Author name: highlandnews

A campaign is ongoing in a bid to make Changing Places Toilet Facilities mandatory in public buildings. In Donegal there are no registered Changing Places toilets and only 17 nationwide. A public consultation is currently underway by the Department of Housing with a view towards altering building regulations to make such amenities mandatory in public […]

Russian State television has broadcast mocked up clips of a nuclear attack in which Ireland is destroyed by a device supposedly being detonated off the coast of Donegal. According to the Irish Times, the broadcast on Russia-1 was presented by a close associate of Vladimir Putin and falsely claims that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson

A man has died following a fatal crash near Buncrana last night. The collision, involving two vehicles occurred on the Mountain Road between Buncrana and Carndonagh in the area of Meenaward at around 10:50pm. The driver of one vehicle, a male in his 40s, was pronounced dead at the scene. His body has been taken

The European Union’s warning its members that giving in to Russia’s demands to pay for gas in roubles, would breach existing sanctions. Ministers met in Brussels yesterday to discuss Moscow’s decision last week to cut supplies to Bulgaria and Poland. Energy giant Gazprom claims it was because they’d failed to pay their bills in the

Healthcare workers in the community sector are to protest today for better pay and conditions. SIPTU, Forsa and the INMO have organised the march in Dublin to highlight the need for better pay and respect for the staff who work in organisations like the Rehab group, Pieta House, Local Employment Services and the Irish Wheelchair

A Donegal County Councillor is calling for policies to be included in the new County Development Plan to cater for the needs of people with Autism. Councillor Paul Canning is proposing sensory gardens and secure areas be developed within housing estates across Donegal as well as sensory rooms in public buildings. The County Development Plan

It’s emerged that less than half of women offered an initial BreastCheck appointment are attending. The figures from BreastCheck which show a 42% uptake of appointments by women has led to serious concerns being raised by Donegal Action for Cancer Care. The service is being extended in Letterkenny over the coming two months during which

Temperatures in their mid to late teens are expected around the country this week. Met Éireann forecasts plenty of cloudy weather as the week goes on. It follows a fairly gloomy Bank Holiday weekend for most areas. Mark Bowe, Meteorologist with Met Éireann, says some parts of the country will get wet weather this week:

Swan Park is to reopen this summer following a €2.3 million restoration project. The amenity was extensively damaged by flooding in 2017 with works ongoing since to restore the park to its former glory. Works are now almost complete and the park is set to reopen to the public next month. Local Councillor Rena Donaghey

Sinn Fein’s leader in the North Michelle O’Neill has defended her party reaching out to a dissident republican group to discuss how to achieve a border poll. Yesterday the Sunday Times reported chairperson Declan Kearney made contact with Saoradh in 2020 in an attempt to reach a “co-operation agreement”. During a UTV debate ahead of

People completing the census form last month cited family as the most important thing in the time capsule section. The 2022 census contained a comment section which allowed people to leave a message for future generations. Of the 1,500 Irish people surveyed, the research found just 4 in 10 people had filled in the time

The Irish government is being urged to engage with English Language Teachers to develop a strategy for teaching refugees. Trade union Unite, believe ‘a best practice model’ for teaching refugees and asylum seekers is long overdue. They’re calling for a service which recognises refugee’s language education needs, as well as the trauma they have been

Fine Gael’s Simon Harris says he believes a solution can be found on the proposal to ban the sale of turf. The plan, put forward by Environment Minister Eamon Ryan, has angered rural backbench Fine Gael and Fianna Fail TDs. Draft regulations are currently being worked on, and the Taoiseach has said the ban won’t

A carbon tax increase on heating fuels has come into effect for households across the country. It means it’ll now cost an extra 20 euro to fill an oil tank, and the average gas bill will rise by 1 euro 40 cents a month. The cost of a bag of coal will also increase by

Unionists will continue their campaign against the Northern Ireland Protocol with a protest in Co Down this evening. DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson and Labour MP Kate Hoey will be among the speakers in Bangor at 7pm. There have been a series of anti-protocol rallies ahead of next Thursday’s elections. But Donegal Deputy and Sinn Fein

The Foreign Affairs Minister says the Stormont Assembly is under its greatest threat in 25 years. It comes just five days before the Northern Ireland elections next Thursday. The DUP collapsed the executive early due to the post-Brexit Northern Ireland Protocol, and is threatening not to return after May 5th. Minister Simon Coveney says he’s

A South Donegal TD says the government must act to ease the financial burden on carers, and that starts with changing the rules on how allowances are determined and taxed. Deputy Marian Harkin told Minister Eamon Ryan it’s vital that carers get more support, and that means either disregarding more of their income or scrapping

A Donegal TD says today’s HIQA report into centres for people with disabilities in Donegal highlights ‘significant failures’ by the HSE right across the country. Inspection at 18 HSE-run centres in the county found major issues around governance and oversight. HIQA also highlighted concerns of the HSE’s ability at a national level to bring about

The Chair of the Regional Health Forum West says a lack of funding from Government and Saolta is seriously impacting Letterkenny University Hospital. Concern has been raised again over the imbalance in funding for the hospital with hospitals operating on a smaller scale receiving more money. Councillor Gerry McMonagle says the latest removal of services

The HSE has been called on to address its ‘poor oversight and governance’ of disability services at a local, regional and national level. It comes following the publication today of a HIQA report into 18 HSE-run centres for people with disabilities in Donegal. HIQA’s Chief Inspector is also urging the HSE to improve its assurance

Travellers have reported difficulties in proving to a court they were denied entry to a venue or business, because of their ethnicity. That’s one of the findings of a new study by UCC published today, which highlights “entrenched social exclusion” faced by Travellers in accessing justice. Researchers heard from Traveller women that venues often claim

The Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council has compared South Inishowen to a third world country as residents enter day three without water. The water supply in Inch, Magherabeg and Burnfoot has been affected by a burst water main since Wednesday. Works were due to commence this week to replace the line however, Irish Water informed

Motorcyclists are being urged to ensure their bikes are road worthy. The RSA and Gardai have launched a dedicated road safety campaign as 11 motorcyclists have died in crashes so far this year, which represents 20 percent of road fatalities. Drivers and other road users are also being reminded to be aware and look out