Army needed 'to battle rhododendrons'

The Irish army should be called in to do battle with rhododendrons because the plants are "taking over" a national park, the government has been told.

The colourful County Kerry politician, Michael Healy-Rae, told the Irish parliament that "nothing short of the army" would solve the problem.

Regional Economic Development Minister Michael Ring agreed that the management of the "aggressive rhododendron is a long-standing, ongoing programme" in the park.

But he rejected the suggestion that the government had neglected the public facility or its flowery foreign foes.