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es terday, the National Director of One in Four, Maeve Lewis, said that even the bishops who acted responsibly

should be stripped of all discretion- ary power. She was speaking follow- ing a statement from Cardinal Séan Brady, which said that the Bishop of Cloyne, John Magee, should not re- sign as he had learned his lesson.

‘I think that the recent position ex- pressed by the vast majority of the bishops would show that they sim- ply don’t understand the dynamics of sexual violence and the degree to which the offender can manipulate the situation,” she said.

“They simply do not have the ex- pertise to be the judge for these types

of situations and this power should now be taken away from them. ‘When you have a bishop who re- ally understands all of the nuances in relation to child sexual abuse then the protocol will be implemented not only to the letter of the law but also to the spirit of the law. But this is clearly not the situation so we are now call- ing for the power of discretion to be taken away from all bishops.” Despite calling for his discretionary powers to be taken away, the One in Four director praised Bishop Walsh for his commitment to child protec-

tion. “Our experience would be that Bishop Willie Walsh is very commit- ted to child protection and has man- aged cases in the diocese very well in the past,’ she continued.

“We would commend him for this and would also recognise that the Bishop was one of the few to call for Bishop John Magee to consider his position over the situation in Cloyne.

“But we also believe that the bish- ops in the main have not aligned themselves with the thinking of the priests and people who they repre- sent.”

Loneliness a factor in alcoholism

that he has not yet decided which electoral area he will stand in, but will make the announcement in the coming weeks.

The colourful politician took some time to consider his future after los- ing his seat to Fine Gael’s Joe Carey in last May’s General Election.

The Kilnamona man was never too far from the world of politics howev- er, as he remained a regular attendee at public meetings and kept a firm in- terest in the Ennis General Hospital Development Committee and MRSA and Families Network.

Having previously served as a Fi- anna Fail councillor in the Ennisty- mon electoral area, it may be prudent for the Kilnamona native to consider Ennis West this time around, as the boundary changes could see most of his area in the new Ennis electoral area.

Mr Breen was elected as an In-

dependent candidate to the Dail in 2002, after leaving the Fianna Fail party when he failed to get the party pLeveaupar-la(eyee

His formative years growing up in Kilnamona had a strong influence on his later life.

Although not politically active his father was a Fine Gael supporter while his mother’s allegiance was to Fianna Fail.

Throughout his early life he took an interest in political life but de- scribed himself as a freelancer at the time with no allegiance to a particu- lar party.

In 1966 he was approached to form a local cumann for Fianna Fail.

In 1979 he ran for local election on the Fianna Fail ticket and while he was not elected at that stage he was successful in 1985.

The Kilnamona man represented the party in Clare until 2002.

On February 11, 2002 James walked away from the Soldiers of Destiny after 36 years and decided to march alone when he did not make the party ticket.

He will begin the march again – door-to-door next year.

Maverick McCabe stepping into the ring

SINCE January of this year, the Building Energy Rating (BER) scheme has been extended to cover all residential property. This means a BER certificate is now legally re- quired when selling or renting hous- es and apartments.

Roger Leyden of Leyden Auction- eers Ennis, is a qualified BER As- sessor, accredited by Sustainable En- ergy Ireland (SEI). He explains, “A BER Cert rates the energy efficiency of a property. The Cert is designed to make it easier for prospective buyers or tenants to calculate how efficient a property is to heat.

Anyone selling or renting resi- dential property is now obliged to provide a BER Cert and solicitors require a BER Cert as part of the documentation needed to close the sale of a property”.

The good news is that the Cert re- mains valid for ten years from the date of issue, unless there is a ma- terial change to the building, which could affect its energy performance, for example an extension or a sig- nificant change to the building fabric or a change in the heating system or fuel used.

Although there has been much con- troversy about the cost of certifica- tion, Roger commented that while he could not speak for others, “we oper- ate a three- tiered pricing structure. A BER survey and certificate for an apartment is €225, which includes

the €25 obligatory fee to the SEI. We charge €250 for a semi-detached or town house and €275 for a larger detached house of up to 2,000 sq. ft

— again those prices are inclusive of price”.

the SEI fee.

For landlords with a portfolio of | with properties to sell is, “don’t wait

properties, Roger will “negotiate on

His advice to landlords and those

until the last minute to get your BER

cert in order, after all, once issued it remains valid for ten years”.

Roger 1s critical of the Govern- ment’s performance in communicat- ing this scheme to the general pub- lic.

“The Ratings are graded from Bands A- G, ‘A’ being the highest level of energy efficiency. Most of the second hand houses that are 10 to 15 years old, are commonly re- ceiving a C or D rating and many of the owners are disappointed by what they perceive to be a low rating, but that’s as much as they should expect because to make the leap to an ‘A’ rating they would need to have so- lar panels and geo-thermal heating installed and that is the exception rather than the norm’, said Roger.

He issued a word of caution to landlords, “Storage rads, which are prevalent in so many apartments greatly reduce energy efficiency and they alone can bring the ratings right Kenyan lee

From now on letting agencies will have to include the energy rating of all apartments and houses on their books, so landlords should act sooner rather than later to get their proper- ties assessed.

Roger’s final word of advice is to “ensure your BER assessor 1s regis- tered with the SEI, otherwise your Cert will not be valid”.

A RESEARCH and development di- vision of the Intel computer corpo- ration based in Shannon more than doubled its operating profit to $1 million to the end of 2007.

But according to accounts recently returned to the Companies Office, Intel Shannon Ltd incurred a pre-tax loss of $10.6 million after writing off a capital contribution to a subsidiary costed at $12 million.

The Shannon site is the European research and development arm of Intel’s Digital Enterprise Group (DEG).

According to the figures, the com- pany increased its turnover by 16% from $24 million to $28 million while cost of sales increased by 19% from $20.7 million to $24.8 million.

The company’s pre-tax loss of $10.6 million followed a pre-tax profit of $611,843 for the previous year.

The accounts show that the com- pany had accumulated funds of $11.1 million. This followed a non-refund- able capital contribution from Intel Ireland Ltd of $12 million. No divi- dend was paid during the year.

The site in Shannon hosts a number of divisions focusing on_ server chipset, security and communication silicon and software design and pro- vides business, technical and market- ing support for European customers and field sales.

Intel Shannon employs 103 of its 142 employees in R&D with the re- mainder engaged in management and administration

Its parent company, Intel Corpora- tion, is the world’s leading semicon- ductor chip maker, employing over 80,000 people worldwide, and sup- plying the computing and communi- cations industries with chips, boards, systems and software building blocks that are integral to computers, serv- ers, networking and communications products.

The company’s Shannon and Leix- lip plants work in close association and together launched the first com- munications processor to be fully de- signed developed and manufactured in Ireland.

The design and development of the [XP425 processor was carried out by ICE in Shannon before being manu- factured in Leixlip.

Intel Ireland employs over 5,000 employees at its Leixlip campus and the corporation’s overall investment in its Irish operation is in the region of €5 billion

Shannon is the European base for the embedded businesses of DEG and home to the technical marketing and business development teams.

In relation to risks facing the com- pany, the directors state that legal action by third parties and loss of, or damage to the company’s fixed as- sets are the principal risk factors that could materially and adversely affect the company’s future operating protf- its or financial position.

A TENANT who stole electrical goods from his landlord committed a “particularly mean crime,’ accord- ing to a judge.

Bartosz Szutta (25), of Lios Rua, Ballycasey, Shannon, admitted stealing a plasma screen television, laptop computer and dvd player, at Ballycasey Court, Shannon, on Sep- tember 28 last. Ennis District Court was told the value of the stolen goods amounted to more than €3,000.

Sergeant Annette Ryan told the court the owner of the house re- turned after a weekend away to find his tenant, the accused, sitting in a van along with the contents of the SJLMBUNTcapKeLONeeF

‘He asked what he was doing with the contents and he told him he was stealing them and he was about to drive off,’ she said.

She said that €500 in cash had been taken from a drawer in the owner’s bedroom. “The defendant left the scene. Before doing so he put

the €500 cash into the letter box of the house. All of the property was recovered,’ said Sgt Ryan.

Defending solicitor Jenny Fitzgib- bon said her client was having dif- ficulty with work at the time and had gone through a “dark period.”

‘His performance at work was not up to scratch. He was suspended and ultimately he was let go. He was be- ginning to panic. He has a loan for €8,000. He wishes he could turn back the clock,” said the solicitor.

Judge Timothy Lucey said it was a “particularly mean crime.”

‘He was in a position of trust. He was a tenant in part of the house. He used that to steal substantial amounts from his landlord. It was fortuitous the landlord came back. He was caught red-handed,” he said.

He imposed a six-month jail term, suspended for 12 months on con- dition he enter a bond to keep the joerleen

IT’S days like this that Bunratty real- ly earn their badge as league leaders. A tricky away tie to newly promoted Bridge United, torrential rain, a driv- ing wind and treacherous underfoot conditions combined to thwart the form side of the division but through Sheer obstinance and determination, Bunratty dug in to complete their sixth successive league victory.

The key to the victory was strik- ing early and catching the home side cold. Bridge Utd have struggled to adjust to the top division this season but with a plethora of games in hand and coming into some decent form recently, they would have felt confi- dent in taking on the league leaders at home. Undoubtedly, their team talk would have consisted of keep- ing things tight in the early stages in order to frustrate Bunratty but that plan went out the window as early as the third minute when Con Collins stooped at the back post to guide a curling David Hogan free kick into the left corner of the net.

With Bunratty backed by a strong breeze, it was a sucker-punch for the home side who had to resort to long balls to their lively front pair- ing of Trevor Maxwell and Derek Fahy. Instead, Bunratty used the lead and wind advantage to control the midfield with Shane O’Connor pre- dominantly foraging alone up front as Peter Ballough dropped deep to make a midfield five. It worked well

as Ballough found space in the hole between United’s defence and mid- field but despite a 12th minute effort that went straight at goalkeeper Tuo- hy, the Oscar Traynor player often preferred to become provider rather than striker.

It took the home side 25 minutes to produce their first clearcut oppor- tunity but after a neat build up that saw playmaker Greg Deegan set up Tadgh Keogh at the edge of the box, the midfielder blazed his shot over deem KOlis10y- 0

As the half wore on though, Bun- ratty began to up the tempo and it had to take some brave defending to keep them at bay. In the 34th minute, a Noel Collins inswinging corner had to be clawed away by goalkeeper Paul Tuohy and the subsequent shots were repelled by the Bridge defence. Then in the space of a minute, Bun- ratty had two efforts deflected to safety, first from Con Collins which ended up in Tuohy’s arms while the second from Shane O’Connor just squirmed wide of the right hand post Kou mee) ute

Bridge Utd meanwhile had to de- pend on counter-attacks and right before half-time, the ball fell nicely to winger Geoffrey Flynn but his shot held up in the mud, much to the delight of Bunratty keeper Gary Mc- Gettrick.

The second half was a complete transformation as it was the home side who now had the advantage of the gale that blew towards the vil-

lage. They were also helped by the fact that Bunratty goalscorer Con Collins was substituted at the break and right winger Ryan Kelly soon followed after picking up a knock PNM RABE O MU eComOr-N Ee

In fact, Bridge Utd could have equalised as early as the first minute when Greg Deegan’s free kick was spilled by McGettrick but neither Trevor Maxwell or Tadgh Keogh could reach the ball in time. It did give the home side confidence how- ever, and even though Bunratty did have a goal ruled off for offside, it was a rare attack in a sea of United pressure

For all their endeavour though, the Sixmulebridge side’s final ball was repeatedly disappointing and Max- well and Fahy seemed to receive the ball in non-threatening areas and had to feed off scraps. There were several goalmouth scrambles but McGettrick was rather untroubled in goal and it led to increasing frustration for the home side.

In fact, for all Bridge Utd’s pressure, it was Bunratty who arguably creat- ed the best chances of the half, with Ballough the main threat. In the 63rd minute, his effort from distance went straight at Tuohy and twenty minutes later, he produced the best out of the Bridge goalkeeper with two succes- sive shots, the first from a free kick that was tipped over the bar and the second a stinging attempt from that set piece that made Tuohy scramble through the mud to save at the front

post. Substitue Christy Griffin also had a late effort saved but there was still time for one final opportunity for Bridge Utd when Derek Fahy re- ceived the ball at the edge of the area but his curling effort just evaded the top of the crossbar.

Bunratty’s relief was compounded by the news that Bridge Celtic had beaten second placed Lifford, thus Open up a seven point gap for the leaders at the summit. It’s still early days yet and their other rivals still have games in hand but if Bunratty can keep churning out results lke this, it will be difficult to stop them.

ATHLETES, sports people and coaches will flock to the Michael Cu- sack’s Centre in Carron next month for a new sports workshops run by Coaching Ireland.

The workshops, which will take place on February 5, 12 and 19 are sponsored by Lucozade Sport

The programme offers sports play- ers, clubs, schools, colleges and regional squads an opportunity to access education for their athletes, players and coaches in the area of sports science.

The workshops will include five modules including fluid for sport, fuel for sport, the female athlete, get

fit for sport and planning for success. The content of these workshops in- cludes issues such as hydration and nutritional requirements for sports, the importance of hydration and the role of food in optimising perform- ance and training.

“IT am delighted that the Cusack Centre has developed a partnership with Coaching Ireland to deliver these very valuable workshops,” said Martin O’Loghlen, Chairman of the Michael Cusack Centre.

“Coaching Ireland have an excel- lent track record in the delivery of Le LbTerTHCOyem ouesea es ReODO NCS MNIE CNM RM Ns lontoe We look forward to developing this relationship over the next few years.

‘The Cusack Academy has been set

up as a continuation of Cusack’s vi- sion and achievements. Cusack was a renowned academic and top class athlete. His journey through life saw him founding one of Ireland’s top class educational academies and the world’s largest amateur sporting or- ganisation, the GAA.

“The Cusack Academy is delighted to continue his legacy by offering a facility whereby coaches, athletes, and people with a sporting interest can further educate themselves to become excellent ambassadors in their field.”

Other topics covered in the work- shops include periodisation of train- ing, monitoring and evaluation of training plans and training responses,

and issues relating to the influence of hormones, eating disorders, weight training and the role of exercise in the prevention of osteoporosis.

The objective of this programme is to disseminate relevant, up-to- date Sports Science information to athletes, coaches, teachers, parents whose children have an interest in sports and those with a keen interest in furthering their knowledge so to promote and educate good coaching practices and standards.

For more information on _ these workshops or to book your place in this programme contact Liz Flynn on 065 7089944 or email info@michaelcusack.ie. Places are limited.

FIANNA Fail has confirmed the names of the five candidates it will field in Ennis for the forthcoming lo- cal elections.

The party has selected two candi- dates to contest the Ennis West elec- toral area. Three Fianna Fail candi- dates will battle for seats in Ennis Bete

Current Mayor of Ennis Peter Con- Ssidine and newcomer Garret Greene are the party’s candidates in Ennis west.

Peter Considine has served on Clare County Council for 35 years, having taken over the seat of his late father. A full time public representative since 1997 he previously ran a local

pub and restaurant. Cllr Considine was the first Chairman of the South- ern and Mid West Regional Assem- bly, and continues to be a member. He is also a member of the Mid West Regional Authority, Clare VEC, the Mid West Regional Tourism Board and the Shannon Marketing Consult- ative Committee Board. He 1s the current serving Mayor of Ennis

Garrett Greene, 34, is a first time candidate. He works as a healthcare recruiter and studied politics and public administration in the Univer- sity of Limerick. Garrett is the son of former Mayor of Ennis, Raymond Greene, who was also a former Clare County Councillor and Ennis Town Councillor.

In Ennis East, Fianna Fail has se-

lected Pat Daly, Bernard Hanrahan and Tom Malone.

Cllr. Pat Daly has been a member of Clare County Council since he was elected in 1999. He currently works as personal assistant to Minister for State Tony Killeen and is based in Ennis. Cllr. Daly is involved in a variety of different organisations in- cluding serving as a member of the HSE West Forum. He is also a mem- ber of local GAA club Eire Og and the Ennis Golf Club. Cllr. Daly is a nephew of the late Clare County and Munster hurler Haulie Daly who was also a former Clare County Council- roe

Cllr. Bernard Hanrahan has been a member of Clare County Council since 1995. A full time public rep-

resentative throughout that time, he previously worked as a transport manager and truck driver. Based in Clarecastle, Cllr. Hanrahan is Chairman of the Mid West Regional Authority, Chairman of Ennis West Partners and a member of Clare VEC as well as the Clare Local De- velopment Committee. He 1s also involved with Clarecastle GAA and the Clarecastle Sports Complex.

Mr. Tom Malone, 30, lives in Drim, Quin, situated between the parishes of Doora and Quin. Tom has run a mobile phone store in Ennis for the last five years. He 1s actively involved with Doora Barefield GAA Club and is also involved in numerous com- munity organisations throughout the locality.