Author name: highlandnews

The Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney will meet with the British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on the margins of a Council of Europe meeting in Turin today. The two will discuss the current impasse around the Northern Ireland Protocol. Separately the Taoiseach will meet party leaders in Belfast, where discussions will focus on the […]

Mary Lou McDonald says she believes there could be a united Ireland within ten years. Sinn Fein became the largest party in Northern Ireland at the recent election and is poised to nominate Michelle O’Neil as first minister if and when power-sharing is restored. Mary Lou McDonald says it raises the issue of a border

A Donegal Deputy has criticised the Government over the disproportionate impact Carbon Tax increases and the rising cost of fuels has had on people in Donegal. Deputy Padraig MacLochlainn raised the issue in the Dail earlier this week, during a debate on providing a “Just Transition” to combat the climate crisis. Deputy MacLochlainn says that

Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty and Leo Varadkar clashed in the Dail again today, over the cost of living crisis. Deputy Doherty called on the Government to take further action to reduce the cost of fuels and childcare costs, while also demanding an increase to social welfare rates. In response to Deputy Doherty’s opening statement in

The Green Party leader has denied any pressure was put on him to sanction rebel TDs. Eamon Ryan says he spoke with his coalition colleagues before Neasa Hourigan and Patrick Costello voted against the government last night. Both have been suspended from the Green Parliamentary Party for six months as a result. Minister Ryan said

People who intend to be cremated may soon have an opportunity to have their ashes interred in the grounds of Ards Friary. The community at Ards is in discussion with Eternum Columbarium, a Belfast based company which specialises in building columbaria, vaults in which urns can be interred in keeping with ancient Christian traditions. The

An Inishowen councillor is calling for a full briefing on plans for the implementation of the Tús Nua Regeneration Programme announced last year for Carndonagh. Cllr Albert Doherty says the plan will see millions invested in the town and its environs, but it was not referenced at a special meeting last Friday to agree a

One of Donegal’s representatives on the HSE’s Western Regional Forum is calling for immediate clarity on the future of the angiogram service in Donegal, and recognition that the Cath Lab at Letterkenny University Hospital should be fully commissioned. The Friends of the Hospital have raised €750,000 as a local contribution to provide the service, with

A Fine Gael TD says a border poll could be called at any time in the next decade, and is urging government to begin preparations. Neale Richmond says now’s the time to set up an Oireachtas Committee to work through the detail of what a United Ireland would look like. He says the fallout of

A Foyle MLA has called for action to be taken regarding flooding in the Foyle Road area of Derry City. Padraig Delargy says that due to recent heavy rain, houses in the Foyle Road area were flooded – an occurrence he says is regular for those living there. He says that it has now become

Tensions flared at an Oireachtas committee meeting last night, during which representatives of the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority were questioned regarding the Killybegs fish weighing controversy. The representatives of the SFPA present at the meeting were challenged to explain the reasons why a proportion of pelagic fish landed in Killybegs have had to be weighed

Ulster Bank say that customers will be offered a ‘suite of measures’ if their account is closed while they have remaining overdrafts. The bank is withdrawing from Ireland and is issuing a 6 month notice to customers before closing their account, with a 30 day extension period. An Oireachtas Committee on Finance heard today 70,000

Employees could save on average 93 hours per year if they gave up commuting and worked from home full time. A new government study also found if employees were to work the hours at home that they once spent on getting to and from work, they could earn an extra 1,103 euro annually. It also

The Dail has been told there are no plans to establish a Passport Office in the North West, but the situation will be kept under review. Minister Ossian Smith was speaking after Donegal Deputy Joe McHugh called for the establishment of an office in the region, preferably Letterkenny, given its North West City Region status

Saolta CEO Tony Canavan says the one day action being taken by medical scientists is having an impact on Letterkenny University Hospital. On today’s Nine til Noon Show, Mr Canavan said several procedures have already been cancelled, and there will be a knock on effect on the Emergency Department………    

Britain’s foreign secretary says ‘sensible pragmatic’ changes are needed to the Northern Ireland protocol. Liz Truss confirmed yesterday that the British government would legislate to change the protocol unilaterally in order to encourage the DUP to re-enter power sharing in the north. She says the UK’s proposed changes will also work to the advantage of

The son of murdered lawyer Pat Finucane is calling on the British government to abandon its amnesty plans. The UK yesterday announced legislation to deal with over 1,000 unsolved killings in the North. It proposes an amnesty from prosecution for those who co-operate with a panel that investigates the deaths. John Finucane, now a Sinn

The HSE says industrial action will have a ‘very disabling impact’ on Letterkenny University Hospital and other hospitals throughout the country today. Over 2,100 medical scientists are stopping routine lab services for 12 hours – ending at 8 o’clock tonight. Their pay dispute has led to inpatient and day-case procedures being cancelled. Terry Casey is

Minister Charlie McConalogue says that work is ongoing to secure the angiogram service at Letterkenny University Hospital. In a statement, Minister McConalogue says the Department of health, Saolta and the HSE are working to assess appropriate means for angiogram services to continue at LUH, after the announcement that the mobile cardiology unit currently there will

Postmasters are warning 12 million euro in annual funding is needed to prevent “large scale” closures across the post office network. The Irish Postmasters Union will tell today’s Oireachtas Transport and Communications Committee meeting that services are at a “critical juncture” and could have to shut without government support. Almost 95 per cent of post

A Donegal Deputy has slammed the Government after it passed legislation yesterday allowing for the new National Maternity Hospital to be built. Deputy Thomas Pringle raised the issue directly to the Taoiseach in the Dail during Leaders’ Questions, focusing on the term “clinically appropriate” that has caused controversy for many, raising concerns if the new

An Inishowen Councillor has welcomed the provision of a new wheelchair that will be made available at Culdaff Beach – but says currently the beach is impassable for users with disabilities. Cllr Johnny McGuinness says that while it’s great to have a wheelchair provided in the area of the beach free of charge for anyone

  The Sinn Fein leader says that UK Government plans to implement an amnesty for Troubles-related killings, in return for co-operation in a Police panel investigation, are “akin to a rogue state”. The British Government is set to introduce the legislation this evening, and are also planning to ban any and all civil action from

The British Foreign Secretary has confirmed the Government plans to legislate to unilaterally change the Northern Ireland protocol. Liz Truss says that amendments must be made to the trade deal to get a Government up and running in Northern Ireland. She’s also said that the British Government’s preferred outcome is a negotiated agreement with the

The Taoiseach says the EU and British government need to engage in talks over the Northern Ireland protocol. It comes as the British Foreign minister Liz Truss will outline in the House of Commons how the UK plans to change the post-Brexit trade deal in a bid to restore power sharing at Stormont. Michael Martin

Cabinet has signed off on plans for the new National Maternity Hospital. Ministers approved the governance deal at their meeting this morning which will see the hospital relocated from Holles St to the campus of St Vincent’s University Hospital. The government faced concerns about the phrase ‘clinically appropriate’ as set out in the legal documents.

A Lifford Stranorlar area councillor says the continued delays with the Twin Towns by-pass are frustrating, but Donegal County Council will continue to push it, and the other two Ten-T road projects in Donegal – the Letterkenny Link Road and the Manorcunningham to Lifford Road. It’s after a recent meeting of the council’s Roads Strategic

Gardai in Letterkenny are investigating the theft of silver Silver Mercedes car from a house on the High Road between 8.30pm and 9.30pm last night. The car was subsequently found on fire on the Ballyraine Road shortly after 3 o’clock this morning. On the Community Garda Slot on today’s Nine til Noon Show, Sergeant Eunan

The British Government’s expected to unveil plans to bin parts of the Northern Ireland protocol today; a move which could trigger a trade war with the EU. The DUP’s refusing to take part in power-sharing until its issues with the post-Brexit trading arrangement are scrapped. It’s understood UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will make an

A Donegal Deputy has warned that the Government cannot continue to churn out legislation with no intention to uphold and implement it Deputy Thomas Pringle was speaking in the Dail in recent days during statements on the Defamation Act during which he said flaws in the Defamation Act should be viewed as a threat to