A new survey of 229 building firms has made the “alarming discovery” that almost 90% have an inadequate supply of qualified tradespeople, while fewer than 30% currently have apprentices.

A pilot scheme encouraging building contractors to hire more apprentices is being rolled out nationwide.

There is activity in abundance in the sunny south-east, beginning with the Waterford Harvest Festival (Sept 11-13, www.waterfordharvestfestival.ie ). 

Waterford-based GIY are joining forces with Bord Bia to search for Ireland’s favourite potato, a quest for inner ‘spudlove’, encouraging the growing, cooking and consumption of the National Tuber and participation in a ‘Spud-Off’, whereby local winners compete in a national competition at the GIY GROW festival, in Waterford, in mid-September.

The Menu, having saddled up the doughty Neidin and ensured his Party Hat was cocked at a particularly rakish angle, lit out for the Big Smoke earlier this week to the Irish Food Writer’s Guild Annual Food Awards, one of the highlights of the Irish culinary year when the cream of Irish food writers assemble to honour the world-class Irish food world.

Chef’s Table, Chapter One,

Cork’s reputation as the food capital of Ireland was confirmed yesterday at the 2014 Irish Food Writers’ Guild Food Awards, with six of the seven awards going to producers, organisations or individuals based in the county.

BUILDING firms cannot be expected randomly to test their staff for drink and drugs and they won’t foot the bill for such checks, the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) has warned.