Author name: highlandnews

A Letterkenny councillor is welcoming funding from Uisce Eireann regarding works in Manorcunningham. Cllr. Donal Mandy Kelly says works are due to commence in November and see the replacement of 2.6km of mains which will address problem areas which suffer from frequent bursts. The areas of Rossbracken and Raymoghy were particularly affected with water outages.

Heavy downpours are expected in Donegal this morning. A Status Yellow rain warning is in place for the county as well as for Leitrim and Sligo. The alert lasts until midnight and it could see localised flooding. Alan O’Reilly from Carlow Weather has the forecast:

Donegal has been left as and afterthought in the All-Island Strategic Rail Review. That’s according to Donegal Deputy Thomas Pringle. Deputy Pringle says the exclusion of Donegal Town and a link between Sligo and Letterkenny is a critical omission. He is urging the people of Donegal to have their say in the public consultation ,

An additional €1m under the Local Improvement Scheme has been announced for Donegal. It’s part of a further €16m injection for upgrade works on rural roads and laneways announced by the Minister for Rural and Community Development. It brings the total LIS allocation for the county this year to almost €2m. Minister Heather Humphreys says

A South Donegal Deputy has questioned why modular homes used to house Ukrainian refugees can’t also be given to Irish people. 24 families have been housed at Doorly Park in Sligo after the units were delivered under emergency planning laws. The development was started in February and the new residents moved in last week. Deputy

The Chair of the Green Party in Donegal believes a rail network in Donegal is closer than ever. The All-Island Rail Review came before Cabinet this week and recommends the restoration of a rail link between Letterkenny and Derry as well as an extension from Portadown through Omagh and Strabane. Michael White told today’s Nine

Uisce Eireann is being asked to ensure better consultation with the public ahead of planned works. A six week road closure is due to come into effect in the coming weeks to facilitate the installation of a new water line in the Meenawheel area of West Donegal. Councillor Micheal Choilm MacGiolla Easbuig says many elderly

Donegal County Council is being urged to prioritise defective block homeowners who are ready to commence remedial works under the new Defective Concrete Block Grant Scheme. Some homeowners who had engaged with the previous scheme and had submitted their application 9 months ago fall further down the line due to the categories laid out now

A collection of over 100 books belonging to the late Dr Simon Sheil are to be presented today to the new Ballyshannon Community Hospital. Dr Sheil, who endowed the former Sheil hospital, practised in the town and his library contained several hundred books. The event will include descendants of Dr McMullin, who rescued the books

There’s expected to be yet another rise in homelessness when the latest figures are published today. Over 12,400 people were accessing emergency accommodation at the end of June, including over 1,700 families. However those figures don’t include rough sleepers. Last month’s figures revealed an 85% increase in homelessness in the North West along with a

Five of Donegal’s fifteen fire brigades are on strike today as rolling strike action continues. It’s in response to a lack of co-operation from management as its claimed the required number of appliances are not being deployed to scenes of life threatening emergencies. Firefighters are picketing today outside stations in Donegal Town and Killybegs. Donegal

A Donegal Deputy says there are big questions that Uisce Éireann needs to answer in regards to water supply in Inishowen. Deputy Padraig MacLochlainn is calling on the utility to commence the promised works to replace 790 metres of old water mains in the Clonmany area urgently. A Boil Water Notice is currently in place

It’s been proposed members of the Civil Defence in Donegal be honoured. There are currently 109 registered volunteers in the county with 66 of them active on a weekly basis. The service provides assistance to emergency services during a range of emergencies including; missing person searches and flooding as well as delivering support at major

There’s calls for additional signage to be put in place on routes leading to a crossroads junction in Kilmacrennan on which a number of serious collisions have taken place. Donegal County Council has agreed to replace safety bollards on the routes from Churchill and Milford and carry out a review. Councillor John O’Donnell says safety

The leader of the DUP says he’s waiting for the British Government to respond to the party’s latest proposals for the Windsor Framework, before deciding on the party’s next steps. Stormont has now been out of action for over a year and a half because of the party’s boycott. There’s talk of an Autumn date

Emerald Airlines pilots will engage in a 24 hour work stoppage over the August Bank Holiday. The pilots which operate Aer Lingus regional flights between Donegal and Dublin will engage in the work stoppage from midnight on Thursday August 3rd until midnight Friday August 4th. The industrial action will include pickets at Emerald Airlines offices

A service offering psychotherapy, counselling and psychological support for people affected by the defective blocks crisis is seeking a premises in Donegal from which they can operate. My Mind has received funding from government to provide supports, but at present, can only offer that service online or by phone. Communications Manager Tom Hanratty says the

Census figures released this morning show housing stock in Donegal grew by 2% from just under 84,000 to just under 86,000 between April 2016 and April 2022. That compares to a national rise of 5%. The number of vacant dwellings decreased by 18% to 9,615, while the number of holiday homes rose by 11% to

Over 11 and a half thousand Gardaí will be balloted on a vote of no confidence in the Garda Commissioner. Drew Harris’s leadership is being called into question over the recruitment and retention of officers during his tenure. The Garda Representative Association has decided it will ballot members following the announcement of a return to

A Donegal woman who was raped and sexually assaulted by her father told this morning’s Nine til Noon Show that she’s hopeful her decision to waive her anonymity will help others in the same situation realise it was not their fault. 22 year old Karen Harkin’s father, 55 year old Michael Carter, of Ballymagan, Buncrana,

An Irish MEP has proposed the establishment of an EU ‘one-stop shop’ in Belfast, together with the appointment of an EU Economic Envoy to Northern Ireland. Sean Kelly says that under the Windsor Framework, Northern Ireland enjoys access to both the EU and UK internal markets. That, he says, puts the North in a unique

Some homeowners are about to face even higher monthly mortgage repayments. The European Central Bank is expected to hike interest rates by another quarter of one per cent today. It’ll be the ninth rate rise in just over a year. However its thought it could be the last in the current campaign to dampen inflation.

Rank and file gardai say they should be armed with tasers on the frontline. Recent incidents have raised questions about the resources available to Gardai to deal with violent crime. Donegal based President of the Garda Representative Association Brendan O ‘ Connor says they are effectively used in other countries………

Donegal County Council is to write to the Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris in support of the retention of Donegal as a stand alone Garda Division. Commissioner Harris is currently carrying out a review of the proposed new Garda Policing model, which would see Donegal amalgamated with Sligo and Leitrim to create one “North West Garda