Cork County Council has been criticised this week for abandoning vacant properties that have not been sold under the Affordable Houses Scheme. Calls are being made this week to transfer the houses into the rent-to-buy scheme in East Cork, following reports that some local authorities cannot sell its stock of homes. Labour's Cllr John Mulvihill Jnr in Cobh urged the movement this week following reports of one local authority unable to shift its affordable homes.

Cork City Ballet will host an Easter Ballet Intensive School for young dancers in the Firkin Crane Theatre, starting Monday 5 April - Friday 9 inclusive, from 10am to 4pm every day. Prima Ballerina Chika Temma, Bolshoi trained Principal Dancer Yuri Demakov, and international ballet star Guzel Atymtayeva make up the distinguished teaching faculty, providing classes in a variety of dance styles including classical ballet, pointe work, pas de deux and character dancing under the guidance of Cork City Ballet's Artistic Director, Alan Foley.

Cork director Margaret Corkery will have the pleasure of being able to watch her film being screened in her home city when the multi-award winning 'Eamon' opens at the Gate Cinema tomorrow, Friday 5 March. 'Eamon' opens in Cork following its successful run at various cinemas across Dublin in recent weeks. The director is delighted it will be shown in Cork.

The leader of the Fine Gael party, Enda Kenny, will visit Cork on Monday 8 March to discuss reform of the health service through his party’s FairCare health policy at a special public meeting at the Silversprings Hotel. If Fine Gael were in Government, the part claims, they would maximize the existing health services, while eliminating waiting lists. The policy outlines that it would change how hospitals work and would require the Minister for Health to be directly responsible for meeting key targets.

The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children was only able to answer 60 per cent of calls last year. The Cork branch of the Society has 50 volunteers in Cork who each give fours hours of their time each week to man the Cork Childline call centre, which answered 54,278 calls in 2009. Releasing the figures at its Penrose Wharf branch, the group also announced details of its 'Who's Calling' awareness initiative, which outlines the concerns of young people who use the service.

News that plans have been lodged to construct the new M20 motorway between Cork and Limerick has been given a guarded welcome. Cork County Council this week welcomed the lodging of plans with An Bord Pleanala while Fine Gael TD Bernard Allen warned that just because plans were in place it didn't mean that the road would be built. The proposed route will commence at the existing Blarney Junction and will join the existing N20 to Mourneabbey near Mallow.

The Irish Cancer Society has urged Cork people to sign up and volunteer for Daffodil Day, which takes place on Friday 26 March and hopes to raise €4 million euros nationwide for patient care services. John McCormack, CEO of the Irish Cancer Society said: "Everyone has been touched by cancer either directly or indirectly and unfortunately the cancer incidence is growing all the time."

Next Wednesday 10 March is the perfect chance to see up close how some of the country's top sports stars use mental strategies to improve their confidence and performance. A special seminar on 'Developing the confident performer' will be held at Nemo Rangers GAA Club aimed at coaches and sports people from all levels to learn more about how different mental strategies, techniques and approaches can be employed to develop confidence.

'Modfather' Paul Weller, most famously of mod revivalists The Jam and reformed Irish rock group, The Cranberries, confirmed they will perform at the Cork docklands venue this summer. It was confirmed this week that Weller, who sold out at the Marquee in 2008 will return play the Marquee on 27 June.

A monster Race Night, in aid of Cork Deaf Association will kick starts the Patrick's Day festivities a week early with a green-themed event next Friday at the Shelbourne Bar on MacCurtain Street. People can sponsor and name a horse for €10 with cash prizes for participants if their horse wins.