Author name: highlandnews

  It’s been claimed that Letterkenny University Hospital is the worst funded hospital in Ireland. It was revealed this week that more than 1,200 diabetic patients are currently awaiting review appointments at the hospital. Paul Gillespie from Donegal Diabetes Association believes that one of the main problems is mismanagement by the HSE. He says Sligo […]

  Almost €400,000 has been allocated to Donegal under the latest round of the Town and village renewal Scheme. Churchill, Moville and Newtowncunnigham are all set to benefit while money has also been allocated to a County-wide project to develop a Relocation Marketing Campaign. The funding will go towards enhancing various amenities in the villages

  The Equality Minister says the Government’s working to deliver its commitment to end Direct Provision by the end of 2024. Roderic O’Gorman says they’re in the process of purchasing a significant number of units of housing across the country. He says over the course of this year people who are currently in direct provision

Hospital waiting lists will be cut by almost 20 per cent by the end of the year under new government targets. It’s expected around 1.5 million people will be added to waiting lists this year because of Covid backlogs. The new 350 million euro plan aims to ensure 1.7 million people are treated and removed

  It’s hoped that sporting facilities in Strabane will be upgraded in the near future. A motion was passed at the latest sitting of Derry City and Strabane District Council calling for floodlights to be installed at the Arena Pitch in Melvin Sport Complex and for the transfer of the land at Lisnafin playing pitches

The Chair of Donegal County Council’s Mica Redress Committee has warned that homeowners cannot be held to ransom. A special council meeting was held yesterday to discuss the issue which is affecting thousands of people in Donegal. The CEO of Donegal County Council, John McLaughlin confirmed that just 5 affected properties have so far been

  The Dail has heard that high house prices in Donegal and a failure by Government to address derelict and vacant properties is forcing people into homelessness and to flee the county. That’s according to Donegal Deputy Padraig MacLochlainn who was speaking last evening during statements on the Town Centre First Policy. He says it’s

  The CEO of Donegal County Council has confirmed that the acquisition of five Mica affected properties in Buncrana is being reviewed by an external company. At yesterday’s special meeting of Donegal County Council it was agreed that the context for the decision to purchase the five homes in An Crannla Estate would be made

  An ambitious plan to radically reduce hospital waiting lists will be launched this morning. The 2022 Waiting List Action Plan will be unveiled by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly and senior health officials. Over 700,000 people are waiting for an inpatient or outpatient procedure – with over 166,000 waiting over 18 months. Stephen McMahon, from

Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue has described Mica as an issue of our lifetime and a daily trauma for affected families. He was present at a special Mica meeting of Donegal County Council today. It’s been confirmed that regulations concerning engineering fees and emergency works is being signed today. Minister McConalogue says Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien

A marine biologist with the Irish Whale and Dolphin has expressed concern after parts of the jaw and teeth were removed from the bodies of two sperm whales which washed up on beaches in Donegal last week. One of the female whales washed up in Maghery, the other in Malin Head. Sean O’Callaghan says souvenir

The Housing Minister has confirmed that some of the regulations contained in the enhanced Mica Redress Scheme will be signed this evening. The CEO of Donegal County Council, John McLaughlin told a special meeting this afternoon that Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien gave assurances at a housing summit held in Dublin yesterday that the regulations around

The local area plan for Buncrana has been given the go ahead to progress further. The plan is to move forward in tandem with Bundoran and the Twin Towns. Cllr Rena Donaghey says it’ll mean the plan will be fast tracked by a year paving the way for lands to be zoned for housing construction.

  The HSE has given the green light for work to start on the new Dunfanaghy Primary Care Centre. The project was originally estimated to cost 2.5 million euro and its completion is set to be a major asset to the local community. The project has faced a lengthy delay. Dr Paul Stewart, a GP

Residents in a housing estate in east Donegal are said to be plagued by flooding issues. St. Judes Court in Lifford was built over 20 years ago however its understood that the road surface in the estate was never completed. As a result, many drain covers are sitting above road level with almost all of

  More than 1,200 diabetic patients are currently awaiting review appointments at Letterkenny University Hospital. Latest figures show that there are 563 review appointments with Consultants now overdue. In addition, there are 659 patients with review appointments already scheduled for 2022. Cllr Gerry McMonagle raised a number of questions regarding the matter at the latest

  A public apology to victims of historical institutional abuse in Northern Ireland will go ahead on the 11th of March. Plans for the long awaited apology – originally set to be delivered by the First and Deputy First Ministers – had been put into doubt since the collapse of the Executive. It’s now been

  The provision of two new multi million euro business, enterprise and innovation centres in Letterkenny is a step closer. The project under the Councils part 8 development process has been given the green light at a special meeting of the Council today. The proposed development will include the demolition of the former ESB retail

  Serious concern has been raised over reports that an 80 year old sewerage pipe is set to remain in Kerrykeel. Irish Water is currently carrying out work on a new sewerage treatment system along the main street in the village however the old pipe in question is not going to be replaced as part

  Work on a long awaited one way system in the heart of Letterkenny is to begin next month. The traffic system was first proposed in 2018 but had been stalled due to funding constraints. Donegal County Council has confirmed that the necessary funding has now been allocated with construction due to start at the

  Normal teaching and learning activities can return in schools from Monday. Last night the Department of Education issued updated guidance to principles ahead of next weeks reopening. It says class pods and bubbles will no longer be required and activities like sports, music and breakfast clubs can return, while restrictions on the use of

  The Marine Minister has given assurances that repairs works will be carried out to a pier on Arranmore Island. Fishermen on the island rely on Poolawaddy pier but the infrastructure was substantially damaged by the recent storms. The issue was raised in the Dail this week by Deputy Thomas Pringle who requested that urgent

  Donegal County Council is to liaise with gardai to ensure that people visiting tourist facilities in the county use designated parking areas, and do not park on footpaths. Cllr Paul Canning raised the issue this week, saying that there have been instances where inappropriate parking has led to cars causing considerable obstructions for visitors

A Donegal Deputy has called on the Government to resolve outstanding issues for school secretaries and caretakers. Tomorrow, school secretaries and caretakers represented by Fórsa return to talks at the Workplace Relations Commission around pay and pension arrangements for grants funded positions. Deputy Thomas Pringle in the Dail, pressed the Taoiseach to commit to resolving

A local pig farmer has described the situation facing the sector at present as the perfect storm. It is hoped that a €7 million support scheme announced yesterday will counteract some of the challenges but has been deemed as a short term fix. A maximum payment of €20,000 will be available to those affected. Speaking

The HSE says cars are parked at the owner’s risk at Letterkenny University Hospital. Councillor Albert Doherty raised concern at yesterday’s meeting of the Regional Health Forum West after damage was caused to a number of vehicles parked at the hospital. In one case €2,500 worth of damage was caused to a car belonging to

North of the border, Covid is still wreaking havoc on health services. Over 60 patients were waiting for beds at Antrim Area Hospital yesterday, as a potential major incident was declared and later stood down: Over 600 Northern Trust staff are currently absent, Treatments for sick people have been delayed, and bed capacity is still

Fuel prices could reach more than 2 euro a litre at garage forecourts in a matter of weeks, according to the head of an Irish fossil fuel exploration company. The suspension of the Nordstream 2 pipeline along with international tensions around the situation in Ukraine will likely fuel further inflation. Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said