Author name: highlandnews

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald has opened the party’s Ard Fheis in Dublin calling on the UK government to set out a clear plan for talks on the Northern Ireland Protocol. She said the outcome of last May’s elections should be respected – and there should be a functioning Executive in place in Northern

A Buncrana Councillor says there is a dire need for basic toilet facilities at the popular Ned’s Point. A large amount of people visit the area regularly for sea swimming with an increase seen in the summer months. Cllr Jack Murray has called for toilet facilities and also some safety measures such as a handrail

There’s calls for immediate works to be carried out on a Letterkenny Road. A small section of the Lismonaghan is said to be in an uneven condition Donegal County Council has confirmed that the route will be included in the Roads Programme next year. However Councillor Donal Coyle believes interim works need to be carried

A public consultation on Derry city centre’s traffic pilot is underway. The scheme was rolled out in June 2021 and will remain in place until April next year with the introduction of one-way traffic on the Upper Carlisle Road and Ferryquay Street along with extended pedestrian space. The works were carried out as part of

There are warnings elective care could be suspended in the new year, as hospitals face increasing pressure this winter. The interim CEO of the HSE says he can’t guarantee emergency departments won’t see record numbers on trolleys in the coming months. 495 patients are waiting on trolleys in hospitals around the country today, 64 of

If you live in a flood-prone area, prepare for the next week, says Met Éireann. More rain is on the way over the next seven days but, with soils already saturated and waterlogged, it won’t go anywhere and will pool. The forecaster has issued a weather advisory until next Friday. Meteorologist Paul Downes says there

The Chair of the Regional Health Forum says much more needs to be done to improve health services in Donegal. Councillor Gerry McMonagle is calling for changes to the current healthcare model to be made to meet the needs of people in the County. He believes it should be looked at on an all-island basis.

More than 100 householders in Letterkenny could be left without water due to an outstanding ESB bill of €3,000. The bill was charged for the use of electrity to operate a water pump station in Gleann Tain Estate off the Kilmacrennan Road. Water is also supplied to Gort na Greinne and two other apartment blocks

A local Councillor believes businesses in the border area are struggling to compete with those in the North due to the unstable sterling exchange rate. Yesterday Sterling fell sharply as the Bank of England raised interest rates by 75 basis points. Cllr Kevin Bradley says border businesses are stuggling due to customers going across the

Some Irish Twitter staff have confirmed on the social media site that they have lost their jobs. It’s part of a downsizing of the global workforce at the company, which could see up to half of its staff made redundant. It follows the buyout by billionaire Elon Musk last week. Technology Correspondent Jess Kelly says

The Tus Nua project in Carndonagh is not moving as fast as local people would like. That’s according to Councillor Martin McDermott who says it is essential no more time is lost on the major €9.5m redevelopment project. The project in Carndonagh is due to commence before Christmas with the tender process for the professional

HSE bosses say they have not identified any new Covid variants of concern. The Health Service Executive says though the current variants in Ireland don’t appear to cause severe illness, it expects ICU admissions to be similar to this time last year. Chief Clinical Officer Dr Colm Henry is also encouraging anyone eligible for a

    The search for the remains of Columba McVeigh who was murdered 47 years ago, will pause over the winter. The 19-year-old was abducted, shot and secretly buried by the IRA. The Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains says persistent rain will make Bragan Bog near Emyvale in Co Monaghan too dangerous

A new step to allow 16 and 17 year-olds to pre-register to vote is being welcomed. The National Youth Council says it will encourage young people to take part in our democracy and support increased voter turnout. However, it believes Government must go further and it’s called for action on the right to vote for

Donegal County Council has confirmed that it will continue discussions with Failte Ireland to further develop tourism facilities in Letterkenny. It comes following repeated calls for the Old Courthouse to be brought back into use as a tourism discovery centre. Councillor Ciaran Brogan has proposed other parts of Donegal could be showcased at the facility

A campaign to reopen two key railways in Donegal as part of a wider rail expansion in the North West is gaining momentum ahead of the expected publication early next year of the All-Island Rail review Strategy. ‘Into The West’ is holding a series of meetings, starting next week in Derry and Letterkenny, with a

The Cathaoirleach of the Inishowen Municipal District is calling for more impactful traffic calming measures to be put in place at all schools in the peninsula. Councillor Paul Canning fears someone will be seriously injured unless action is taken. He says the current traffic calming measures in place appear ineffective as motorists continue to approach

The leader of the UUP is suggesting Article 16 be triggered to avoid another Stormont election. It would allow aspects of the Northern Ireland protocol to be suspended. Doug Beattie says it would give both the UK and the EU the “time and space” needed to achieve a negotiated outcome on the post-Brexit trade arrangement.

The PSNI’s Chief Constable says they’re keeping an eye on perceived Loyalist threats. It’s after a statement from a group representing loyalist paramilitaries this week, saying Irish government ministers aren’t welcome in Northern Ireland. Chief Constable Simon Byrne has been addressing the policing board in Belfast…………

People in Killygordon and Crossroads are being invited to a meeting on Sunday evening next to discuss the next step in drawing up a strategic plan for the future. A preliminary workshop took place in September attended by almost 100 people, and a draft document arising out of that gathering will be presented on Sunday.

An alternative to the government’s Concrete Levy could generate €260 million a year, rather than the predicted €30 million. The Irish Plant Contractors’ Association is proposing an aggregate tax and a landfill tax on producers to incentivise the recycling of materials on building sites. The government intends to introduce a 5% tax on concrete products

People in Buncrana are angry over the lack of progress being made in redeveloping a new state of the art leisure centre. Plans have been in place for a number of years for the redevelopment of the leisure centre following its closure in 2014, but progress has not yet been made. Cllr Jack Murray believes

Donegal County Council is being urged to put pressure on Irish Water to re-evaluate sewer treatment plants across the county. Councillor Michael McBride says there are many areas of Donegal where treatment plants were initially installed to deal with less than 100 homes and are now unable to cope with growing populations. He says in

The Agriculture Minister is reassuring consumers there shouldn’t be a problem with turkeys this Christmas. It comes as poultry owners have been issued with an order to house their flocks from next Monday, to prevent the spread of avian flu. Earlier this week a case of the bird flu was confirmed, after swan was discovered

Tusla, the child and family agency, has placed 158 unborn children on its Child Protection Notification System deemed to be at risk of significant harm over the past 18 months. The figures, which were provided in response to a Freedom of Information request, show 112 unborn children were placed on Tusla’s Child Protection Notification System

Holding Assembly elections in the North would be counter productive. Fianna Fail MEP Barry Andrews said an election could potentially scupper a possible deal that could see the restoration of the Assembly The Northern Ireland Secretary is considering changing British legislation, to delay a second election this year. Chris Heaton-Harris is legally obliged to call

A Inishowen Councillor has hit out at Donegal County Council over the length of time it takes on occasions for a response to questions raised. This week’s meeting of the Inishowen Municipal District was adjourned for 15 minutes as Councillor Nicholas Crossan demanded an answer to a question he issued over 8 weeks ago. He

Concerns have been raised over erosion at a housing estate in Carndonagh. Councillor Albert Doherty says perimeter fencing in the area has been completely eroded, leading to safety concerns being raised by local residents. He says while works to mitigate against the erosion need to be carried out, the priority must be in the interim

A Draft Residential Zoned Land Tax Map of Donegal has been published today. It’s part of the implementation of the Residential Zoned Land Tax which will apply from 2024 to relevant land at a rate of 3% of market value with the aim of activating land for residential development. Landowners whose land is included in

The Cathaoirleach of the Letterkenny Milford Municipal District believes additional supports need to be rolled out for businesses to cope with rising energy costs. Councillor Donal Mandy Kelly claims some businesses are being forced to turn off fridges in a bid to curb costs. He says more support is urgently needed: