this morning. In Donegal, over 2,200 second level students sat the exam, with a number of adults and other students, also sitting the exams, most under the guidance of the local ETB. They’ll be made available online at 10am. Students are being urged

Property owners in Donegal are being urged to avail of vacant property improvement grants. A €50,000 Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant is available to refurbish a property if you are turning it into your permanent home or rental property and up to €70,000 if it is deemed derelict. Currently, 300 applications are with Donegal County Council