Author name: highlandnews

The Northern Ireland protocol bill has cleared the House of Commons. It means government plans to scrap parts of the post-Brexit deal with the EU are a step closer to becoming law. The DUP’s boycotting power-sharing at Stormont until its issues with the protocol are resolved. SDLP leader Colum Eastwood had this plea to the […]

Nearly 2 million home-help hours won’t be delivered this year, due to staff shortages. The HSE has budgeted for 24 million hours – but it says around 35,000 won’t be delivered every week in 2022. It comes as over 5,000 people are on waiting lists for home support. Sinn Fein’s health spokesman, David Cullinane, says

Two state of the art digital hubs are being officially opened in Donegal later today. Both the Carrigart Digital Hub and Gteic Hub in Gweedore are being opened later today by Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD. The hubs include hot desk and shared space facilities for remote workers and eworkers in

A meeting is set to be held to discuss the potential of increasing the use of hydro energy in Donegal. The council is to meet with the owners of the Cathleen Hydro Electrical Plant in Ballyshannon to discuss how hydro energy could be used in the country. The meeting was suggested by cllr Marie Therese

The government is working on a number of measures to give taxpayers more take home pay. Tanaiste Leo Varadkar says they’ll be introduced in the upcoming budget. They include an increase in the minimum wage, and a reduction in income tax.  

The Minister for Health hopes a combined Covid and flu vaccine will be possible in the months ahead. Stephen Donnelly says he’s been in touch with NIAC about the prospect of the combined jab. It comes as a very significant flu season along with an upsurge in Covid cases is expected in the autumn. Minister

The European Union is asking member states to cut their gas consumption by 15 per cent. The president of the European Commission says a full cut off of Russian gas in the coming months is very likely. The supply of Russian gas to Europe is now less than a third of what it was this

A Community Health Programme in Donegal, Monaghan and Cavan has been praised in an independent assessment published today. CoH-Sync, the Community Health Synchronisation project, is facilitated through the cross border health body CAWT, and operated by Donegal Local Development Company and sister groups in Monaghan and Cavan. Two Community Health Facilitators were employed in Donegal

A former Coronation Street actor is being investigated after he lit a bonfire on the 11th night in County Tyrone. Charlie Lawson – who played Jim McDonald in the long-running soap – was pictured lighting a bonfire in Fivemiletown, outside Omagh. The Environment Agency in Northern Ireland says it is now investigating. Speaking on BBC

A Donegal County Councillor is demanding that more Garda resources are made available to border villages in the county. The Council is to write to Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to ask for more resources to be made available for Donegal, particularly in border villages. Councillor Terry Crossan made the call on the back of recent

Dunnes Stores workers have lodged what they’re calling a ‘life changing’ pay claim. Their union, Mandate, is seeking a 7.7% pay increase, extra leave days, better discount and more full time contracts. It says it believes this is a reasonable request as the rate of inflation is over 9%. Workers are also demanding fully paid

Concerns have been raised about the number of planning enforcement notices being issued throughout the county. There are currently 1,198 outstanding enforcement notices, with 291 in letterkenny, 292 in Inishowen and 257 in Glenties. The remaining notices have been issued in the other municipal districts in the county. Cllr Gerry McMonagle says the number of

A Donegal Deputy has called for AIB to leave ATMs behind in towns where banks are to go cashless. AIB branches in Ballybofey, Ballyshannon, Buncrana, Carndonagh, Dungloe and Killybegs are set to be turned into cashless outlets with ATMs in each town also being removed. Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty says the removal of the ATMs

A Donegal Councillor has branded AIB’s decision to make six branches in Donegal cashless as ridiculous. Branches Ballybofey, Ballyshannon, Buncrana, Carndonagh, Dungloe and Killybegs will be cashless outlets as demand for services declines across the country. These branches will instead focus more on mortgage, loan and saving advice for customer. The bank will also extend

The number of cars on the road may have to be limited if the government opts for lower carbon emission reductions from the agriculture sector. Agriculture emissions will have to drop by between 22 and 30 per cent under the climate action plan. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil TDs are fighting government colleagues to keep

The MacGill Summer School is to return in person for the first time in two years. The theme of the 42nd event is ‘The Destruction of Ukraine & Its People: The Fallout for Mankind’. Speakers include the Ukrainian Ambassador to Ireland, Mary Ellen McGroarty, World Food Programme Afghanistan Country Director and former European Parliament President,

Three girls rescued from the water in Rathmullan on Sunday say it was frightening how quickly the events unfolded. Eve, Saoirse and Lily-Mae all aged 11 and from Strabane got into difficulty on Rathmullan beach after one of them got caught in deep water. Ruairi Crealey bravely went to the aid of the trio as

A string of incidents involving the thefts of vehicles in Donegal has been described as a mini crime wave. Investigations are continuing following the theft of the vehicles on Tuesday last in the Stranorlar and Carrigans area. One vehicle was later set alight and the other recovered by the PSNI after being involved in crashes

An elderly man in Donegal has been left intimidated after receiving a number of calls from an American man claiming a note had been left on his car windscreen. The man alleged that the note contained the landline of the elderly man and related to an incident involving their cars. It has yet to be