Author name: highlandnews

New laws to help prosecute illegal dumping are due to come into force in the autumn. The new rules will allow local authorities to use CCTV footage as evidence to convict someone of illegal dumping. A new code of practice is being put together, under the Circular Economy Act which was signed into law by

Concerns have been raised among farming communities as TB herd incidence rate has reached the highest level since 2019. The number of affected cattle removed in the last 12 months in the North now sits at 14632. This is an increase of 1425 in the same period last year. Ulster Farmers Union Animal Health and

An organisation which supports elderly people has called on the government to increase benefits or some pensioners will go hungry this winter. ALONE is urging the Government to implement changes for older people in Budget 2023, primarily a minimum €20 increase of €20 to the State Pension for this year and 2024. They have also

Lough Swilly RNLI are warning people to be careful where you park this weekend while visiting Buncrana pier and Ned’s Point. The popular attractions are also the lifeboats launching area and it is essential that the RNLI can access the area quickly in the case of an emergency. The public are being urged to be

AIB’s decision to scrap plans to make 70 branches cashless, six of them in Donegal has been branded as a real victory for people power. The bank announced the u-turn earlier today following public backlash over the move, which was widely condemned. In a statement, the bank says it recognises ‘the customer and public unease

  Hoteliers have insisted they are not the long term solution for housing refugees. It comes as the government has made an appeal for hotel owners to take in more Ukrainian refugees amid an influx of arrivals. The Irish Hotels Federation estimates around 8 per cent of beds nationally are contracted to the government. Hotel

The ‘Derelict in Donegal and Beyond’ conference, being run by Letterkenny Tidy Towns and the Letterkenny Cathedral Quarter Group is now underway. Events are also taking place to mark the Church Lane’s success in the Historic Towns Initiative. Gerard McCormick of Letterkenny Tidy Towns and Donnan Harvey of the Cathedral Quarter Group have been speaking

The Junior Housing Minister has pledged that the terms of the new Defective Blocks Scheme will be changed if the technical evidence suggests that needs to happen. Speaking in Letterkenny this morning, Minister Peter Burke said the government’s priority is to get the scheme up and running. Once that happens, he said, issues such as

A urgent meeting is being sought with the Health Minister to discuss a serious lack of resources for type 1 diabetics in Donegal. Currently, there is no endocrinologist in the North West to care for patients – over 150 of whom in Donegal are children. Paul Gillespie, PRO of the Donegal Diabetes Association is calling

A senior executive at TSC in Letterkenny says the company wants to establish itself as one of the top IT companies in the country. Speaking on Highland Radio’s ‘Business Matters’ podcast, Strategic Initiatives Director Gerard Grant said the Donegal operation will be a key element of that process. He was one of the team of

Almost one in three front line workers have yet to receive the €1,000 pandemic bonus. By July 8th, figures show over 68,000 had received their payment. Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, said last month the delay was down to prolonged discussions between parties. Fianna Fáil TD Éamon Ó Cuív, says workers deserve to have their payment

The Agriculture Minister says AIB needs to reconsider and reverse its decision to convert 70 of its branches to cashless locations. Cash and cheque services are to be removed from six branches in Donegal. The Taoiseach is due to meet with executives next week, after appealing to the bank to reconsider its decision. Minister Charlie

Further concerns are being raised over a lack of student accomodation. Councillor Michael McClafferty says the housing crisis is severely impacting third level students who are unable to secure accomodation in many towns and cities across the country. In one case, a second year student from Donegal who stayed in hotels last year may be

The Central Bank says it expects banks to ensure services are accessible to vulnerable customers. It comes as AIB announced plans yesterday to convert 70 of its branches to cashless locations, six of them will be in Donegal. The Taoiseach is due to meet with executives next week, after appealing to the bank to reconsider

Today will see the opening of the Shore Front amenity on Arranmore Island. The development of the recreation, outdoor amenity and amphitheatre is part of the €4.1m Burtonport & Aranmore ‘Harbour to Island’ rural regeneration project. Minister Heather Humphreys will officiate the opening. Councillor Micheal Cholm Macgiollaeasbuig says it is a monumental day for West

The Irish Farmers Association is calling for certainty around how much farmers will need to reduce their emissions by. The Environment Minister says the agriculture sector will have to cut emissions by more than the 22% farmers want. It’s after a new report showed emissions increased by 4.7% between 2020 and 2021. President of the

As many as 100,000 apartments across the country could have defects and may not be up to fire safety standards. A report commissioned by The Construction Defects Alliance which is campaigning to get a proper remediation scheme in place for affected owners is expected to reveal, that in some cases the defects are of a

Plans for a new €3.5m visitors centre at Fanad Lighthouse have been welcomed as a great boost to the area. Local community group, Forbairt Fhanaha Teoranta, have launched plans for a 7,800 square foot centre that will include a cafe, a shop, a meeting room and an art/workshop space. An upgraded car park and a

There are plans for three new bus routes to be introduced in Donegal in an attempt to increase rural transport in the North West. The new bus routes include a route from Inishowen to Letterkenny, Greencastle to Buncrana and Glencolmcille, Ardara and Letterkenny. The bus routes are currently at the planning and design stage with

Dereliction is the theme of a special conference being held today by Letterkenny Tidy Towns and the Letterkenny Cathedral Quarter Group. The ‘Derelict in Donegal and Beyond’ event will be opened by Junior Housing Minister Peter Burke, with a number of local, national and international speakers. Also today, the success of the Church Lane in

Speed van coverage has been extended to three South Donegal roads, two of which are sites of previous fatal collisions. The new safety camera zones will become operational next Tuesday at 6am, bringing the total number of safety camera zones nationwide to 1,373. The speed van will now cover Birchhill on the main road into

A Donegal Deputy says the suspension of visa-free travel is another bad move by Government. Last week the Government announced that it was to temporarily require refugees travelling to Ireland from safe European countries to hold visas. Deputy Thomas Pringle says it paints a false picture that refugees are abusing the system. He’s described it

The Foreign Affairs Minister is holding talks with Stormont parties in Belfast today. Simon Coveney’s meeting the UUP, Sinn Fein, the SDLP, and Alliance – but not the DUP because its leader Jeffrey Donaldson’s in London. The party’s still boycotting power-sharing over the Northern Ireland protocol – which is now a step closer to being

Swan Park will officially reopen today. A €2.3m restoration project has been completed after the popular amenity was extensively damaged by floods in August 2017. The reopening of the park was delayed to allow all works to be completed. Councillor Jack Murray says Swan Park has been restored to beyond its former glory:

The Junior Transport Minister says the introduction of a cabin baggage transfer corridor between Donegal Airport and Dublin Airport has been a huge success. Since last month, passenger flying from Donegal and then transferring on to another flight no longer have to go through security in Dublin, and can go straight from the plane to