Author name: highlandnews

A Donegal Garda representative does not believe there is an appetite among members for Gardaí to be armed. Following a number of incidents where Gardaí were injured, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said he would support arming them if the Garda Commissioner asked him. Garda Representative Association (GRA) president Brendan O’Connor says it would be massive step

The Chair of the Regional Health Forum West has raised concerns over a possible shortage of GPs in Donegal. A number of GPs in the county are set to retire in the coming years. This has led to questions being raised by Councillor Gerry McMonagle as to what steps are being taken to fill the

The number of people planning on visiting Ireland next year is predicted to be the lowest since 2019. That’s according to the Irish Hotels Federation, which is very concerned with bookings for 2023. 60 per cent of hoteliers have reported reduced bookings from the UK, while 47 per cent said they had less bookings from

Arming rank and file gardai would be ‘a step too far’. That’s the view of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors after the Tanaiste Leo Varadkar suggested the move. He said he would support arming them if the Garda Commissioner asked him, according to the Irish Mail on Sunday. AGSI General Secretary, Antoinette Cunningham

A significant capacity deficit at the Haematology Oncology Day Unit at Letterkenny University Hospital has been acknowledged. The COO of the Saolta University Health Care Group says capacity issues are a result of Covid protocols and an increase in patients requiring IV Chemotherapy on a day case basis. It’s been confirmed that work is ongoing

The North West Simon Community say finding emergency accommodation for homeless people is becoming extremely difficult, after record homeless figures were recorded for the month of October. Almost 11,400 people were accessing emergency accommodation nationwide, with 101 of those being adults in the North West. Noel Daly from the North West Simon Community says that

Mica campaigners are hosting a major demonstration outside the offices of Donegal County Council later this morning, to demand action on the mica crisis. The gathering comes as long waits and pauses on applications for grants have driven affected homeowners to the streets once again. The demonstration gets underway at 10am this morning outside the

Members of the public are being advised to get flu jabs. A recent statement from the HSE said that only two thirds of people over 65 have received injections. The Irish Examiner newspaper reported during the week that the number of flu cases in the Country is also on the increase. Doctor Ilona Duffy says

The Government must ensure empty social homes around the country are brought back into use. That’s the call from Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan, who says that the amount of vacant homes in the state is a slap in the face to those struggling to put a roof over their head. New record homeless figures

There’s further calls for the public to have their say in the election of representatives onto the board of Udaras na Gaeltachta. An election by Donegal County Councillors will take place on Monday. However, Councillor Micheál Choilm Mac Giolla Easbuig believes a decision to scrap a public vote over 10 years ago should be reversed.

A Ballybofey Councillor has called on the Council not to charge electric car owners for parking at charging points. Cllr Martin Harley believes parking at charging points should be free as an incentive for people to purchase electric cars. Two new charging points are being installed in the county, one of them in Ballybofey. Cllr

The former British soldier David Holden has been convicted of manslaughter of Aidan McAnespie in 1988 in Northern Ireland. Mr. McAnespie, who was 23 years old and un-armed, was shot after passing a military checkpoint in County Tyrone. James Gould reports:  

Junior Health Minister Frank Feighan is in Donegal today for the launch of the the Sláintecare Healthy Communities Initiative. The launch is in two stages, with an event in Gweedore this morning, and another in Buncrana this afternoon.   The programme is a collaboration between the Department of Health, Donegal County Council, the HSE and

Mica Action Group is urging all defective concrete block homeowners to make their presence felt at a gathering in Lifford on Monday. A peaceful gathering of defective concrete homeowners and supporters is being held in Lifford at the County Offices on Monday at 10am to concide with the last Donegal County Council meeting of the