Author name: highlandnews

Loganair says it is open to providing a service from the City of Derry Airport to Dublin. A route to Dublin was previously in operation from Derry. Colin Gracey, UK Sales Manager for Loganair says to reinstate such a service requires political support:

A Donegal County Councillor has proposed a vote of no confidence in Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien. It’s in response to a lack of correspondence from the Minister to calls to meet with Councillors to discuss the defective block crisis in Donegal including the provision of modular homes for affected homeowners. Councillor Michael McBride who is

The difference the Tanaiste has made to Donegal has been questioned. Micheal Martin has said that he will lead Fianna Fail into the next general election. Dr Andrea Redmond who is a member of the Doochary Development group says the state of the country cannot get any worse. She told today’s Nine til Noon Show

55% of farmers have been the victim of a burglary, with some thefts carried out by roaming gangs of criminals. A new study carried out by TU Dublin and the IFA heard from victims of crime within the farming community. 60% of farmers say they’d like to see a dedicated Garda unit set up to

2,000 people are living in large mental health institutions, despite pledges in the 1980s to close congregated settings. The Inspector of Mental Health Services found some residents are sharing rooms, toilets and dining facilities. The Mental Health Commission is warning the HSE it’ll take action and de-register public mental health centres if compliance with regulations

There’s calls for the motorised transport grant to be reinstated. The scheme which provided funding for people with disabilities who needed to buy a car or adapt an existing one was scrapped 10 years ago with plans for a review to be carried out. However, that has yet to come to fruition. Councillor Martin McDermott

The Department of Education is urging parents to secure their children’s school bus places as soon as possible. The deadline for payments for the next academic year is midnight tonight. It can be done through Bus Eireann’s online family portal. There was controversy over a lack of school bus places last year. But the company’s

The Cathaoirleach of the Glenties Municipal District believes if there were more cycle and walkways in place in Donegal, lives could have been saved. Councillor Micheal McClafferty has raised serious health and safety concerns over the lack of infrastructure in some towns and villages in the county. He is calling on Donegal County Council and

Banks are being lobbied further to bring forward credible proposals to assist homeowners with defective blocks. Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty says many families are facing significant funding shortfalls with the scheme being put forward by Government. The Insurance Redress Focus Group is to come before the Finance Committee in the coming weeks to outline the

Late-night pharmacy openings and long weekend opening hours are under threat due to financial pressures. The Irish Pharmacy Union says community pharmacies have had a pay freeze for the last 15 years and this is having an impact on the viability of some pharmacies outside of certain hours One in ten pharmacies are loss making,

Strabane is to be hit with further job losses. It’s been confirmed that the Pound Stretcher store located in Strabane Retail Park is set to close its doors. It follows the closure of a number of other retail units in the town last year to make way for a new Lidl store. Councillor Jason Barr

It’s emerged that Tory Island did not receive a doctor today because of a mix up over transport which left the doctor waiting for a helicopter which had been cancelled. It comes as the island is set to be without a nurse for two weeks because a nurse due on the island from today is

The first sod will be turned tomorrow in Donegal Town at the site of the new Gaelscoil na gCeithre Maistrí. The school has been based in pre-fabs since it opened, and the new school building was to have started some months ago, but was delayed at the 11th hour as part of a public expenditure

A national fodder survey has been ordered by Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue as drought conditions begin to bite on farms. Met Éireann has confirmed such widespread and prolonged dry conditions have not been recorded since 2018, when farming suffered a severe drought and fodder crisis. The Irish Farmers Journal is reporting this morning that grass

  The world’s oceans are facing irreversible and catastrophic consequences unless urgent measures are taken to reduce global emissions. The warning comes on World Ocean Day with latest UN data showing the oceans have absorbed about 90 percent of the heat generated by rising emissions. Figures from the World Meteorological Organisation show global mean sea-level

The Children’s Rights Alliance is launching the second Child Poverty monitor this morning. The monitor analyses child poverty in Ireland across a number of different metrics, including income, education and health. It will also outline key recommendations to drive the change that is needed. Mike Allen from Focus Ireland says the monitor gives an overall

A West Donegal councillor says once again, the people of Tory Island will be without a nurse from this afternoon because the nurse who is normally based on the island will be away for a number of weeks. Cllr Micháel Cholm Mac Giolla Easbuig says once again, the HSE hasn’t made provision for a replacement

A Donegal TD says he believes the success of Donegal Local Development in recent years is a vindication of the changes that were made to the administration of the Leader programme a number of years ago. Deputy Joe McHugh was speaking after the opening of DLDC’s new offices this week by Minister Heather Humphries. In

The ISPCA has launched an emergency appeal for support because it says Ireland is swamped with unwanted dogs. Charity inspectors have taken in almost 700 dogs in the first quarter of 2023 alone. It says the four shelters in Wicklow, Donegal, Longford and Mallow have reached full capacity – and it’s renting space elsewhere. Denise

The Tánaiste is in Belfast today for meetings with the parties of Northern Ireland. It’s Michael Martin’s first visit since Sinn Féin secured the most seats in last month’s local council election. Andrew Muir from the Alliance Party was the first to meet with him today:

Councillor Martin Harley says more firefighters need to be employed. However, he believes there needs to be a change to employment terms and conditions. Councillor Harley says efforts must be made to make joining the fire service more attractive:

The Government’s failure to address the Retained Fire Service recruitment and retention crisis is putting the lives of firefighters and the public at risk. That’s according to Donegal Deputy Padraig MacLochlainn who is calling on the Government to immediately intervene. Members of the retained fire service commenced industrial action yesterday. SIPTU said the organisation will

There’s calls for a change in regulations governing septic tanks and water well grants. As it stands, to avail of the septic tank grant, it must have been registered by February 2013. Councillor Michéal Naughton says this leaves many at a disadvantage. He is calling on the relevant Ministers to overhaul the regulations to protect

A three year action plan to boost Ireland’s island communities is being launched today. The Minister for Rural and Community Development will outline 80 commitments to support employment, remote working and boost tourism. Minister Heather Humphreys will launch the national policy on Arranmore Island today. She says the ‘Our Living Islands” will improve a range

4,807 students are due to sit State exams in Donegal today. 2,066 pupils will sit the Leaving Cert, 170 Leaving Cert Applied and 2,571 students will face their Junior Cert in the county. Nationally, a record 135,000 pupils have registered to sit the exams. Both Junior and Leaving Certs will sit English papers from 9.30

A Donegal Deputy says the root causes of crime must be addressed. While welcoming legislation to make recruiting a child to commit a crime an offense, Deputy Thomas Pringle says the rise in the involvement of young people in crime is very concerning. Figures show 400 drug offences were committed by children and adolescents in