A Leitrim Councillor has called on the government to consider other measures other than increasing carbon taxes in their effort to implement climate change.

The comments from Leitrim Independent Councillor James Gilmartin come as the government is set to continue with carbon tax increases in Budget 2026.

Increases will impact commuters, gas, electricity, home-heating and the cost of delivering goods.

New figures show carbon taxes raised more than €3.95bn last year. The tax is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and is part of Ireland’s strategy to support a greener and cleaner environment.

The Manorhamilton MD elected representative says other measures should be considered during a time when a cost of living crisis is gripping the country

Almost €2.5M is being allocated to the North West in the latest round of the Local Improvement Scheme.

Donegal is set to get the biggest share at €1.6M following by Leitrim at €528,000 while County Sligo is getting €321,000.

The investment will be geared towards upgrading rural roads and laneways in the region, improving access to rural homes, farms and outdoor amenities.

Fianna Fail TD Eamon Scanlon says it's very important money for rural areas:

There are renewed calls for a local link bus between Ballymote and Tubbercurry.

Currently, there is no direct bus link between the two large towns and its thought that with a constant rise in population, the need to improve public transport has never been greater.

Ballymote has a train station with six return journeys from Sligo to Dublin which is used by many people from Tubbercurry- south Sligo vicinity yet there is no connecting bus route to Tubbercurry for passengers when they get off the train in Ballymote.

Local Fine Gael Cllr Dara Mulvey says its just doesn't make sense

A major campaign is set to begin in Bundoran, calling for improvements to the local medical centre.

The current building is said to be no longer fit for purpose due to an ever growing population.

Local Sinn Fein Cllr Michael McMahon is set to contact the Government on the matter to see what can be done.

He feels that both the local community and the staff who there deserve better and either the idea of an extension or a new building entirely needs to be urgently explored:

The CEO of a Sligo based addiction service says that

Alcohol and cocaine remain the most prominent substances that people are addicted to right across the country,

Nationally it's being claimed that there was an increase in the number of women accessing addiction services last year.

Aubrey Melville is the CEO of Social Ground force in Sligo.

He says that while there are still a significant number of people being treated for alcohol addiction Cocaine is also a growing problem and many women are also requiring treatment for the substance abuse.

A brand new outdoor fitness suite is set to hit Ballisadare.

It’s part of a wider effort to promote health and wellbeing in the local community.

Work is expected to begin shortly, with just €3,000 in match funding still required.

Speaking to Ocean FM News, Cllr Thomas Walsh says it’s a great boost to the local community

A Sligo Councillor says there a number of measures that could be introduced to help under pressure families with back to school costs.

Parents say they're raiding savings, going to moneylenders, and cutting back on essentials to cover the costs of the new school year,

The Back to School survey for Barnardos shows more than half are worried about how they’ll meet the costs this year.

Uniforms, voluntary contributions and the price of laptops and tablets are their biggest concerns.

Marie Casserly is a secondary school teacher and parent.

She says measures like the introduction of the free school books scheme has helped eased the burden for parents but she says there are still a lot of cost associated with returning to school for parents:

There's concern in the North West that short-term rental properties are posing a threat to the Irish language.

It comes following moves local activists in Gaeltacht areas in Galway to erect signs highlighting the accommodation shortage there.

Meanwhile, new figures show a rise in the number of rental properties being advertised on websites such as Air B and B.

Donegal County Councillor Michael Cholm MacGiolla Easbuig has accused the Government of not doing enough:

Gardai in Sligo have been praised for their swift response to an alleged weekend stabbing incident.

30 year old Dylan Feeney with an address of 16 Maugheraboy Estate, appeared before a Special Sitting of Sligo District Court yesterday evening, charged in connection with the incident.

Emergency services were called to the scene on Church Hill in the early hours of Monday morning last.

Sligo Leitrim Fine Gael TD Frank Feighan says Gardai locally do excellent work in protecting members of the public.

Deputy Feighan however conceded what happened in Sligo at the weekend is deeply concerning:

Calls ae being made on the Government to take immediate action to prevent recurring power outages in the North West.

The calls come from Independent Ireland TD Michael Fitzmaurice following what he described as a “light storm” over the weekend that still left residents without electricity once again.

The Independent Deputy says falling electricity lines fall, have resulted in homes without power just six months after new infrastructure had been installed.

The Roscommon-Galway TD has called on Minister Darragh O'Brien to issue a clear instruction on tree cutting, claiming that insufficient tree-cutting near power lines was at the root of the problem.