Author name: highlandnews

The Department of Agriculture has issued a red warning denoting extreme risk of gorse and forest fires until next Monday. People are being warned to take extreme care as temperatures reach up to 29 degrees today. 14 counties come under a yellow warning for high temperatures from midday, that will be extended to Donegal and

The Health Minister and HSE are being urged to address staffing issues at Killybegs Community Hospital which a local councillor says have led to 13 short-term beds being closed at the facility. Cllr Jimmy Brogan says he first raised this in March, and was told at the time that a number of beds had been

The Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth has been told a strike involving school secretaries and caretakers will get underway on August 28th. Fórsa, which represents more than 2,300 school secretaries working in primary and secondary schools, as well as 500 school caretakers, told the committee the mandate for indefinite strike action follows the union’s

Donegal County Council’s Regeneration Team has begun engaging with the Donegal Youth Service as part of what official are calling a capacity testing exercise. The issue was raised at a municipal district meeting this week, by Cllr Gerry Mc Monagle, who praised the work done by Letterkenny Youth Club at the former Devlin Hall site.

Donegal County Council is being urged to carry out a safety audit of Bad Eddie. The ship washed up on Magheraclogher Beach, Gweedore, in the 1970s. The condition of the structure has deteriorated in the intervening years, and it is said to currently be in a dangerous state, with rusted nails exposed. Councillor Micheal Choilm

  Tusla’s Chief Regional Officer in the West and North West says their priority is to ensure that as many children in care as possible are placed with foster carers, and they’re always on the lookout for more people to fulfil that vital role. The child and family agency’s annual report published this week shows

The Principal of St Bernadette’s Special School in Letterkenny has told an Oireachtas Committee that it will be a disaster if schools like his are redesignated. John Haran was one of four principals who addressed the Committee on Education and Youth this morning to express concern at a department suggestion that parents would no longer

Donegal County Council is being urged to work on developing a greenway from Letterkenny out past Conwal and Newmills, to link up with the greenway coming in from Burtonport via Churchill and Gartan. Cllr Donal Mandy Kelly told a meeting of Letterkenny Milford Municipal District that there is huge potential there to develop one of

The Taoiseach has denied that a surgical hub for Sligo was part of a Government formation deal. During an interview on Highland Radio, Minister of State Marian Harkin claimed the decision to locate the North West surgical hub in Sligo formed part of her negotiations during the Programme for Government. Micheal Martin says Minister Harkin

United Against Racism Donegal says ‘the burning of effigies is a precursor to the burning of people’. It’s as effigies of migrants in a boat was placed on top of a loyalist bonfire in Co Tyrone. The structure in Moygashel includes mannequins dressed in life jackets, along with a sign which reads “stop the boats.”

A Donegal Deputy says people are being fleeced by the high cost of groceries. A motion calling for large supermarkets to publish their yearly financial accounts has been debated in the Dail today. Most families are now spending €3,000 more a year to put food on the table. Deputy Pearse Doherty says the Government has

The PSNI say they’re aware of an item placed on a loyalist bonfire in the Moygashel area of County Tyrone – and enquiries are underway. A boat has been placed on top of the structure, with mannequins dressed in lifejackets, along with a sign which says “stop the boats”. It comes ahead of bonfire night

In the Dail this afternoon, Taoiseach Michael Martin said government investment in cancer services is increasing. He was responding to Aontu leader Peadar Toibin, who was in Letterkenny on Monday…………   You can hear the full discussion here –  

A GoFundMe page set up to support the family of a Killygordon native killed in California on Sunday has raised almost 84 thousand dollars. Damien O’Brien, who was struck by a car, is survived by his wife Michelle, and their two young sons, Oscar and Luke, with another baby boy due in September. The gofundme

The Progress Flag will fly at the Letterkenny Public Services Centre during Pride weekend next month. Members of Letterkenny Milford Municipal District agreed this week to fly the flag from August 14th to 17th. The Progress Flag is an update of the traditional rainbow flag, incorporating the intersex and trans communities. The proposal to fly

Avoidable deaths are being caused by a ‘shocking variation’ in cancer tests and treatments across the country. The Irish Cancer Society says it has identified delays for urgent referrals for both breast and prostate cancer in certain areas. Data also shows big differences in access to life-saving chemotherapy and radiation therapies depending on where you

A Donegal Deputy says the houses of Elm Park in Buncrana are facing immediate danger. Speaking in the Dail yesterday, 100% Redress Party’s Charles Ward said the houses have been built on a flood plain and are affected by defective concrete. He said one family decided to move ahead with the Defective Concrete Scheme and

There are calls for an urgent review of fire hydrants to be carried out in the Glenties Municipal District. Concern has been raised after the fire service encountered difficulties in accessing water when responding to a major fire at St Mary’s Church, Derrybeg in the early hours of Easter Monday. It’s understood the fire service

Flash floods in Texas have lead to renewed calls for flood relief schemes in the Finn Valley area. Cathaoirleach of the Lifford Stranorlar MD Cllr Martin Harley says for towns, especially like Castlefin, it cannot be left until it’s too late. Rescuers in Texas are continuing to search for dozens of people still missing, with

Donegal County Council is being urged to appoint park wardens for the two town parks in Letterkenny. Cllr Gerry McMonagle told a meeting of Letterkenny Milford Municipal District that safety concerns are being raised by the public. In a response, officials indicated that a security company is contracted to close the park and do a