Author name: highlandnews

Taoiseach Michael Martin has told the Dail he believes health services in border areas should be organised on a regional basis, and Donegal patients should be looking towards Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry rather than Galway. He said joint initiatives such as the North West Cancer Centre have been very successful, and the challenge will be […]

A Donegal Deputy has described the lack of infrastructure in the North West as a ‘mortal sin’. Deputy Padraig MacLochlainn believes due to the abscence of a rail network and continued delays with the A5 road project that the Irish Government should reinstate financial support for the City of Derry Airport. The Government had previously

A delegation of Fishing Industry representatives arrives in Brussels today to discuss a number of pressing issues concerning fishing activities in Killybegs, and in particular, claims that EU regulations on the weighing of fish means some are being rendered unfit for human consumption. The delegation will meet with members of the European Parliament and senior

People in Inch are without water yet again. A burst water main is affecting homes and businesses in the area which has been subject to ongoing bursts. It was hoped that a resolution was on the way with Irish Water committing to carry out replacement works this week. However, the works have been delayed by

Technology platform company Pangea is to make the new gteic digital hub in Dungloe its new EU base. The company already has some staff working at the site, with plans to triple numbers over the next two years. The Chief Executive of Udaras na Gaeltachta, Michael Heeney says the announcement is a vindication of the

The government was last night told it was losing significant support in rural Ireland over the turf row. It came during a debate on a Sinn Féin motion, which called for a ban on the sale of turf to be scrapped. The government intends introducing the new rule in September – except in small rural

An exhibition of archives related to the treaty is coming to Donegal. The ‘Treaty 1921: Records from the Archives’ exhibition will open at Donegal County Museum in Letterkenny on Thursday May 5th, where it will stay until the 31 May. The exhibition uses press cuttings, documents and other media to place the Treaty negotiations in

A Donegal Garda has described scenes in Letterkenny on Saturday night as ‘horrific’ following the broadcasting of a major sporting event. A number of fights are believed to have broken out in the Main Street area following the Tyson -v- Whyte fight. As a result, Gardai are warning people of the dangers of one punch

Investigations are ongoing into a hit and run in Letterkenny on Sunday night last. A car exiting Larkins Lane was struck by an oncoming blue BMW travelling in the wrong direction on the Pearse Road. The BMW failed to remain at the scene. Garda Niall Maguire is appealing to anyone with information to contact Gardai:

An exhibition of archives related to the treaty is coming to Donegal. The ‘Treaty 1921: Records from the Archives’ exhibition will open at Donegal County Museum in Letterkenny on Thursday May 5th, where it will stay until the 31 May. The exhibition uses press cuttings, documents and other media to place the Treaty negotiations in

The fire service and local community has been praised for bringing a gorse fire under control in West Donegal. The fire broke out in the Crolly area yesterday morning, close to a number of properties. Locals were first on the scene and the blaze was eventually brought under control with the assistance of the fire

The Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation is urging the European Commission to act immediately on the presence of Russian trawlers in waters off the Faroe Islands. It’s emerged a fleet of Russian freezer trawlers is operating in a zone shared between the UK and the Faroe islands. KFO Chief Executive Sean O’Donoghue says the Faroes are issuing

The SDLP has described fresh legal action on the Northern Ireland Protocol as a distraction. A group of politicians, led by Jim Allister of the Traditional Unionist Voice party, is taking a legal challenge on the post-Brexit trade agreement to the UK’s Supreme Court. They’ve been granted permission by the Court of Appeal in the

A Condition Orange Fire Danger Notice has been extended until midday on Friday, with Donegal County Council urging people to take all necessary measures to prevent the occurrence of wildfires. Landowners and members of the public are urged to be vigilant and to report any uncontrolled or unattended fires immediately. The Council is also urging

The Environment Minister will meet coalition colleagues later in a bid to ease tensions over a ban on the commercial sale of turf. Rural Fianna Fail and Fine Gael TDs have been angered by the move, which is set to take effect in September. Eamon Ryan has since indicated that communities of 500 people or

A Donegal fisherman has warned that enough is enough as the Irish fishing industry is on its knees. Denis Carberry skipper of the Lauren was forced to send his catch of blue whiting to a fishmeal factory on Friday at a loss of €55,000 due to the ongoing weighing controversy at Killybegs Harbour. SFPA officers

A new initiative for the upkeep of the public realm in the Twin Towns is to be rolled out. Donegal County Council along with the Ballybofey and Stranorlar Chamber of Commerce will trial the initiative which will see a proportion of car parking charges used as grant assistance and will go towards; maintaining an attractive

An emergency meeting is being held in Dungloe this evening as the future of the Mary from Dungloe Festival is in jeopardy. Committee members have issued an urgent request for volunteers to ensure the survival of the annual event. The meeting will take place this evening at 6pm in the Ionad Teampall Chróine, Dungloe. Mary

It seems Minister Eamon Ryan is rowing back on proposed new laws to ban the sale and distribution of turf. He now says it won’t apply to rural communities of fewer than 500 people but will instead focus on commercial and retail activities. There’d been clashes between the coalition parties over the issue but Minister

A Killybegs restaurant has been forced to close its doors due to ‘never-ending’ cost increases. Fusion Bistro has made the difficult decision to cease trading as of next Saturday. Co-Owner, Linda Boyle says overheads and staff shortages have become unsustainable. She told today’s Nine til Noon Show, that their decision to close is a sign

The PRO of the Mica Action Group believes Donegal County Councillors need to be stepping up to the mark to get affected homes repaired. In a social media update, Michael Doherty called on Donegal County Council to expedite the process and ensure applications are looked at and processed as quick as possible for homeowners. He

A reduction in economic growth has been forecast by IBEC, the group that represents Irish businesses. Its latest Economic Outlook report predicts growth of 4.3% for the year ahead. This falls short of the 6.1% that was previously estimated for 2022. IBEC’s Ger Brady says this is going to affect both households and businesses alike:

  Micheál Martin says we have to do more when it comes to providing for Ukrainian refugees. The Taoiseach was speaking yesterday at the new refugee centre in Millstreet, Co.Cork. Around 100 Ukrainian families are being housed in the centre, which he says is an example of Ireland’s “innovative” approach to the crisis. The Taoiseach

The Chairperson of Buncrana’s Tidy Towns Committee believes additional measures could be taken to tackle fly tipping. It comes as up to 60 volunteers took part in An Taisce’s Spring Clean from Bridgend to Ballmagan at the weekend – collecting 80 bags of rubbish. Willie McKinney says the rising cost of living has resulted in

The Health Minister says the Government’s planning to fund IVF treatment for potential parents. Stephen Donnelly’s revealed couples who struggle to conceive are expected to benefit from the state-funded treatment in 2023. The Irish Mail on Sunday says IVF treatment can cost from 4,000 euro to 6,000 euro for a single cycle. Fianna Fail Senator

Donegal County Council is to receive over €14m to rejuvenate marine infrastructure in the county. Funding has been approved for a total of 110 projects around the Irish Coast under the Brexit Adjustment Reserve. It originated from a recommendation by the Seafood Taskforce, which was set up to examine the impact of Brexit on the

A Sinn Fein TD says the government’s plans to ban the sale of turf have been handled ‘very poorly’. The party will put forward a motion in the Dail on Tuesday calling on the State to scrap plans to ban the sale of turf. The government is working on proposals to bring in the ban