Gormley to spend €120k counting frogs.

[Digout]

The lead story in tomorrow Daily Mail, is a report about Gormley hiring 70 people to count frogs, and I presume its not French people, but the slimey animals.

This is being report a day ahead of the budget from hell.

What a country.

[Marcos the black]

Crazy crazy crazy... What more can I say?

[mryoungdan]

As long as they can still post all day long about the sea rising then these 70 will be gainfully employed. So what if they miss a frog or two because all frogs look alike to me and a few missing is of little concern

[DCon]

Is this the start of the smart economy or the knowledge economy?

[advertismo II]

All money for this kind of thing should be already provided for as a result of obligations under Habitats directive.
I'm sure there are people who are already under State employ who could carry out this sort of thing without much additional costs; it's a bit like the times when the give out about Gardaí costs for policing events -that's what they're paid for.

But I do think the possibility of the disappearance of an entire class of vertebrates from the country is an important issue and does deserve attention.
(no sarcasm intended - it just reads that way)

[Malbekh]

Is it frogs or toads? I could understand if they were counting Natterjack toads, I don't think Common Frogs are even a protected species here.

[teapot]

Actually, things like counting frogs are important to knowing about our eco-system - it's the way that the f-ing prat goes about it that pi$$es you off... 70 people who cared about this would volunteer and do the job because they wanted to - but No, he has to hire them - through FAS perhaps? Although I don't think that FAS have actually turned out anyone capable of taking part in a nationwide frog-count. Unless they got a phony diploma from some 'associate outfit' And I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Gormless has hired a consultant to guide him in this endeavour.

I still believe that things like this are important, before anyone starts 'trolling' me (I know who they are now,) as I say, it's the way that these fools go about it that hurts. Anyway, maybe he'll fall in a pond.

[advertismo II]

Is it frogs or toads? I could understand if they were counting Natterjack toads, I don't think Common Frogs are even a protected species here.

They soon could be - general population collapse and even disappearance in many areas.
I uses to see thousands in Dublin; now about one every two years, washed down from the mountains, I think.

Interestingly, our Natterjacks might be a distinct sub-species present here since before the Ice Age.

Not sure how newts are doing - only ever saw them in Wicklow.

[CookieMonster]

Actually, things like counting frogs are important to knowing about our eco-system

Yeah, and that's what we need right now.

[advertismo II]

Actually, things like counting frogs are important to knowing about our eco-system - it's the way that the f-ing prat goes about it that pi$$es you off... 70 people who cared about this would volunteer and do the job because they wanted to - but No, he has to hire them - through FAS perhaps? Although I don't think that FAS have actually turned out anyone capable of taking part in a nationwide frog-count. Unless they got a phony diploma from some 'associate outfit' And I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Gormless has hired a consultant to guide him in this endeavour.

I still believe that things like this are important, before anyone starts 'trolling' me (I know who they are now,) as I say, it's the way that these fools go about it that hurts. Anyway, maybe he'll fall in a pond.

Fully agree with you; fair play.

Yes; I'm sure voluteers supervised by a few zoological specialists could do the job - sample sites are identified in different regions and counts take over a period of time.
Theres' a whole netwok of online volunteer surveys of this type in other countries; Birdwatch Ireland are the only comparable thing I know of here.