Author name: highlandnews

The Stormont Assembly has been told that a major expansion at E&I Engineering’s Campsie plant in Derry could be jeapordised because the company cannot get adequate guarantees regarding access to the Assured Skills programme. In the chamber, Foyle MLA urged Economy Minister Gordon Lyons to meet with the company’s Chief Executive as quickly as possible…………

  A Donegal Deputy says while he’s confident that there will be a continuity of services at the breast clinic at Letterkenny University Hospital, staffing levels generally at the hospital are not up standard. Concerns were raised last week over the pending retirement of the Consultant Radiologist at the hospital and the impact that may

  Discussions around removing Parachute Regiment flags from the streets of Derry will take place later. Their appearance in the Drumahoe and Newbuildings areas in recent days has been heavily criticised ahead of the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. Thirteen civil rights protesters were killed on January 30th 1972, after being shot by British soldiers

  Donegal County Council is being urged to brief public representatives and members of the public on plans for the roll out of the Tús Núa programme in Carndonagh. €9.5 is being invested in the major regeneration project for the town, with €4.4 million anticipated this year. Cllr Albert Doherty says there are a lot

The Cross Border Workers Coalition has warned that cross-border workers face the possibility of a ‘double tax’ or losing the ability to work-from-home at all as a result of the relaxation of Covid-19 rules in the Republic. The Irish Government temporarily waived the double tax requirement in March 2020, with support only being offered when

  The Minister for Education is set to come under further pressure today when Sinn Fein table a motion calling on the government to introduce a hybrid Leaving Certificate exam. The party says it’s unacceptable that a decision has still not been made in relation to this years exam. Education spokesperson Donnchadh O’Laoghaire said the

  The Foreign Affairs Minister says he hopes an agreement on the Northern Ireland protocol can be reached next month. Simon Coveney says the mood was good during yesterday’s talks between the EU’s chief negotiator Maros Sefcovic and his UK counterpart Liz Truss. Further negotiations are expected between officials this week. Minister Coveney expects February

  Cabinet Ministers will finalise new draft laws which give employees the legal right to request to work from home today. It’ll set out the rights of staff to ask their bosses to be allowed to work remotely. However there is some concern around the grounds on which employers can turn down a request. Dr

The Green Party says masks may be fully phased out by the end of February. Face coverings are no longer required in pubs and restaurants, but must be worn on public transport and in shops. Minister Eamon Ryan says it still makes sense to wear masks on buses and trains:

An Inishowen councillor says the delay in starting work on a new Town Plan for Buncrana is affecting the prospect of addressing the town’s housing shortage, not to mention the crisis caused by Mica. Work on a new plan should have started two years ago, but was delayed because of Covid. Now, Cllr Rena Donaghey

A phased return to the workplace is now underway. Covid restrictions on workers have been lifted and staff can return to the office on a phased basis from today. But trade unions and opposition parties are calling for staff to be given the option to work remotely into the future. Bernard Harbor from the Forsa

  Donegal TDs are being urged to redouble their efforts to fast track the new Mica Redress Scheme. Last week it emerged that it could be September before homeowners see any real progress, dashing hopes that the scheme would be up and running in the coming weeks. Taking to social media, Mica Action Group PRO

  Donegal County Council is being urged to reassess a junction in the Letterkenny area, after a multi-car crash at the weekend. Three cars collided at the Killyclug-Killylastin junction on Friday evening, with Gardaí saying three young men required hospital treatment following the crash. Cathaoirleach of Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District Jimmy Kavanagh has raised safety concerns

  Funding of up to one million euro is being offered for coastal upgrade projects over the next two years. Local authorities in coastal areas are being encouraged to apply for government funding to improve pier and harbour infrastructure. The scheme will cover up to 85 percent of a project’s cost. The Department of Agriculture,

  Sinn Fein is putting forward a Dail motion this week on recommending a hybrid model for the Leaving Cert. It wants to see a mix of written exams and accredited grades this year, ahead of further talks with the Education Minister. It comes after similar calls from other stakeholders who met Norma Foley last

  Workers can return to offices on a phased basis starting today, while pubs, restaurants and nightclubs are already open at their usual times. Social distancing has been scrapped and there are no restrictions on live events or gatherings in the home. In person prison visits are also set to resume this week. Trade unions

Unions are calling for remote working to continue to be an option for workers as public health restrictions are lifted. Tomorrow sees the gradual return of staff to workplaces, for those who had been working from home. Forsa and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions are among those calling for businesses to continue to facilitate

The Restaurants Association of Ireland is describing the lifting of restrictions as ‘very positive’ for hospitality. Almost all covid restrictions have been removed, with pubs, restaurants and nightclubs allowed return to normal hours. Digital Covid Certs will only be needed for international travel and the need for social distancing has been scrapped. Restaurants Association Chief

The Department of Health has announced a further 8,126 new cases of Covid-19 in the Republic of Ireland today. Of those, 4,731 cases were confirmed by PCR test, with a further 3,395 positive antigen tests registered online. While today’s daily case number continues the downward trend seen in the last two weeks – Professor Anthony

The Health Minister says the emergency powers like the Covid Cert are ‘very serious’ and have been dropped because there is no longer a public health rationale. Stephen Donnelly has admitted that the passes had ‘secondary benefits’ – like encouraging people to get vaccinated and boosted. However he says those were never the primary aim

People across the Island have expressed ‘interest and enthusiasm’ in a public consultation about an All Island Rail Review. That’s according to the North’s Infrastructure Minister, who says about 3,500 responses have been gathered from both sides of the border, as the public consultation period on the review ended yesterday. The review will now examine

The Tánaiste has claimed that today is the beginning of the end of the Covid pandemic. As of this morning there’s no requirement for social distancing, restrictions on hospitality have lifted and there are no caps on gatherings in the home. Live events can go ahead at full capacity, with Minister Catherine Martin confirming there

A Donegal Deputy is calling for the compulsory purchase of the site for the new National Maternity Hospital site as soon as possible. There are questions as to why the State would invest €800 million of public money into the new hospital and not establish ownership. Despite a motion being brought forward to the Dail

Residential property prices in Donegal rose by 12% last year, one of the higher rises in the country according to an analysis carried out by the Irish Independent. The paper says prices will continue to rise in 2022, particularly in Letterkenny as LYIT attains technological university status. However, according to Residential Property Editor Mark Keenan,

A South Donegal Deputy is pushing for guarantees from government that the Rescue 118 Search and Rescue helicopter will continue to be based at Sligo Airport. Currently there are four SAR bases, Sligo, Shannon, Waterford and Dublin, but a new pre-tender document published by the Government recently states that it requires “at least three bases”

“There is a lot to do, but today is a good day” The words of Taoiseach Michael Martin this evening as he confirmed the lifting of most restrictions from 6am tomorrow morning. The requirement for social distancing will be scrapped along with all restrictions on the hospitality sector. Attendance caps at indoor and outdoor events

The Housing Executive is being urged to come up with a plan for the future of the former Travellers site on Derry’s Letterkenny Road. Foyle MLA Padraig Delargy says the site has been lying derelict for a number of years, and it’s become a scar on one of the main arterial routes into the city.

The vast majority of Covid restrictions will end at 6am tomorrow morning under plans gone to the Cabinet this afternoon. Taoiseach Michael Martin is expected to confirm at 6 o’clock this evening that the curfew on hospitality will be scrapped, capacity limits at live events and sports fixtures will end, and social distancing will non