Author name: highlandnews

  Listen back to the main evening news, sport, farming and obituaries for Thursday March 3rd:     

Census 2022 will take place on Sunday, April 3rd. This year’s form will have 8 new questions on issues such as renewable resources, internet access, childcare and smoking. This year’s edition will also feature a voluntary time capsule, which will allow households to leave a message to be released in 100 years. Director General of

  There are calls for a reduction in taxes on fuel after petrol prices hit a new high yesterday. Premium unleaded petrol reached 2 euro per litre in a service station in Dublin. AA Ireland says oil stocks are at their lowest in seven years, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine intensifies. David Horgan, Managing Director

The Housing Minister has also welcomed the publication of the report and has confirmed that it will now be analysed by the Expert Working Group. Minister Darragh O’Brien says today is an important step forward in getting an enhanced scheme up and running. He has confirmed that he intends to bring the final details of

The SCSI has published its much anticipated ‘Construction Costs for the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme’ report. Based on 2022 material and labour rates, the SCSI has set out an average rebuild cost of €157 – €165 per square foot for an estate type house and €145 – €167 for one-off houses. The enhanced redress

Concern has been expressed over what’s been described as a lack of regional balance in job creation statistics for Northern Ireland. The data shows that only 103 jobs had been created in West Tyrone in the 15 months up to March 2021. West Tyrone MLA Daniel McCrossan believes the figures demonstrate a high level of

A Donegal Labour Councillor believes Alan Kelly never got the chance to demonstrate his leadership skills. Alan Kelly resigned as Labour leader last night after accepting that his parliamentary party no longer had confidence in him. Earlier, he denied members of his parliamentary party were working against him from the start of his time as

Both the HSE and Donegal County Council are being urged to be proactive as it relates to buildings in Buncrana which are set to become vacant as a result of the new Primary Care Centre. A number of buildings across the town are currently being used as clinics and surgeries but will be vacated when

A review of medication practices in every CAMHS team in the country is getting underway today. It was ordered after the scandal in the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service in south Kerry. A review found 46 children were significantly harmed, after they were prescribed inappropriate medication by a junior doctor. Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae

The commercial vaccancy rate in Donegal has increased. The number of vacant commercial properties in Donegal has increased to 16.9% in the last quarter of 2021, above the national average of 13.9%. According to figures published today by GeoDirectory, Ballybofey has the highest commercial vacancy rate in the country at 30% while Buncrana had the

Ukrainian officials believe Russian rocket strikes are cutting off heating and water supplies in several major cities, as troops close in on the capital. It’s currently freezing in Kyiv, and many of those who’ve chosen to stay are sheltering underground with missiles devastating buildings. A week since Russia’s invasion began, it appears to have taken

Further questions are being asked over the level of communication as it relates to Storm Franklin and Mica homeowners. It’s understood that Cllrs were well briefed as it relates to storm Dudley and Eunice however, it’s thought more could have been done in terms of prior warnings for Franklin. There was structural damage to a

Full planning approval has been granted for 70 new social homes in Strabane. The project will include 60 new houses and 10 apartments on the former Lady of Mercy High School site between Evish Road and Mount Carmel Heights in the town. The application for the housing scheme was made by local company McGettigan Homes,

  Listen back to the main evening news, sport and obituaries for Wednesday March 2nd here:

  The Government is willing to disregard people in rural areas and those without access to broadband in the pursuit of privatisation. That’s according to Donegal Deputy Thomas Pringle who was speaking today on a Private Members’ motion on the National Driver Licence Service. The Dail has heard calls for such services to remain available

  The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has branded proposed legislation on remote working as “useless, unreasonable, and unfair” to employees. ICTU along with employers group IBEC were before an Oireachtas Trade Committee today, to discuss the finer details of the Right to Request Remote Working Bill. General Secretary of ICTU Patricia King says there’s

The INMO is seeking an urgent meeting with senior management in Letterkenny University Hospital in light of dangerous overcrowding. It follows the revelation last evening that 10 ambulances were backed up at the hospital as unprecedented numbers attend the Emergency Department. The INMO says Letterkenny University Hospital has informed all staff that the facility is

The HSE Chief Executive says they’re trying to hire new healthcare staff in a ‘very challenging recruitment market’, particularly in non city based hospitals such as Letterkenny. The HSE expects to recruit only half of the staff it has funding in place for this year, with non-availability of staff being identified as a major element

The issue of the dredging at Magheraroarty is to be raised in the Dail, after it emerged that at times, ferries and fishing boats are unable to use the pier there. Local Cllr Michael Cholm Mac Giolla Easbuig says dredging the area around the pier was previously done as a matter of routine, but now,

Government representatives who are due to visit America for St. Patricks Day are being urged to exert whatever influence they can on the US Administration to provide solutions for the undocumented Irish. The Migration Policy Institute estimated that there were approximately 16,000 undocumented Irish in the US in 2017. Donegal born Senator Robbie Gallagher says

MS sufferers in parts of Donegal are effectively left stranded by a lack of accessible transport. The Swilly-Mulroy MS Support Group says it has a number of wheelchair users who have been unable to attend the weekly support group recently due to a lack of funding for accessible transport. The Milford & District Resource Centre

The Health Minister has been told that there is an unprecedented crisis in Letterkenny University Hospital’s Emergency Department. At one stage yesterday 10 ambulances were backed up at the hospital’s ED. Speaking in the Dail last night on a Sinn Fein motion on Health Waiting Lists, Donegal Deputy Padraig MacLochlainn once again highlighted the impact

A South Donegal Deputy has questioned if Ireland has done all it can amid the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Speaking in the Dail Deputy Marian Harkin said Russia’s invasion was premeditated and well planned. While Ireland announced sanctions on Russia in previous days, Deputy Harkin is unsure if enough has been done:  

There are big plans afoot for Bridgend with a planned project set to significantly improve the road through the village. It’s estimated that the Donegal – Derry route facilities more than 19,000 vehicles in both directions every day. The project is geared towards upgrading a 1.2km section through Bridgend and onto the border. A public

At least 21 people have reportedly been killed and 112 wounded following Russian shelling in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. The regional governor says homes were among the buildings hit. Moscow’s urging residents in Ukraine’s capital to flee – saying it’ll strike key security and communication services. Convoys of Russian armoured vehicles are edging

The Health Minister has been told that failure to invest in beds and staff at Letterkenny University Hospital resulted in 10 ambulances being backed up at the hospital’s Emergency Department yesterday. A statement issued by Saolta yesterday, said that with an average of 120 patients presenting at the hospital daily over the past week, significant

The Minister for the OPW has come under fire for not engaging on the issue of coastal erosion in North Inishowen. There have been ongoing campaigns calling for action to protect the coastline in the Ballyliffin and Malin areas of the peninsula. Particular erosion concerns centre on the Ballyliffin links golf course and the area

Two gardai and three sergeants got over €50,000 each in overtime last year. According to freedom of information figures, one officer got €61,000. The total bill for Garda overtime in 2021 was €114 million – nearly 15 million more than the previous year. Sinn Féin’s justice spokesman, South Donegal Deputy Martin Kenny, is calling for

  Listen back to the main evening news, sport and obituaries for Tuesday March 1st:     

It’s been claimed that there are currently ten ambulances backed up at Letterkenny University Hospital. This equates to roughly three quarters of the entire fleet available to Donegal in any given day. Cllr Gerry McMonagle who is also chair of the Regional Health Form West says the situation appears to have hit crisis level. Cllr