A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Volunteers sought to assist in survey of nation's smooth newts
The Irish Wildlife Trust is seeking volunteers to help in carrying out a national survey of smooth newts to find out how these amphibians are surviving the destruction of wetlands – their natural habitat, writes Frank McDonald.
“An understudied native species, the smooth newt’s fate is linked with that of Irish wetlands,” said survey co-ordinator Kevin Flood.
“There is a clear need to increase our knowledge of this species and how it survives within our landscape”, Mr Flood added.
Volunteers will be trained by the trust in newt surveying techniques as well as field recording skills, after which they will be allocated an area in their locality to survey a number of times from now until autumn. To register, e-mail newts@iwt.ie
Plans for 40m hospital attacked
Clare County Council has come under fire at an oral hearing for giving the go-ahead to contentious plans for a €40 million hospital in Ennis.
In his closing submission to a hearing by An Bord Pleanála into the 100-bed hospital proposal, planning consultant Brendan McGrath said the council’s interpretation of its development plan “amounts to a judgment that a 100-bed hospital could be located on any land zoned for development within the settlement boundary of the town”.
Mr McGrath added: “Such an approach does not accord with broader principles of urban design and sustainable settlement planning.”
A decision is due on the plan later this year.
Festival unveils culinary feast
The programme of events for this year’s Waterford Festival of Food has been unveiled.
The four-day event is expected to attract thousands of visitors and to provide a major boost to the local economy next month.
Now in its fourth year, the Dungarvan-based food festival runs from April 14th to 17th. Celebrity and local chefs will host cookery demonstrations while on the Sunday it will feature a Farmers’ Market Extravaganza in Grattan Square.
Michelin star chef Ross Lewis and Martin Shanahan from Fishy Fishy in Kinsale will take part for the first time along with Richard Corrigan, UK chef Mark Hix and Paul Flynn of The Tannery.