Author name: highlandnews

Listen back to the main evening news, sport, nuacht and obituaries for Friday February 4th:

The High Court in Belfast has suspended an order stopping checks on goods coming from Britain into Northern Ireland. DUP Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots had made the order before the resignation of Paul Givan put Stormont on the brink of collapse. However, a court has now ruled that order should be suspended pending a full

Clarity is being sought on a timeframe for when schools in Donegal may be allocated DEIS status. A number of schools in the county lost their DEIS status in 2017 as part of a review. Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty believes these schools should be included in the newly widened scheme. However, when questioned on the

€9 million is to be invested in Killybegs harbour this year, with €5.5m set aside for the Smooth Point pier extension. Agriculture and Marine Minister Charlie McConalogue says the allocation is part of a €35m programme for capital projects in Ireland’s six state-owned Fishery Harbour Centres this year. He says the government is committed to

A Donegal TD says the HSE must move to address delays in securing vital eye appointments. Deputy Thomas Pringle says figures he’s received show that 45 per cent of people waiting for ophthalmology treatment in Donegal and the surrounding region had been waiting for more than a year. As of November, there were almost 4,800

Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue says the resignation of the North’s First Minister coupled with the decision to suspend checks on goods arriving into the North through ports from Britain is ‘unhelpful’. Paul Givan’s resignation resulted in the automatic removal of Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill from her post also. It comes amid ongoing tensions over

The Cathaoirleach of the Letterkenny Milford Municipal believes Golfgate was blown out of proportion. The Golfgate trial ended yesterday with the dismissal of charges against the four men accused of organising the event. The judge said Independent TD Noel Grealish, former Fianna Fáil Senator Donie Cassidy and two hoteliers fully complied with regulations. The charges

The Foreign Affairs Minister has described the DUP’s decision to resign the position of First MInister as ‘unfortunate’ and ‘unwelcome’. Paul Givan’s resignation took effect at midnight, at which point Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neil was also automatically removed from her post. The assembly can continue sitting and individual Ministers can continue with their duties,

More Donegal women are being encouraged to enter the race in the next local elections. Only four women were elected onto Donegal County Council in 2019, equating to an 11% representation – well below the national average of 25%. In the last General Election, no woman was elected across the five available Dáil seats in

Northern Ireland no longer has a fully functioning government. The resignation of First Minister Paul Givan came into effect at midnight, after only 8 months in the role. Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill is automatically removed from her post as a result. Donegal Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn says an election must be brought forward:

The Tanaiste says he would be ‘extremely surprised’ if the enhanced Mica Redress Scheme was not up and running by ‘the end of the year’. Legislation is expected to go through the Dail and Seanad shortly but hopes were previously dashed for homeowners of the scheme being accessible thereafter. The scheme has faced countless delays

A Donegal TD has expressed scepticism about the EU’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, which has been debated in the Dail ahead of its adoption by the Irish government. The fund’s aim is to strengthen and develop all aspects of the common European asylum system, with a number of stated aims, including support for legal

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

  A Donegal Deputy has described the decision to suspended checks on goods at ports in Northern Ireland as a ‘reckless stunt’. It’s understood checks on good however are continuing today despite the North’s Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots announcing that they would cease overnight. Deputy Pearse Doherty said the move was cynical by Edwin Poots

Cancer Care West says some cancer patients in Donegal may be feeling more vulnerable, as Covid restrictions ease. The organisation says in many cases, people with cancer are surrounded by people who no longer need to be as careful as they were, and this may leave leave them feeling more apprehensive. They’ve drawn up a

The move to suspend checks on goods arriving into Northern Ireland ports from Britain could be another escalation of efforts by the DUP against the Northern Ireland protocol. That’s according to Donegal Senator Niall Blaney who is a member of the Good Friday Agreement Committee and Fianna Fail spokesperson on Northern Ireland. The suspension of

A Donegal father has today, spoke of his son’s role in raising the alarm after he fell off a cliff. 10 year old Owen Cunningham from Kilcar sought help after his father Seamus sustained injuries when he fell off a cliff on November 16th last year while working on farm fencing. Emergency services arrived on

Parents in Donegal are being encouraged to get their applications for school transport in early. It’s for the school year starting this coming September with the deadline for applications April 29th. It applies to new applicants only that are seeking primary or post primary school transport for 2022/23. Cllr Paul Canning says there can be

There are currently 40 thousand vacant jobs in the Irish tourism sector. Tourism Ireland says that 30 percent of staff have left the tourism industry since the beginning of the covid pandemic. A new report to be released next week is expected to indicate that many hospitality businesses have had to cut down on services

The Agriculture and Marine Minister has been told there is blind anger and fury over how fishermen are treated. Speaking in the Dail last evening on the Sea Fisheries Amendment Bill, Donegal Deputy Padraig MacLochlainn relayed his concern that fishermen are being criminalised by current legislation surrounding the penalty points system. Deputy MacLochlainn who is

New Government initiatives could be on the way to alleviate the spiralling cost of living. Both the Taoiseach and Tanaiste indicated at their parliamentary party meetings last night that further measures are being considered. They’re thought to include an increase to the 100 euro energy credit next month, and a reduction in Government charges. Junior

A cross-community group of Troubles victims will meet with the Taoiseach in Dublin later seeking support against the UK government’s proposed amnesty for legacy killings. The British government claims its plan to block investigations into crimes committed by security forces or paramilitaries would help with reconciliation. But opposition politicians and victims groups have criticised the

Checks on goods travelling from Britain into Northern Ireland ports have been suspended. It came into force at midnight, after the UK government said it wouldn’t intervene following the move by Agriculture Minister, Edwin Poots. The DUP minister says he acted on legal advice, but is being accused by the Irish government and other Stormont

The Seanad has been told the government must do all it can to ensure that state collusion in Loyalist murders is not masked by an amnesty. The issue was raised by Senator Niall O’Donnaighle, who raised the recently published Greenwich Report. He told Junior Foreign Affairs Minister Thomas Byrne that that the true level of

  A South Donegal Deputy believes that Technological University will have far reaching benefits for the North West region – if it’s properly resourced. Deputy Marian Harkin was speaking as part of statements on the Higher Education Authority Bill 2022 in the Dail last night. The LYIT, Sligo IT and GMIT are set to merge

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

  The Taoiseach has said he has an open mind on not raising the State pension age. It’s after an Oireachtas Committee recommended keeping the qualifying age at 66 – rather than following the Pensions Commission advice to raise it to 68 by 2039. It also advised getting rid of mandatory retirement ages in employment

  The National Public Health Emergency Team is currently reviewing the use of masks in primary schools. Representatives appeared before the Oireachtas Health Committee this morning. Deputy Cathal Crowe described the ongoing use of masks in primary schools as a struggle, and asked when this measure would be stood down. Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr

The Dail has been told that cancer patients in the Saolta region have the worst outcomes in Ireland. Independent TD Sean Canny was speaking during a debate on the cost of cancer care, during which he called for investment in the Regional Cancer Centre in Galway, as well as in other Level 3 hospitals across

The community of Glenties have been praised for their part in the investigation into the Wild West shooting rampage. Yesterday, 24 year old Stephen Dowling of Burren Road, Carlow was sentenced to 8 years in prison after he figured a number of shots from a high-powered telescopic rifle on Glenties main street in the early