Author name: highlandnews

A Fine Gael senator is calling for a Junior Minister for Passports to be appointed to deal with the current backlog. Martin Conway says the situation has become a “national emergency”. There are 195,000 applications currently in the system. At the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party meeting last night, one TD is understood to have called

A member of the Regional Health Forum hopes a meeting next week will allay concerns over the removal of the angiogram service from Letterkenny University Hospital. The Saolta Health Care Group has agreed to meet members of the Regional Health Forum and Oireachtas members to discuss the critical service. Councillor Ciaran Brogan, a number of

The proposed Troubles amnesty bill has been criticised in the Dail by Donegal Deputy Thomas Pringle, who claims that it is only being enacted to protect Britain. The bill would end all prosecutions for Troubles-era killings and offenses – a move that has been harshly criticised by survivors’ groups on all sides of the conflict.

The Housing Minister has once again been asked to deliver a proper 100 percent mica redress scheme. Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty put pressure on Minister Darragh O’Brien in the Dail yesterday to release the revised Mica legislation, which has been long awaited by homeowners representatives disappointed with revisions made to the scheme last year. Deputy

An investigation is ongoing into a fish kill where 14 trout were killed in a river close to Bridgend. The fish kill was discovered by a member of the public on Tuesday last on the Skeoge River in the Townland of Bunnamayne, Bridgend. The member of the public who discovered the fish kill said they

The UK Government will introduce long-awaited legislation today to protect the Irish Language in the North. It was part of the 2020 deal that resolved the then-power-sharing collapse at Stormont. Padraig O’Tierney from the Irish language rights group An Dream Dearg says they want to make sure the British government lives up to its commitments:

The Chair of the Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation has reiterated calls for a solution to Ireland’s fish quota. As a result of Brexit fish quotas for Ireland were cut drastically. Ciaran Doherty is also Operations manager and skipper with Aine Fishing Company, Burtonport. He told this week’s Business Matters Podcast with Ciaran O’Donnell that he and

‘Enough of your spoofing’. That’s what Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty told the Housing Minister in the Dail this afternoon as he again called for the introduction of a proposal which could see developers paid up to €144,000 for each apartment they build outside of Dublin to be scrapped. Deputy Doherty called for Minister Darragh O’Brien

The Dail will be told later today that the British Government are trying to evade accountability and responsibility for their role in the Troubles. It comes as the debate continues over an amnesty bill being proposed by the British Government. Donegal Deputy Padraig MacLochlainn will also raise the findings of a police Ombudsman’s report which

The number of complaints made about local authorities almost doubled last year. The Ombudsman received nearly 1,300 – up 45 percent on 2020. Overall, more than 4,000 complaints were made about public services in 2021 – the highest number on record. 111 complaints were made in Donegal. There were over 1,000 complaints about government departments,

A Donegal garda has been announced as the new president of the Garda Representative Association. Brendan O’Connor previously held the role of vice president of the organisation. At the GRA’s annual conference which is being held in Westport this week, Mr O’Connor expressed concerns over the increased expectations on force members while resources continue to

A gunman’s shot dead at least 19 children and two teachers at a primary school in Texas. It’s believed his first victim was his own grandmother – before he drove to the school, armed with a handgun and an assault rifle. The 18 year old, identified as Salvador Ramos was shot dead by police. The

Gardai could be given access to facial recognition technology, under plans to be unveiled by the Justice Minister today. Helen McEntee will tell the Garda Representative Association conference she intends to legislate for it with Cabinet approval. She’ll tell delegates it would be for tackling serious crimes, and used in limited circumstances like searching CCTV

The union representative from the Letterkenny University Hospital branch of the Medical Laboratory Scientists Association has welcomed the news that medical scientists will be suspending planned industrial action today. The MLSA accepted a Labour Court invitation yesterday evening, to have the matter discussed directly with the Department of Health and the HSE, ending planned strike

The Taoiseach has suggested the Labour Court could get involved in the dispute causing medical scientists to strike. Up to 30,000 hospital procedures are expected to be cancelled today and tomorrow as a result of the industrial action, including several elective procedures at Letterkenny University Hospital. The scientists are demanding better pay and conditions, better

The Tanaiste believes the European Union won’t go into recession. Leo Varadkar is currently at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where the possibility of recession is one of the key themes. It follows fears the US could be about to slide into an economic downturn, with suggestions the EU could follow. However speaking to