Author name: highlandnews

Thousands of Irish rugby fans will be making their way to the Stade De France in the coming hours for Ireland’s world cup showdown with the All Blacks in the world cup quarter final. As many as 30 thousand supporters will be at the game this evening. Extra flights were laid on from Dublin Airport

The HSE recruitment freeze expansion to include junior doctors is deeply disappointing. That’s the view of the Irish Medical Organisation which is seeking an urgent meeting with the HSE over what they say is a dangerous decision. It says junior doctors have been working illegal working hours for years and this will put even more

Clocks on the façade of the Central Library Letterkenny are to repaired and set to the right time in the coming weeks, while the clock at An Grianan Theatre was set to the right time last week. The issue was raised this week by Cllr Jimmy Kavanagh, who told Letterkenny Milford Municipal District that four

Budget 2024 has taken baby steps forward when a giant leap was needed for young children in Donegal. That’s according to Early Childhood Ireland in response to new changes in the recent Budget in relation to the needs of younger children. Teresa Heeney, CEO of Early Childhood Ireland organisation says that there is disappointment at

Tax cuts and one off cost of living and social welfare payments in the budget were ‘progressive’, according to the ESRI. It says the measures outlined this week should support households with price rises next year. The body also found lower income households will benefit more from the budget. Social Democrats Social Protection Spokesperson, Gary

Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty has voiced his concerns for the Defence Forces. Each year, more people leave the Defence Forces than join. Speaking in the Dáil, Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty said that the recent Budget has failed to deliver the investment required by Defence Forces in the country:  

The government has ben accused of massaging last year’s fisheries and seafood sector allocations in the budget, leading to a 50% drop in the provisions announced this week for 2024. Deputy Padraig MacLochlainn says last year’s allocation was €337.45 million, this year’s is €176.9 million. He says last year’s figure included the EU Brexit Adjustment

The Garda Representative Association isn’t convinced the raising of the age limit for joining An Garda Síochána will tackle recruitment and retention issues. It’s being raised from 35 to 50, and the Justice Minister has said it’s to give as many people as possible the opportunity to apply. The Garda fitness test is also going

  Donegal County Council could soon be using smart ringbouys and life rings after a trial in Dublin identified three products deemed to be suitable for use in Ireland. Embedded chips monitor the life rings, and the council is notified immediately if they are moved or tampered with. Responding to a question from Cllr Jimmy

Short term measures are needed in Letterkenny to address the gridlock being experienced in Letterkenny on a regular basis. That’s the view of Cllr Gerry McMonagle, who wants the National Tran sport Authority to visit the town and see what extra resources can be provided to help with the implementation of the Transport Plan for

A West Donegal councillor has told a special meeting of Donegal County Council that while there is not an issue of rough sleepers in the county, the problem of silent homelessness needs to be recognised for what it is. Cllr Marie Therese Gallagher says that increasing numbers of families are left with no other option

Donegal County Council is to write to Transport Infrastructure Ireland seeking a signature tourism project at the Owencarrow viaduct between Termon and Creeslough as part of the Letterkenny to Burtonport Greenway Project. Cllr Michael McBride told Letterkenny Milford Municipal District this week that the greenway has the potential to replicate the success of similar projects

A Donegal TD has told the Dail that homeowners affected by defective blocks are taking the initiative in meeting with the banking and insurance industries because of ineffectual Government leadership. Deputy Thomas Pringle told Tanaiste Michael Martin that the homeowners have had good success where the government has failed. Mr Martin defended the government’s record on the

Planning permission has been granted to see the development of a visitor centre in Fanad. The 940msq building will include a café, retail facility, a meeting room, a craft room, a gallery space and an outside play facility. For works to go ahead, investment of up to €7 million will be required. Business Manager of

There have been heated exchanges all morning in the Dáil between Sinn Féin and the Táinaiste. During leaders questions, Pearse Doherty asked why the Government made no allocation for extra hospital beds in the budget. This was refuted, with Micheál Martin outlining the expansion of healthcare services in recent years and plans for increasing staffing

The PSNI has a new interim Chief Constable. Jon Boutcher, the former police chief of Bedfordshire in Britain, will take on the role until a permanent appointment is made. Chris Brennan has more:

The Redress Focus Groups, which were formed earlier this year to provide support, information, and empowerment to those affected by the defective blocks crisis in Donegal. The initiative was started by four homeowners who decided in conversations that the complexities of the defective blocks crisis would take an army of people coming together with the right skills

Donegal County Council has pledged to examine the possibility of providing a car park at the start of the Bridle Path on the Glendowan side of Glenveagh National Park. The issue was raised by Cllr Donal Mandy Kelly, who told Letterkenny Milford Municipal District that just a few parked cars on that road can create

It’s claimed drug dealers are using the farming community as ATMs. An investigation by Irish Country Living has found young farmers are accessing cocaine via social media, driving an increase in numbers attending addiction services. Drugs counsellors say it’s young farmers aged 18 to 30 who are most affected in rural Ireland, with farms being

Donegal County Council is being asked to help resolve issues regarding access on the beach at Portsalon. Damage to a pedestrian bridge means the only way to cross a stream and continue walking on the beach is go through the local Golf Club, and that’s potentially dangerous as the route is close to the fairway

Donegal Youth Council is launching a campaign to regulate vaping. In a presentation to members of the Letterkenny Milford Municipal District, members said they were seeking to have the sale of vapes restricted to over 18s, and were also backing calls for plain packaging, and the banning of the use of flavours. Stephen Sheridan is

Donegal County Council will now meet on a monthly basis to discuss housing. It follows a proposal made by Cllr. Patrick McGowan, seconded by Cllr. Ciaran Brogan. A lengthy special meeting of the council was held yesterday to discuss the numerous issues the county is facing in terms of housing. Cllr. McGowan says regular designated

Donegal Deputy Padraig MacLochlainn has written to the Health Minister in relation to review the decision to not include Donegal Town as a location for a surgical hub. There are a total of 40,000 inpatients annually between Letterkenny University Hospital and Sligo University Hospital. It is the second time Deputy MacLochlainn has raised the issue in

The PSNI is sending texts to almost 2,000 found on social media messaging groups where drugs are being offered for sale. They’ve been obtained from mobiles seized in Greater Belfast – as part of a major anti-drugs investigation called Operation Deal-breaker. Police say their focusing on catching dealers – and that other people in the

Agriculture and Marine Minister Charlie McConalogue is defending the budget announced yesterday, saying it will help sustain investment in Donegal, while also offering help to those who need it. Minister McConalogue told Highland Radio News that Budget 2024 needed to be prudent while also making meaningful interventions, and he believes it has succeeded..……..

Deputy Thomas Pringle told the budget debate that the failure to support renters was a damning indictment of a government whose priorities were laid bare in this budget. He said given the high number of renters in Donegal, the issue is not supply, it’s how properties are being used, and that’s where the government got