Author name: highlandnews

Donegal County Council is being asked to sit down with local businesses in Buncrana after it emerged the half hour free parking on Main Street may be abolished. One local business owner is taking up a petition as officials carry out a review. It’s after it emerged the council found that it is losing around […]

Donegal is to remain as a stand alone garda division following a review of the proposed new divisions. Three divisions which were to encompass three counties were reviewed, and this morning, Garda HQ has confirmed the proposal now is to change that to four two county divisions, with Donegal remaining as a stand alone area.

A Midlands North West MEP says there is an urgent need for policy reform around garda grooming and appearance. Maria Walsh says with recruitment numbers well below target this year, we should not be wasting time discussing the pros and cons of tattoos. The Fine Gael representative was reacting to the news that three trainee

Bank of Ireland says a technical issue which impacted a number of its services has now been fixed. It meant customers were able to transfer and withdraw funds that weren’t actually in their accounts. Queues formed at ATM’s across the country last night, as people rushed to withdraw cash after transferring non-existent funds to their

The Government is being accused of not investing properly in rural and regional areas. The Rural Independent Group of TDs say the government is too Dublin focused. A recent survey suggested a farmer’s party would prove popular among farmers. But Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath believes that would only widen the divide, and says it would

Three quarters of people with intellectual disabilities are living with their family with over 40% of them wishing to move out. However, they are unable to do so becaiuse of a lack of housing. In its pre budget submission, Inclusion Ireland points out that around 3,500 people are still living in institutional or congregated settings,

It’s been suggested this morning that the entire country could have complete broadband coverage in the next 3 to 5 years. That’s if pressure is maintained by government and service providers to ensure the broadband strategy is fully implemented. ComReg, the Commission for Communications Regulation, says 44 per cent of people now work from home

A West Tyrone MLA is urging Ulster Bank to reinstate their Euro ATM in Strabane. A sign appeared on the ATM in Abercorn Square recently announcing the ATM would no longer be working, but customers can order foreign currency online and have it delivered to their homes. However, local MLA Daniel McCrossan says Strabane is

A commemoration has taken place this afternoon to mark the 25th anniversary of the Omagh Bombing. 29 people were killed, including a mother with unborn twins, when a car-bomb detonated in the town. 220 others were injured when the explosion happened at ten-past-three on this day in 1998. Relatives of the victims laid flowers at

The public service must take on 750 apprentices every year by 2025, under new plans unveiled by Government. The Public Service Apprenticeship Plan will be jointly overseen by the Departments of Further and Higher Education and Public Expenditure. It’s part of an overall plan to see 10-thousand new apprentices in Ireland every year by 2025.

A Donegal man believes his dogs were stolen from his home in Creeslough. The two boxer dogs, Ruby and Lexie were last seen yesterday morning. A cash reward has been offered for anyone who has any information. Speaking on this morning’s Nine til Noon Show, Aiden McFadden says there has been no trace of the

Gardai are appealing to Donegal’s coastal and island communities to be on alert for unusual activities. They say there is real evidence that the coast is being used for drug importation. €4 million worth of cocaine washed up on two beaches in Donegal last month. Sergeant Paul Wallace says there is a possibility that more

There’s been a 38% increase in accommodation fraud. Gardai in Donegal are continuing to warn students to be vigilant when on the hunt for accommodation ahead of the new term. Around €2 million has been lost in accommodation frauds over the past five years. Crime Prevention Officer, Sergeant Paul Wallace has this advice:

Fr John Joe Duffy says while a tsunami hit Creeslough on October 7th last year, the community was lifted by a tidal wave of support. He was speaking as he led the National Novena at Knock Basilica last evening. An explosion at a shop in the village last year claimed the lives of 10 people

81% of Principals or Deputy Principals admit to having hired an unqualified teacher in the last year. The figure from the ASTI comes as there are at least 416 unfilled secondary teacher jobs nationwide. The union says it’s dismayed with Minister Norma Foley’s failure to address teacher shortages. The ASTI’s Kieran Christie says new thinking

The Head of the PSNI is conceding it may be impossible to recover and track data from police officers being shared on social media. It comes after his force accidentally leaked information including surnames, ranks and base locations of serving officers and civilian staff. A file containing some of the data was left outside of

A private commemoration will take place in Omagh today to mark 25 years since a bomb devastated the town. 29 people, including unborn twins, were killed that day. 220 people were injured. It came just months after the historic Good Friday Agreement and was the greatest loss of life in a single incident in the

People are being urged to celebrate Donegal’s heritage during Heritage Week, which continues until this coming Sunday. Donegal’s Heritage Officer says heritage is not a lifeless relic of history, it is a visible expression of Donegal’s history and culture. Joe Gallagher says our heritage is an indication of where we have come from, and it’s

The Parish Priest of Buncrana has said bombings are an attack on human dignity, and a sign that those behind them hold human life in contempt. Fr John Walsh was speaking at a mass in St Mary’s Oratory last night during which the three Buncrana schoolboys and two Spanish visitors killed in the Omagh bombing

The Western Development Commission has confirmed that Allan Mulrooney will become CEO of the organisation from next month. The Sligo native has been acting as Interim CEO at the WDC since December, when Tomás Ó Síocháin stepped down to take on a new position as CEO of Údarás na Gaeltachta. Prior to taking over as

There could be a maximum of 181 TDs sitting in the next Dáil. The Electoral Commission is compiling a report – due later this month – on the number of representatives needed and the structure of constituencies. This review is considered to be the most extensive in the history of the State and will see

A senior member of Sinn Fein says it’s now clear dissident Republican terrorists do have access to information contained in a data leak from police. Human error was blamed for putting names, work locations and ranks of every officer and civilian employee online for up to three hours last week. Gerry Kelly says a document

It’s likely Third Level fees will be cut as part of Budget 2024. Last year student contribution costs were cut from 3,000 euro to 2,000 euro, with Minister Simon Harris indicating similar was on the cards this year. Ireland’s fee is currently one of the highest when compared with European counterparts. Dr. Joseph Ryan, CEO

The sister of a Donegal student who lost his life in the Omagh Bomb says she doesn’t know how those responsible live everyday knowing the tragedy they caused. 29 people, including a woman pregnant with twins died when a Real IRA car bomb ripped through the town on August 15th 1998. Eight year old Oran

As the dispute over pay and conditions for retained fire fighters continues, a Donegal County Councillor has once again called on Minister Darragh O’Brien to intervene. In an escalation of strike action, all retained fire stations went “dark” on Saturday – meaning crews will have no internal communications with local authority radio call centres. SIPTU

The price of a pint goes up again from today. Diageo is increasing the cost of its stout and beer products by 4 cent, after a hike of 12 cent back in February. It’ll affect drinks like Guinness, Smithwick’s, Rockshore, Harp, Hop House 13 and Carlsberg. Business costs are being cited as the reason for

2,200 homes and businesses in South Donegal are to receive fibre broadband. SIRO has announced that Bundoran and Ballyshannon are the latest towns in the county to benefit from full fibre broadband rollout. Works to deliver high-speed, future-proofed connectivity are due to be completed by Autumn. SIRO has already connected almost 20,000 premises across Donegal

There’s a call for a scholarship scheme to be set up for Gaeltacht colleges. Conradh na Gaeilge says it would open the door to those who don’t have the financial means to avail of Irish language courses – a rite of passage for many young people. The organisation is recommending a 10 million euro injection

One in four Irish homes now have a source of renewable energy. A new energy census has revealed that counties Cavan and Monaghan at 75 per cent, have the highest rate of oil-fired central heating in the country. Donegal has one of the lowest proportions of natural gas use in Ireland at 1%. Richard Cantwell

Schools will be under pressure when the new term begins in a few weeks time because of a shortage of teachers. There are currently 643 primary school jobs advertised on the Education posts website, with 456 jobs on offer at secondary schools across the country. Principals say the cost-of-living crisis and the chronic shortage of

The victims of the Omagh bombing have been remembered in the town. A memorial service was held yesterday ahead of the 25th anniversary of the attack tomorrow. 29 people including a woman pregnant with twins were killed on August 15th 1998. Buncrana students Shaun McLaughlin, James Barker and Oran Doherty were also among the victims

Colm Markey MEP has called for the Government to seek an extension at EU level of the deadline for spending the Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR) funding. Ireland received €1.165 billion from Brussels to spend on mitigating the impacts of Brexit. The conditions included a requirement to have the money committed works completed and final paperwork