A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Single suspect believed to be behind midland armed robberies
Gardaí are hunting a man they suspect may have carried out three armed robberies in the midlands in the last six days.
The man walked into Lidl in Portarlington, Co Laois, shortly before lunchtime on Wednesday and threatened a cashier with a sawn-off shotgun. The cashier could not open the till and the man, who had his face covered, fled empty-handed.
In what gardaí believe was a related incident, a raider walked into a petrol station in Portarlington and threatened staff with a sawn-off shotgun on Tuesday night. The masked man escaped with a small sum of money. Just 10km away in Clonbullogue, Co Offaly, a man brandishing a sawn-off shotgun threatened staff at a shop before making off with a small sum of money on Saturday evening. The raider was wearing a balaclava. Anyone with information is asked to contact Portarlington Garda station on 057-862 3112.
Ambulance stolen outside hospital
An ambulance was stolen from outside the emergency department of Portlaoise Hospital on Wednesday night, writes Eoghan MacConnell. Gardaí said the ambulance was taken before midnight and recovered a little later at a housing estate in the town, two miles from the hospital.
A juvenile was apprehended nearby. No damage was caused to it. The boy, who was taken to Portlaoise Garda station for questioning, has since been released.
Committee on oak death disease
A committee has been established by the Minister of State for Forestry, Seán Connick, to contain the spread of a serious new fungal disease. Sudden Oak Death disease was first detected here in July last year on a forestry species in Co Tipperary. It had previously only been detected on invasive rhododendron.
It has now been detected on Japanese larch at eight locations – three in Kilkenny, two in Tipperary, one in Waterford and two in Cork.
Predator mink to be hunted in Donegal
A team of trappers are to deploy across Co Donegal in coming weeks to hunt down predators including feral mink that are ravaging trout and endangered birds.
They have been instructed to trap mink and kill them “humanely”. The trappers will be engaged by the National Parks and Wildlife Service to catch them in riverside traps. The mink will be captured in live traps set close to the nesting sites of protected birds.