Author name: highlandnews

There’s calls for the HSE to prioritise the restoration of Day services at Carndonagh Community Hospital. The service was withdrawn almost two years ago and it was confirmed in November last year that the HSE property management team were tasked with finding a suitable alternative facility in Carndonagh. Councillor Albert Doherty, who is a member

  Culdaff businessman Johnny McGuinness has been officially selected by Fine Gael to serve on Donegal County Council in the North Inishowen area. He is set to replace his late father Bernard who sadly passed away last August at the age of 77. Johnny McGuinness had been widely tipped to fill the vacancy with Fine

  A 50th anniversary Mass in memory of the victims of Bloody Sunday is taking place in Derry this evening. 13 people died after British soldiers opened fire at a civil rights march in the city on January 30th, 1972. No one’s ever been convicted – and the British government wants to ban any further

  The Ombudsman for Children’s Office says the school closures during lockdowns impacted children’s rights. Children with mental health difficulties, homeless children, children in Direct Provision, children with disabilities and Traveller and Roma children were most affected. Its new report shows school closures had a mainly negative effect on a child’s right to education in

  The number of Covid patients in public hospitals has fallen to the lowest level this year. The figure dropped to 678 last night – over a fifth less than a week ago. It exceeded 1,000 at the peak of the Omicron wave earlier this month. Dr Denis McCauley, from the Irish Medical Organisation, says

Talks between representatives from the Irish Fishing Industry and the Russian Ambassador have been described as “extremely positive”. The two sides met this morning so that fishermen could raise their concerns over the impact Russian Navy drills may have on their sector, when they get underway next week. A “buffer zone” is being considered, so

  It’s anticipated that the return of jobseekers payments to post offices will ensure the viability of many rural facilities in Donegal. The changes will initially apply to all new jobseeker applicants, before being extended to other jobseekers over the coming months. When public health restrictions were introduced in 2020, people in receipt of social

A Community Worker in Buncrana says a survey carried among ethnic minorities last year shows the need for more communication and understanding. Ruth Garvey-Williams is a volunteer with the Exchange Community Centre, and was involved in the survey which spoke to over 100 people from different ethnic backgrounds who have moved to Buncrana within the

  The government needs to do more to ensure the country’s child mental health services are fully staffed and resourced. That’s according to Mental Health Reform, which says a report detailing serious clinical oversight in south Kerry raises concerns about other CAHMS services. The review found 227 children were exposed to risky treatment, and 46

A Bill to make stalking a standalone criminal offence will move one step closer to becoming law today. The Fianna Fáil proposal will move to Committee stage later, before going through the Dáil, and may be enacted within weeks. A person convicted of stalking could face a maximum prison sentence of 10 years. Senator Lisa

  The government’s being warned against any plan to reduce the national herd, ahead of a meeting of farmers in Dublin later. Climate’s set to dominate discussions at the Irish Farmers Association’s AGM, which will be attended by the Taoiseach and Agriculture Minister. The farming sector has a target of reducing emissions by between 22

Donegal County Council is to examine whether regeneration funding could be secured for Moville and Greencastle. The issue was raised at a recent Municipal District meeting by Cllr Martin Farren, who says the success of other towns in Inishowen and further afield can be repeated. He says while they are separate towns in their own

  The Taoiseach says Government will work to ensure the Mica Redress Scheme is operational as quickly and as effectively as possible. It’s emerged in recent weeks that despite being unveiled to much fan fare, affected homeowners won’t be able to access the scheme for many months yet. Donegal Deputy Padraig MacLochlainn told the Dail

The Seanad has been told that giving people the right to ask if they can work from home is meaningless in many rural areas where the rollout of broadband is still a long way off. Independent Senator Eileen Flynn said Donegal and other rural counties should be prioritised in the National Broadband Plan roll-out, but

The Taoiseach’s confirmed a nationwide audit of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services will take place. It’s in the wake of a review showing 227 children were exposed to the ‘risk’ of significant harm at a HSE run service in South Kerry. 46 children suffered significant harm. Over 1,300 files were reviewed after concerns were

  The House of Commons has been told that Bloody Sunday marked the start of what was to be the most brutal year of the troubles. This weekend marks the 50th anniversary of the killing of 14 unarmed civilians during a civil rights march in Derry’s Bogside. At the start of Northern Ireland Questions this

The Women of Honour group is to meet with Taoiseach Michael Martin next week. The group of former Defence Forces members, who are alleging sexual abuse, harassment and discrimination, met Simon Coveney yesterday. However, they walked out of the talks after an hour, after it became clear that despite their demand for an inquiry with

  A man is due to be sentenced next week over a shooting rampage in Glenties. Stephen Dowling of Burren Road, Carlow was visiting Glenties when he let off up to 9 shots of ammunition from a high-powered telescopic rifle in the early hours of February 22nd, 2020. The 24-year-old appeared at Letterkenny Circuit Court

  There’s a fresh appeal for information over a body that washed up on a north west beach in the mid-80s. The body of a man was found on Tullaghan Strand near Bundoran in 1986 however despite best efforts by Gardai, the man has not yet been identified. The deceased had a number of tattoos

  There’s a warning of a very difficult summer if farmers concerns around public access and hillwalking are not addressed. There’s been a big increase in the number of people accessing local hills however this in turn has led to a jump in the number of farmers making complaints to The Irish Natura & Hill

Ireland’s economy has returned to pre-Covid levels. In its latest quarterly bulletin, the Central Bank’s predicting domestic demand to grow by 7.1 percent this year. It’s forecasting roughly 170,000 new jobs to be created through to 2024, and unemployment to fall below 5 per cent in that period. However it says inflation’s now at a

  43,500 mortgages were drawn down in Ireland last year – the largest amount in 11 years. New figures from the Banking and Payments Federation show they totalled 10.5 billion euro, with first-time buyers making up more than half of drawdowns. Just over 53,000 mortgages were approved in 2021. Chief Executive of the BPFI, Brian

  The requirement for all employers to have a remote working policy’s “excessive” and “unnecessary”, according to IBEC. Workers could be given the legal right to ask their boss to work from home by the summer, under new draft legislation announced yesterday. Among its provisions, ALL employers will need to set out how remote working

  Nightclubs can reopen in Northern Ireland today, as more Covid restrictions are eased at 12 noon. Dancing at indoor events will be allowed again and social-distancing at work will no longer be a requirement. Covid passports will be scrapped for bars, restaurants and hotels – but still needed in nightclubs. Chief executive of Hospitality

  The Chief Executive of Donegal County Council is to ask the OPW to engage with members of the authority to discuss initiatives to tackle coastal erosion. The issue was raised at Municipal District level by North Inishowen Cllr Martin McDermott, who said a number of areas such as Lagg and Pollan Beach are threatened

A pilot programme to equip garda cars in the Buncrana District has been praised in the Seanad, with members being told that plans are being finalised to roll the project out across the country. The issue was raised by Senator Robbie Gallagher, who said while there is incredible work being done by individuals at community

  Funding is available for a number of heritage projects in Donegal with the Heritage Council inviting applications to its Community Grant Scheme. The aim of the scheme are to support capital projects that improve access and inclusion to heritage sites while it also supports the purchase of essential equipment. Grant applications must be submitted