Author name: highlandnews

There is an urgent need to reform the Mental Health Act, 2001 to protect the rights of people receiving mental health treatment and care in hospital. That’s according to the Mental Health Commission, which is appearing before an Oireachtas committee today. The organisation says broader regulation of mental health services is needed. John Farrelly, chief

Met Éireann is warning drivers of hazardous conditions as a status yellow ice warning remains in place. Black ice is possible on roads, as well as freezing rain, and even some snow showers later this afternoon. The current weather warning remains in place until midday. Siobhan Ryan, Meteorologist with Met Éireann says conditions are poor

Defective block campaigners are holding another protest today with plans to occupy Carndonagh Public Service Centre. The gathering which gets underway at midday follows a meeting between the Mica Action Group and the Department of Housing yesterday. No comittment was given to release the grant aid for emergency accomodation for families whose homes are uninhabitable.

A former Garda Sergeant believes Donegal should stand alone as a policing division. A recent meeting of the JPC, the members heard that the new suggested policing model has not yet been nailed down or confirmed. Former Sergeant and member of Donegal County Council’s Joint Policing Committee believes Donegal is in a unique position due

A Donegal deputy has urged the Government to take steps to support recruiting and retaining teachers as he claims Ireland is no country for young people. Independent TD for Donegal, Thomas Pringle, said Government must address obstacles to people considering entering the teaching profession in the face of serious recruitment issues. Addressing the Dáil yesterday,

MLAs in the North have failed to restore a power-sharing government again. The Assembly met for the fifth time today to try to find a breakthrough. However, the DUP had already indicated efforts would not be successful. Members failed to elect a speaker and therefore the Assembly cannot function. The DUP’s Gordon Lyons slammed Sinn

    13 Donegal piers and harbours have been granted €5.6m in the latest tranche of the Brexit Adjustment fund which was announced this afternoon. Funding has also been confirmed fopr a number of ongoing projects, including nearly €15m for the ongoing breakwater project in Greencastle. Minister Charlie McConalogue says the new projects announced today

An open letter has been sent to Donegal TDs on behalf of Donegal hoteliers, seeking support for tourism recovery and the retention of the 9% VAT rate. The letter, issued by Niall Coffey, a member of the Donegal Branch of the Irish Hotels Federation in a bid to highlight the growing economic challenges facing the

Donegal Action for Cancer Care says it’s a disgrace that the North West is being excluded from a new Government plan to deal with the backlog of planned operations. The cabinet’s been discussing the creation of five new surgical hubs across the country today, to be located in Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford and Dublin. On

A meeting is to take place on Monday to discuss concerns of the legitimacy of beggars in Letterkenny. It has been claimed that people are being bused into the town and illegally begging. The Cathaoirleach of the Letterkenny Milford Municipal District has called for representatives of the HSE, An Garda Siochana, the North West Simon

It’s emerged that there are a total of 40 families in Inishowen in need of residential placement. Councillor Albert Doherty spoke at the Regional Health Forum West of a family living in Clonmany whose daughter is currently receiving residential support in Co Carlow. A recent meeting was told that no consideration would be given to

The government is being urged to promote a national campaign to welcome refugees and inform them of their rights. The call came in the Seanad last evening from Senator Eileen Flynn, who says there have been some ugl;y scenes on the streets which need to be countered. She also expressed concern that what she termed

A fifth attempt will be made later to restore power-sharing in Northern Ireland. MLAs will gather at midday to try and elect a new Speaker of the Stormont Assembly. It’s being prompted by the cost of living crisis and delays in homeowners receiving a 600 pounds energy credit. The DUP is refusing to facilitate power-sharing

Ireland is generating too much waste. A new report from the EPA has found waste generation continued to rise in 2020, with Ireland in danger of missing our EU targets for 2025. The amount generated jumped from 12 point 7 million tonnes in 2012 to 16 point 2 million tonnes in 2020 – with almost

Public Expenditure Michael McGrath has pledged to examine the fact that homeowners dealing with defective blocks are still receiving bills for Local Property Tax. This is because although they were promised exemptions, because of the delay in implementing a scheme, they are not yet registered and therefore are receiving bills from Revenue. Deputy Thomas Pringle

A special Oireachtas Housing Committee nmeeting has heard a call for the quarry at the centre of the defective blocks scandal in Donegal to be re-inspected, and the results of previous geological tests independently assessed. In an exchange with Feargal O’Coigligh, an Assistant Secretary in the Department of Housing, Deputy Padraig MacLochlainn asked for assurances

The Seanad has been told that officials in Donegal County Council are being subjected to unacceptable abuse online by defective block protesters, and if that doesn’t stop, then a full scale garda probe should be launched. The issue was raised by Senator Niall Blaney, who claimed there’s a campaign of opposition to the redress scheme

A public meeting will take place in Dunkineely on Friday night to discuss the closure of the GP practice in the area. Last month it was confirmed that there is to be no GP service in the area and instead, people will have face a 15 mile trip to see their doctor. A public meeting

A Donegal doctor is warning of the signs of Strep A following an increase in the infection. It is believed that a five year old girl has died after contracting Strep A in Northern Ireland, while eight children have died from the bacterial infection in England and Wales in recent weeks. Strep A infections are

Gardaí are appealing to witnesses of a fatal road traffic collision in Ballyshannon to come forward. Mr Michael Ward was killed on thursday, December 1st at approximately 10.45am when his tractor overturned on the roadside in Corlea, outside Ballyshannon. Garda Niall Maguire appealed to anyone who may have witnessed this collision to contact Gardaí… Road

Gardaí have renewed their appeal over tracing the whereabouts of 16-year-old AJ O’Sullivan who was last seen in the Malin area. AJ was last seen during the early hours of last Thursday, December 1st. AJ is described as being 5 foot 4 inches in height with a slim build. He has brown hair and blue

The HSE is contributing one point five million euro to a fund aimed at tackling Ireland’s “youth mental health crisis”. The HeadStart Fund will be distributed by Rethink Ireland, which provides supports and cash grants to social innovation groups. The fund will open next month to youth organisations, to help improve the wellbeing of 15