Author name: highlandnews

Stormont leaders are playing down reports that a deal has been struck on the Northern Ireland protocol. The British Prime Minister has been meeting with parties on the outskirts of Belfast.. More high level talks will take this weekend between London and Brussels. Alliance Party leader Naomi Long said a deal hasn’t been done yet:

Defective concrete block homeowners are set to travel to Dublin once again to demand 100% redress. Donegal County Councillors have been urged to show their support in leading the protest at Leinster House on Tuesday. To date, 13 Councillors have confirmed their attendance with more are expected to confirm over the coming days. Chair of

7,102 patients were unable to be discharged from hospital in 2022 despite no longer needing care. It translates to 207,000 lost bed days as a result of delayed discharges. Dr Mick Molloy, Consultant in emergency medicine said the current situation is having a profound effect on the Health Care system:

A Letterkenny councillor says if the corn and flax mill at Newmills is to reach its potential, the first thing that must be done is to reopen it. Cllr Jimmy Kavanagh moved a motion at Letterkenny Milford Municipal District this week, calling on the council to liaise with the OPW to ensure that the facility

Donegal County Council is to ask Transport Infrastructure Ireland to carry out improvement works on a dangerous stretch of the N14 Lifford to Letterkenny Road. The issue’s been raised by Cllr Donal Coyle, who told colleagues this week that there is a real risk of a serious collision at the stretch at Doorable, Manorcunningham. He’s

The British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will meet political parties in Belfast this morning, as speculation mounts that a deal has been done on resolving the controversy over the Northern Ireland Protocol. It’s understood he will brief the parties on concessions agreed in talks between officials from the British Government and the European Commission in

Cllr. Gerry McMonagle says factors such as the defective blocks crisis, influx of refugees and students attending university has added pressure onto Letterkenny. He raised his concerns regarding the lack of adequate short-term solutions for families in particular who are presenting as homeless. He is calling on the Government and Donegal County Council to form

A Donegal deputy questioned the Tánaiste on what the government plans to do to support families who are suffering the most under the cost-of-living crisis. Deputy Pearse Doherty presented stark statistics from Barnardo’s and accused government of choosing to not implement proposals to aid those most in need. The Tánaiste responded saying deputy Doherty is

Derry Cllr. Emma McGinley is voicing her concerns about the plans to build 100,000 houses in the North. While welcoming the construction that is underway of 119 homes in Derry, she is seeking the affirmation that building plans for the next 15 years will still go ahead. She says the lack of a Northern Ireland

A Diversity not Division Rally is taking place in Letterkenny this weekend. It’s part of a national series of rallies taking place across the country on Saturday. People are being encouraged to bring flags, posters and banners for a peaceful celebration of diversity and inclusion at the Market Square, Letterkenny at 1:30pm. Paul Kernan from

The Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council is urging people to have their say on the Town Centre First Plan for Milford. A planning and design company has been appointed to prepare the plan which has now gone to public consultation. Councillor Liam Blaney says the plan will set the precedent for future town centre plans.

Senior Ministers will meet later to discuss fresh cost of living supports. It’s expected an announcement will be made after next Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting to help families cope with rising prices. An extra €200 energy credit is one of the measures being considered. However, the Green Party seems to be against such a move, arguing

The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment says delivering high speed broadband to the North West is a priority for Government to facilitate remote working opportunities and the opening of new businesses in the region. Minister Simon Coveney is hosting a ‘Building Better Business in the North-West’ event at the Atlantic Technological University’s Letterkenny campus

Plans to cut the opening hours of the National Driving Licence Service office in Letterkenny have been paused. Minister Jack Chambers has confirmed that he has requested the closure of the office on a part time basis does not go ahead at the moment. He says the office will currently continue to operate as normal

The Minister for Higher Education has given assurances that the Killybegs campus will play a critical role in the Atlantic Technological University. Minister Simon Harris confirmed also that he expects a regional campus support fund to be established shortly which he says will be very significant for the smaller campuses. He was responding to Donegal

75% of farmers remain deeply concerned about rising input costs. But Ifac’s Irish Farm Report says over half of them could improve their resilience with greater financial planning. Philip O’ Connor is head of Farm Support at agribusiness firm, Ifac. He says fuel and transport costs were also a key concern along with regulations and

A West Donegal Councillor is calling on the Government to ensure adequate roads funding is delivered for the Glenties Municipal District. Cllr Micheál Choilm Mac Giolla Easbuig says the area is receiving the bare minimum in terms of funding. He says more investment is urgently needed:

Donegal County Council is being urged to expedite work to address flooding on the Trentagh Road between Kilmacrennan and Churchill. The issue was raised by Cllr Ciaran Brogan, who welcomed the inclusion of the road on the Regional and Local Roads programme announced this week. Cllr Brogan says there is a welcome focus on the

The Regional Director of the Donegal Youth Service says getting put to all areas of the county is a challenge, and securing a permanent and publicly owned home for the service is vital. Lorraine Thompson told councillors this week that the service has 30 staff and over 300 volunteers, reaching 11,000 young people annually. She

A Donegal Deputy claims the Government has subsidised energy companies at the expense of citizens. Deputy Thomas Pringle has told the Dail that despite gas prices returning to pre-war levels, consumers bills continue to soar while energy companies make eye-watering profits that is being facilitated by the Government. He says unless action is taken against

A former government minister believes Ireland should host a major event for foreign leaders on St Patrick’s Day, rather than send ministers abroad. Ministers and Government representatives will travel to 74 cities across the world for the national holiday. Agriculture, Food and the Marine Minister, Charlie McConalogue is set to travel to New Zealand to

A Midlands North West MEP has warned that the region is falling behind economically. When EU regional funding was calculated for the period 2021 to 2027, the Midlands North West was classed in the middle, with a below-average GDP. But according to Fine Gael MEP, Colm Markey, the region is now lagging even further behind.