Taoiseach visits new research and education centre at Fota

AN Taoiseach Leo Varadkar visited Fota Wildlife Park today to view the construction of a new Education, Conservation and Research Centre which is due to open to schools, colleges, and the public in late November.

The new centre is co-funded by the Government, via the Office of Public Works (OPW).

The OPW has co-funded essential capital infrastructural projects at Fota since 2021, including the new Spider Monkey house, the Howler Monkey habitat, and the flood defence repair to the south sea wall.

Sustainability is at the heart of the new building; eco-friendly and recycled materials have been used where possible. The new building will be able to produce as much energy as it needs and will feature a garden with native plants, external and internal living walls, and built-in habitats, such as nesting boxes for bats and birds to promote learning at every opportunity.

During his visit, Mr Varadkar was asked about the government’s plan to deal with the expected pressure of emergency departments in both Cork University Hospital and Mercy University Hospital this winter.

“We tend to move away from the idea that there be a standalone winter plan because the issues we face with overcrowding can occur year-round. So, what we’re doing around the country is putting in more beds and increasing the capacity in our hospitals.

“We are also making sure fewer people will have to be admitted in the first place by expanding our community care services and then also making sure people can get out of hospitals quicker, particularly into nursing homes and into home care,” he said.

The Fine Gael Leader also said he believes it is unlikely that a legal requirement to wear face masks will be reinstated in the wake of the new Covid-19 variant.

“There will be waves of Covid like there are waves of the flu and while people might be advised to wear masks in certain circumstances if they have symptoms or if they are recovering.

“I don’t think legal mandate will come back,” he said.

Separately, the Taoiseach spoke about the delays surrounding the planned Event Centre for Cork. When asked if he feels embarrassed at this stage, he said “I think we all are frankly.”

“It’s a great project and it is going to happen. It has changed over the course of time. It is a much bigger project than the one originally intended.”

Meanwhile, Mr Varadkar paid tribute to the first responders in Cork for their efforts during the recent tragedies in the county.

“Above all [I] really want to extend my condolences to the families and friends of the people who’ve lost their lives and the communities which have been affected.”