Author name: highlandnews

Irish unity a ‘top priority’ for Fianna Fáil

An internal review of Fianna Fáil’s identity has put pushing for Irish unity as a top priority. The document produced for the party’s Ard Fheis also says Ireland should become a renewable energy superpower. A review commissioned after Fianna Fáil’s poor election in 2020 found many election candidates complaining the party didn’t have a clear […]

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Letterkenny was the fifth most overcrowded hospital in September

A healthcare union is warning of a Catastrophic winter ahead in our hospitals as 10,515 patients were on trolleys in September. Letterkenny was the fifth most overcrowded hospitals in September 2022 with 666 patients. This is the second worst September for overcrowding in Irish hospitals when 10,641 patients were without a bed in 2019. The

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Donegal Deputy says it appears some are capitalising on housing of Ukranian refugees

A Donegal Deputy says it appears the Department is willing to go along with what appears to be people capitalising on the housing of Ukrainian refugees. Concerns have been raised across the country over where those fleeing the war in Ukraine are being housed and the conditions of such properties. Deputy Thomas Pringle says such

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‘Threatening legal action over turf cutting sours relations’ – TD Fitzmaurice

Threatening Ireland with legal action over turf cutting is a “step in the wrong direction”, according to one independent TD. The European Commission said unless action is taken to half the cutting of peat within Special Areas of Conservation, the state could be brought before the European Court of Justice. It noted Ireland’s efforts so

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Priest urges council to spell out how LPT money is spent in Donegal

A Donegal priest is urging Donegal County Council to outline, in a very clear and visible way, how money raised through the Local Property Tax is spent. This week, the council voted to retain LPT at current levels, a decision which has led to some debate. Supporters say the LPT has not increased, opponents say

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Government using ‘every legal avenue’ to chase suppliers of defective concrete products

The Housing Minister says the state is using every legal avenue available to go after those responsible for defective building blocks. The government introduced a 10% levy on concrete in Tuesday’s Budget to help fund the mica and pyrite remediation scheme. Tánaiste Leo Varadkar earlier this week said he’s frustrated there have been no prosecutions

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Donegal teenager on Irish under-17 team that drew in Portugal

Jodie Loughrey of Buncrana was on the Irish under-17 side that drew 3-3 with Portugal yesterday. This was the first of two International Friendly games that Ireland arranged to help them with their final preparations for their upcoming UEFA WU17 European Championship Qualifiers in October. These games will stand to Ireland going into their European

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Concrete levy will turn people against Mica homeowners – Diver

The government’s being accused of trying to turn people against Mica homeowners as opposition grows to the new levy on concrete products announced in the Budget to fund the Defective Blocks Redress Schemes. Campaigner Paddy Diver says while the state is determining how to raise money, there’s no urgency from government to help people who

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Almost €1 million allocated to Donegal under the Shared Island Initiative

Almost a million euro has been allocated to Donegal County Council for five projects under the Shared Island Local Authority Development Funding. Each of the projects sees the council with a council north of the border, three of them with Derry City and Strabane and two with Fermanagh and Omagh. The three projects being run

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EU issues legal proceedings over ongoing peat cutting in Irish SACs

The EU Commission has taken further legal action against Ireland for failing to halt the cutting of peat within Special Areas of Conservation. It’s calling on Ireland to stop the ongoing cutting of peat in areas designated to conserve raised bogs and blanket bogs under the EU Habitats Directive. The commission says peat and turf

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Tanaiste open to alternative ways of administering the Concrete Levy

The Tanaiste says he’s open to alternative solutions to the concrete levy. It’s after a number of government TDs criticised the measure, which was announced in the Budget earlier this week. The 10 percent levy on concrete blocks has yet to be legislated for, and Leo Varadkar said it was important they get it right.

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Garda

‘Substantial shortcomings’ found in handling of 999 calls

Several instances of ‘substantial shortcomings’ were discovered in a new report into the cancellation of thousands of 999 calls by Gardaí. The Policing Authority paper discovered several inconsistencies within the four regional control rooms, which led to the ‘potential for serious harm to victims’ who were calling the emergency number. This report by Derek Penman

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Clashes between Tanaiste and Deputy Doherty resume in Dail

Clashes between the Tanaiste and Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty have resumed just two weeks in to the new Dail term. Deputy Doherty told Leo Varadkar that lengthy waiting lists for children awaiting assessment by a disability team is worsening as 17,000 children await an appointment with 2,500 overdue an assessment of needs. He says children

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Police issue appeal after man assaulted in the city centre

Police in Derry are appealing for information and witnesses to the report of an assault in the city centre in which a man was seriously injured. The assault, which is reported to have occurred at around 11.15pm on Waterloo Street on Tuesday 20th September, was reported to police yesterday, Wednesday 28th September. It’s reported the

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GP card extension welcomed but long waiting lists will continue to cause problems

  A Mountcharles GP says the GP card extension will be useful to some people but long waiting lists for referrals will continue to delays medical care. People who earn the median household income of €46,000 or less will be eligible for a free GP card under a new Budget measure. However, Dr Maria Moy

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Frustration as no support for fishing industry in the budget

A Donegal TD has pleaded with the Agriculture, food and Marine Minister Charlie McConalogue to stand up for his community and provide emergency supports for the fishing industry. Deputy Padraig Mac Lochlainn said he could not get his head around why the budget did not include an emergency financial aid package to address the fuel

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Councillor fears revised valuations may threaten some Donegal businesses

Businesses across Donegal have begun receiving revised rate valuation packs from Donegal County Council this week, with one councillor saying he believes the vast majority of them are seeing their rates bill increase. Cllr Michael McClafferty says this is the first new valuation programme for 10 years, and coming at a time of increased pressure

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Anger as Student Centre plan is dropped by Maynooth University

Donegal students who had been contributing towards the development of a student centre at Maynooth University have been left outraged after the project was suddenly withdrawn. A €150 student levy was brought in seven years ago to build a student centre to be home to the Students’ Union and a hub for student activities. However,

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Relief for south Inishowen residents as problematic water supply fixed

Works are finally complete on a new main water supply in south Inishowen after outages plagued local residents for years. The final section of the new water main supplying Magherabeg and Inch Island has recently been completed by Irish Water. Issues with the water supply had been ongoing for years, and a petition had been

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Gardai Scam Warning, Highland Radio, News, Letterkenny, Donegal

Gardaí seize Dáil laptop during investigation into viewing of child abuse material online

A laptop owned by a man working for a TD has been seized by gardaí. The man – accused of viewing child abuse material – hasn’t been arrested to date, but the allegation is being investigated. The Irish Independent reports two Leinster House committees were asked to waive parliamentary privilege in order for gardaí to

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Bank of Ireland expected to be fined over 100 million euro today

Bank of Ireland’s expected to be fined over 100 million euro today, over the tracker mortgage scandal. The fine set to be imposed by the Central Bank. The issue has so far cost Bank of Ireland almost 330 million euro since 2016 in refunds and compensation, legal fees and administrative expenses. Kathryn Hannon from asset

Bank of Ireland expected to be fined over 100 million euro today Read More »