Author name: highlandnews

  New regional health areas will have budgets based on population. Cabinet approved the establishment of regional health areas in a radical shake up of the structure of the HSE. One person will be in charge of service delivery in the six regions with a slimmed down central HSE overseeing national policy. Each area will […]

A status yellow wind warning has been issued for four counties for tomorrow. It will be in place in Donegal, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo from 1pm until 9pm. Met Eireann is predicting very strong winds which may make driving difficult.

  A security alert in the Waterside area of Derry is continuing this afternoon. It follows the report of a suspicious object discovered in the Corrody Road area yesterday evening, shortly after 7pm. Corrody Road remains closed between its junctions with Strabane Old Road and Kittybane Road and is expected to remain closed for several

A man has been arrested and a quantity of drugs seized in Strabane following an incident in the town in the early hours of this morning. Substantial damage as also caused to a flat on Main Street after a fire broke out at 12:40am today. Police and Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service responded to

The Bishop of Raphoe has launched a new Pastoral Plan for the Diocese of Raphoe. Bishop Alan McGuckian says the future decline in the number of priests is a big worry. The new Pastoral Plan for the Diocese of Raphoe for the next two years was launched at 7pm Mass on March 31st, in the

Gardai are urging people in the Whitethorn Park area of Letterkenny who may have observed a man acting suspiciously on Tuesday last to come forward. A resident arrived home on Tuesday last to discover an intruder in her home. She is said to have entered via the front door and when she observed the man

Gardai in Ballyshannon are investigating a number of break ins in the district. They are particularly keen to trace the movements of two vehicles they believe to be connected to one incident. Between 9am and 12 noon on Wednesday last, the rear window of a property in Tobber, Ballintra was forced open and entry gained.

Gardai are appealing for information relating to a criminal damage incident in Donegal Town. On Wednesday last at around 3:40am, residents of a house in Millrace Crescent were wakened by a loud bang. They subsequently discovered that the front sitting room window and glass in the front door had been smashed. Gardai are appealing to

Donegal is to receive over €716,000 in funding under the Local Improvement Scheme. The county has received the third highest allocation in the country for upgrade works on rural roads and laneways. The money will help in improving access to homes, farms and outdoor amenities.

The government is inviting applications from cross-border Local Authority Partnerships for the new Shared Island Local Authority Development Funding Scheme. The €5m scheme is being funded through the Government’s Shared Island Fund, and will support the development of new joint investment projects. Minister Charlie McConalogue says this is a timely announcement, coming after the Taoiseach’s

A man has been shot in Derry. It’s believed that shortly after midnight, three masked men entered a property in the Kildrum Gardens area. Two of the men entered a bedroom where a man, aged in his thirties, was sleeping and shot him twice – once in each leg. Detective Sergeant Galbraith has confirmed that

Government Ministers will be asked to approve the creation of regional health areas this morning in a major reform for the health service. Health Minister Stephen Donnelly will bring a memo to Cabinet this morning saying the new regional healthcare model will be phased in from the start of next year, being fully operational by

A covid pandemic bonus for healthcare staff may not be paid until the summer. The €1,000 bonus was initially set to be awarded to frontline healthcare workers in February or March, however a dispute erupted over the amount and the number of staff who qualified to receive it. The Irish Independent reports that while negotiations

Donegal County Council says the L2563 from Maas to Ardara will be blocked for a time today and tomorrow as a result of road works in the area. The blockages will happen between 8:00am to 4.30pm.

A security alert is ongoing this morning in Derry. The Corrody Road was closed last night between its junctions with the Strabane Old Road and Kittybane Road following a report of a suspicious object in the area. Police say diversions are in place. No further details are known at this time.

Police in Derry have closed the Corrody Road between its junctions with Strabane Old Road and Kittybane Road following the report of a suspicious object in the area. Diversions are in place and are expected to remain in place overnight. There are no further details at present.

The government has reported 6,518 new cases of Covid 19 this afternoon, 3,164 confirmed through positive PCR tests, with a further 3,354 positive antigen tests reported through the HSE portal yesterday. There was a total of 12,971 cases reported over the weekend, 7,795 on Saturday and 5,176 yesterday. As of 8am this morning, there were

  The Mandate Trade Union is calling for the immediate introduction of a ‘living wage’ for retail workers. It’s delegate conference has heard that the entry point for retail staff should be set at a minimum of €12.90 per hour. The union’s also demanding collective bargaining rights for its 30 thousand strong membership, and heard

  The Best of the North West will be showcased widely over the coming weeks as part of a new collaborative tourism campaign. It has been launched by Donegal County Council and Derry City and Strabane District Council, working in partnership with Visit Derry & Donegal Tourism CLG. The £90,000 domestic marketing initiative is set

  Over 5 thousand census enumerators are beginning the process of gathering up the forms that will shape Irish policy for the future. 2 million forms were sent out nationwide in an effort to capture the current state of Irish life in 2022. There is a legal obligation on all citizens to ensure that their

  Take shorter showers, cut out one car journey a week and turn down the thermostat on the heating. They’re some of the measures expected to be included in a public awareness campaign as part of the government’s efforts to deal with the cost of living according to the Irish Times. Green Party leader Eamon

  Nine motorists have been caught speeding in the Letterkenny area over the weekend. Gardai were conducting a speed check on Saturday and issued nine Fixed Charge Penalty Notices for the offence of speeding as a result. Each driver will now have to pay a fine of €80 and will each receive 3 penalty points.

  A driver has been arrested over a dangerous driving incident on Rossnowlagh beach. Donegal Town Gardaí received a report that a vehicle was being driven in a dangerous manner in the area on Saturday evening. Gardaí responded to the call and observed the vehicle in question. The vehicle failed to stop for Gardaí but

A number of windows have been smashed in Strabane over the weekend.  Police in Strabane are currently investigating the report of criminal damage to a private residence in the Carlton Drive area of the town. It is believed this incident occurred around 9:30pm on Saturday night where windows in the property were smashed. Police say

The number of people in hospital with Covid-19 has dropped for a fourth consecutive day. 1,404 people are receiving treatment, down nine in 24 hours and 206 since Wednesday. However today’s figure’s still up 53 percent compared to the same day last month. 57 people are in intensive care  – up five since yesterday. Latest

The first certified weaving course in Ireland has been launched by Udaras na Gaeltachta in Kilcar. The course was developed by Donegal ETB’s Further Education and Training Service to support the preservation of Donegal Weaving as an indigenous craft, to ensure a continuity of skills for the power loom and hand weaving industries and also