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17TH AUGUST 2015 TEL: 01 451 3822 / 01 451 9000 email: info@newsgroup.ie web: www.newsgroup.ie

Dublin South West and Sinn Féin TD, Seán Crowe, has claimed that the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) relating to those in employment highlights the fact that Government’s current employment programme is not working, is stuck in a rut and overly reliant on workers leaving their existing jobs and emigrating.

Crowe said that there is simply no meat on the bones of the Government’s employment strategy Deputy Seán Crowe said: “Ireland continues to suffer a crisis of employment and unemployment. Despite all the talk of green shoots and a buoyant economic recovery by Government spokespeople, 343,100 were still signing on last month.

“To put that number into context, it is twice the number of people who were signing on in January 2008. Hardly any reason to celebrate or rest on your achievements but seems to be the approach adopted.

“Hundreds of thousands of people want to work, but the lack of any realistic employment opportunities for the vast majority leaves them dependent on

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Social Welfare benefits. Families and individuals stuck in this situation are more likely to be disadvantaged, have poorer life chances, and their children are more likely to go hungry.

“The latest figures from the CSO relating to those in employment clearly shows that the Governments current employment programme is stalled and in a rut.

The unemployment rate is stuck at 9.7% for the third month in a row.

This is higher in many parts of my constituency in Dublin South West and they continue to suffer from some of the highest rates of unemployment and inter-generational joblessness in the State.

“One in five young people, a whopping 20% cannot find a job.

That is a really disturbing figure that is clearly getting worse in recent months. This would be a major cause of concern in most countries but there doesn’t appear to be any urgency coming

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from those responsible in this Government.

“Tánaiste Joan Burton has actually welcomed these figures and

claimed they reflect the success of the government's efforts to create jobs and help people back to work.

PlANNING NOTICE

south Dublin County CounCil: we, Galro limited, intend to apply for permission and retention permission for development at: 512 Main Street, Tallaght Village, Tallaght, Dublin 24. The development will consist of permission to retain demolition of existing domestic extension and pouring of foundations for new domestic extension and permission to complete construction of new domestic extension to existing dwelling and all associated works.

Note: This development is located in Tallaght Village Architectural Conservation Area.

The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy at the offices of South Dublin County Council, County Hall, Tallaght, Dublin 24, during its public opening hours of Monday to Friday 9:00 am to 4:00 pm and may also be viewed on the council’s website – www.sdcc.ie A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee, 20 euro, within the period of five weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the planning authority of the application and such submissions or observations will be considered by the planning authority in making a decision on the application. The planning authority may grant permission subject to or without considerations, or may refuse to grant permission.

ALPINE

“The Government are in denial, they actually believe their own propaganda, and having constantly promised hundreds of thousands of jobs, they now expect them to somehow magically materialise.

“The CSO’s latest figures should be viewed with concern and act as an urgent wakeup call.

“The bulk of people on so-called ‘job activation schemes’ are also not being classified as unemployed and if they were added to the

live register figures the actual broad jobless rate comes in in just under 20%.

“To fix this problem, the Government needs to recognise and admit that we have a two-tier economy.

Economic activity is up in some regions, but growth has been negligible elsewhere.

“There is no meat on the bones of their employment strategy, nor is there any mention of any initiatives for areas like Dublin South West.

“The access for

indigenous SMEs and to micro-businesses public procurement, particularly in the areas of goods and services which are worth around €9 billion annually to the domestic economy, has been raised time and time again with Government Ministers but very little is happening. lack of “The commitment will be particularly disappointing to small retailers as currently that sector is losing 75% of the €6bn online sales each year to companies

outside of Ireland.

“Every 1% of lost revenue Irish businesses win back boosts the local economy by roughly €40m yet the government has delivered no new proposals to increase online trading.

“When dealing with strategic state investment there is no new direction coming from Government.

Many of us had hoped in vain that some of the promises like a significant increase in new social housing builds particularly in

Paye Workers MissiNg out oN huNdreds each year of “LoW ProfiLe” fLat rate exPeNse tax aLLoWaNces “Less than 10% of PAYE workers are aware of these allowable tax deductions…”

Taxback.com say that apart from people missing out on the more well-known tax reliefs such as medical expenses etc., an even greater number of PAYE workers do not know about the flat rate expense deduction that can be made on their tax bill.

According to Barry Flanagan, Tax Consultant with www.taxback.com, “Most employees are aware that they can be reimbursed for any expenses incurred wholly, exclusively and necessarily in the performance of their duties of employment (though not expenses incurred travelling to and from their normal place of work). But in our experience less than 10% of PAYE workers are aware (especially if they are not part of a

union) that there are additional allowances available to people engaged in certain trades and professions – and so they may are missing out on this “free money” as a result. The reason that these allowances have kept such a low profile is not really known but we are trying to highlight the issue now so that people can get what they are owed”.

Taxback.com say these allowances, known as Flat Rate Expenses, can often be claimed by PAYE employees. They are claimed as a deduction from your taxable income. The amount that can be claimed depends on what your job is.

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the Dublin area, where the crisis is worst, would get greater attention. New house builds would also create jobs, reduce new inequality, and stabilise house prices, but that doesn’t seem to be factored into the governments thinking.

“Behind all the Ministerial smiles and the promises, unemployed are being left with no real prospect of a job and only an early election is giving many of them hope for a new beginning.”

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NeWcastLe, saggart, Brittas aNd rathcooLe resideNts iNvited to atteNd LocaL fuN day

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Aisling Finnegan, the Dublin Rose was on hand to help local Councillor Emer Higgins launch the third ‘4 Districts Fun Day’ which takes place on Saturday September 12th in the Community Rathcoole Centre. For the third year running, the small committee, including Cllr.

Emer Higgins, have arranged for a huge array of attractions to entertain families from the four villages of Rathcoole, Newcastle, Saggart and Brittas and raise much needed funding for the 4 Districts Day Care Centre.

The event will be official opened by the Dublin Rose, local girl, Aisling Finnegan.

“The event has proven a huge success over the past two summers and we’re counting on families to come out and support it again on Saturday September 12th. A small, dedicated committee has spent most the last month organising this event and

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it’s been great to officially launch it.

The Fun Day will be attended by our very own local celebrity Aisling Finnegan, who we are so proud to say is representing Dublin at this year’s Rose of Tralee later this month,” said Cllr. Emer Higgins.

“The Fun Day will run from 1pm on Sat 12th. There’ll be a big sports zone where all our local clubs will be offering kids the chance to learn new sports skills.

Children’s entertainment will include everything from puppet shows to bouncies and a pre-school area put on by local childcare providers. Thanks to M&K meat’s there’ll be plenty of BBQ food on offer and some local music, including from RAMs in Rythm, to entertain the crowds. Taster classes in karate, Irish Dancing and performances from Dancity will be on throughout the day and we even have our very own psychic doing readings. The Gardai will be

showing off their horses, bikes and motorbikes, the Civil Defence will be displaying their vehicles and we hope to bring back the ever popular Fire Brigade display. All proceeds raised will go directly to the 4 Districts Day Care Centre,” said Councillor Emer Higgins of the Organising Committee.

“It’s only been possible to run this event because of the support from the Rathcoole Community Council and it’s Centre and the help of our local sports clubs, fitness classes and traders. We have had great support from local businesses and community groups, with representatives from each of the four villages and many of the local sports clubs attending our preparation meetings over the past three years. It has been critical to get such support from so many people who have given their time, efforts, skills and products; and all support

has been gratefully received. South Dublin County Council’s Community Officer Donal Walsh, the Rathcoole Community Centre, in particular it’s Manager Tricia O’Halloran and her staff, the Community Council, especially Neville

Graver, Christy McDonnell, Mary Maguire and Peter Gaynor, and Community Garda Frank Howe and local residents like Treasa Kelly and Aine Ryan who have been an integral part of preparations for this event since day one,” concluded Cllr. Higgins.

More information can be found online at www.4districtsfunday.com , by dropping in to the Community Centre or liking on Facebook. Volunteers are needed, get in touch with the committee through facebook if you are willing to help out on the day.

Pictureed are Dublin Rose Aisling Finnegan, Cllr. Emer Higgins at the launch of this year's 4 Districts Fun Day with children from Commercials Hurling Club, St Mary's GFC and Clondalkin Rugby Club, representatives of RAMs in Rythm, Deputy Derek Keating and Neville Graver, Rathcoole Community Council.

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Failure to enforce HIQA standards threatens future of nursing homes

Dublin Mid-West election candidate John Curran has raised concerns about the future of a number of State run nursing homes in Dublin, including Peamount Hospital in Newcastle.

According to Mr Curran, several nursing homes are under threat because there is no credible plan to ensure that they are brought up to scratch with HIQA accommodation standards.

The Fianna Fáil candidate has accused the Minister for Health of refusing to prioritise the upgrading of state run nursing homes, a decision which could result in the closure of a number of nursing homes including Peamount Hospital.

“State run nursing homes

are facing a full blown crisis as a result of the Government’s continued inaction. HIQA made it clear in 2013 that the HSE needed to put in place a detailed plan to improve facilities so that state run nursing homes adhere to new safety regulations. Unfortunately this has not happened,” said Mr Curran.

“The upgrading of nursing homes has not been given priority status by Minister Varadkar, despite the very real prospect of mass bed closures. A red flag has been raised about Peamount Hospital in Newcastle. This 48-bed facility provides an invaluable service to older people in the area and its loss would have a serious

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impact on the community.

All we need is a concerted effort from the Government and the HSE to ensure that that the facility can adhere to new accommodation standards. Unless these resources are provided, the facility could face closure.

“Minister Varadkar does not seem to recognise the seriousness of this situation.

He has failed to plan for Dublin’s aging population and local nursing homes are now under serious pressure.

The HSE is unable to provide necessary bed capacity as it stands, and the closure of any state nursing homes will cause further chaos.

“I am calling on the Health Minister to set out exactly how he intends to bring Peamount Hospital and other state run nursing homes up to standard. Any further delays will result in elderly people not having access to the care that they need within the community.”

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Ó BroiN caLLs oN MiNister keLLy to sPeNd a day WorkiNg iN the hoMeLess uNit iN south duBLiN

Sinn Féin Clondalkin Councillor Eoin Ó Broin has challenged Minister for Environment Alan Kelly to ‘spend a day working in the South Dublin County Council

homeless unit to see what his Governments housing policy is doing for families.’

Councillor Ó Broin said: ‘Every single day the homeless crisis in

Dublin is getting worse.

Council staff and elected members have never witnessed anything on the scale of the crisis we are currently experiencing.

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‘On any given night there are up to 50 households, many with children, in South Dublin County Council areas who are unable to access emergency accommodation. There simply are not enough emergency beds to meet the growing demand.

‘Despite the Council increasing the number of housing allocations to people in emergency accommodation and acquiring additional emergency units in Tallaght the problem just keeps getting worse.

‘Since the start of the year the number of families presenting as homeless in the county has increased dramatically.

‘Today I am challenging Alan Kelly to spend a day working with our Council staff on the front line of his homeless crisis.

‘He and his Government are responsible for this

problem.

‘They cut capital funding for housing by 25% during their first two years in office.

They underfunded local authority emergency accommodation since taking office. They facilitated increased home repossessions with the 2013 land and Conveyancing Act. They are the ones refusing to introduce rent caps to keep people in their homes.

‘Clearly Alan Kelly does not understand the impact these policy decisions are having on the growing number of families with no home to sleep. I have no doubt that if Minister Kelly spend a full working day in the South Dublin homeless office witnessing firsthand the effects of his Governments decisions he might start to rethink hi failed approach to the housing crisis in our city.’

o’coNNor caLLs for Progress oN NeW votiNg register

local Councillor Charlie O’Connor has called on South Dublin County Council to make a particular effort in respect of the new Voting Register which comes into effect next February.

He sought assurances from Council Management that the work plan is properly funded and progressing and stressed the importance of the 2016 Voting Register given that the General Election is scheduled for early 2016. Indeed, he also stated how important it was that every effort be made to register as many new voters as possible and also to confirm the inclusion of those who registered for the supplementary registers before the Referendums.

In response to Charlie O’Connor’s representations on the subject, the Council tabled the following report “The door to door fieldwork has commenced on the updating of the Current Draft Register in advance of the forthcoming General Election. The budget allocation for this year in respect of the Register of Elector’s is €219,200. All eligible Electors who were added to the Supplement to the Register of Electors in May this year will be automatically included in the draft Register 2016-17. The Council will continue to promote its “Value your Vote” campaigns and Voter Registration Drives in advance of the General Election”.

In welcoming the Council’s positive response, Charlie O’Connor restated this is a most important issue and he hoped that local organisations will also participate in the process of ensuring that the 2016 Voting Register is as complete as possible.

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eLectricity Levy decrease is derisory says society of st viNceNt de PauL

The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) has described as derisory the €4 per household decrease in the 2015/2016 Public Service Obligation levy (PSO) on electricity bills.

In the current period October 2014 to September 2015 the annual PSO levy is €64.37 on household electricity bills. From October next the levy will be €60.09.

“This has to be seen in

the light of increases of over 100% between 2012 and 2014 when the levy increased from €28 to €64.37.” says SVP. "It is noteworthy that a reduction of 9% proposed by the CER in June last has in 2 months been lost in the main due to decreasing wholesale costs for gas and inaccurate information on the ceasing of the Tynagh subsidy.

"It must also be noted that a significant contributor to the

reduction for 2015/16 is a once-off windfall amount to be paid by Electric Ireland (with interest) following a recalculation of their contribution. This once off rebate is an accounting issue and therefore one could argue that the ‘overall reduction’ is not a progressive act, but simply a once off accounting anomaly.” says Brendan Hennessy of the SVP Social Justice & Policy team.

"The SVP position on

the PSO levy in previous years has been to seek to address the anomaly that the less energy people use the more it costs them, and that the cost does not take into account ability to pay.

"Higher wholesale electricity prices mean higher unit prices for customers as these are passed on; yet when wholesale electricity prices drop, customers pay anyway because the PSO plants need to be compensated for the lower money they are predicted to get from the market

"The PSO levy is clearly out of proportion to the ability to pay of low income customers and can be viewed as a regressive tax. As VAT is added to the levy it is a case of a tax on a tax.

At a minimum there is a clear case for the VAT on the PSO levy to be zero-rated” said Mr Hennessy.

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guM Litter taskforce caMPaigN aNd aNti dog fouL iNitiative LauNched

The 2015 Gum litter Taskforce (GlT) gum litter education campaign was launched last week in Corkagh Park,

by Mayor Sarah Holland and Clondalkin Tidy Towns.

The initiative tackles the issue of littered gum and aims to raise awareness of the impact of littered gum and encourage proper gum disposal.

The central aim is to raise awareness of the fact that irresponsibly disposed of gum is litter, to reduce littered gum by educating people to dispose it responsibly and to inform that anyone that disposes of gum in an irresponsible way that they can be fined €150.

Mayor Sarah Holland met with lorraine Reynolds, Primary Pals and Roisin Kearney, Exchange House Ireland to discuss the success of the campaign and its new strapline ‘Bin

your gum when you’re done’. The children enjoyed the launch and took rides on the eco cabs. One child complimented Mayor Sarah by saying that she ‘liked her medal’.

South Dublin County Council dressed a tree in plastic bags filled with dog waste in an attempt to highlight the problem of dog owners leaving bags in trees and hedgerows in our parks and streets.

‘The bags are often discarded irresponsibly’ said John O’Driscoll, Dog Warden, South Dublin County Council ‘it is great that people pick up after their pet, but to throw the bag into the nearest bush just doesn’t make sense. Our message is simple, Bag It then Bin It.’ To take the Green Dog Walkers pledge check out their website on www.sdcc.ie

Mayor Sarah Holland with SDCC staff and team members of GLT and Tidy Towns

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Wider scoPe urged oN rickshaW iNvestigatioN 9

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Fine Gael TD for Dublin Mid-West, Derek Keating has urged Revenue and the Gardaí to widen the scope of their recent clampdown on rickshaws.

"It is well known that in Dublin is small number of Rickshaw owners who rent the vehicles to all comers with no for a requirement license of either vehicle or drivers. If there is an incident, who is

accountable?

"The fare structure is also unregulated and erratic with €15 to €20 being charged on journeys of 500 metres.

"The issue of regulating rickshaws is something l have been discussing with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Paschal Donohoe due to the explosion in the number of rickshaw looking for business in Dublin and other cities.

"It is of major concern

to me that these vehicles have neither registration, insurance nor public service vehicle identification and are operated for reward by unqualified persons. These have been involved in incidents causing injury, are sometimes overloaded and operate in pedestrian-only areas. The nightly so called ‘chariot races’ on Grafton Street are a great danger to

pedestrian traffic on the street.

“At present, rickshaws are not specifically defined in law, nor is there any legislation to regulate carriage of passengers by these vehicles. They fall under the category of pedal cycles for legal purposes.

However, they are bound by road traffic legislation and must obey the rules of the road. Among other

legislative requirements, this means they are barred from pedestrian-only streets, yet rickshaw operators disregard this every night of the week.

Recently the fixed charge notice system has been extended to cover road traffic offences by cyclists, and this will include rickshaws. Dublin City Council has sought legal

advice on the proposal to regulate rickshaws.

Its legal advisors had suggested that the proposed regulatory regime would go beyond the scope of existing local authority powers to make bye-

laws.

“It is high time that that proper protection and regulation is put in place to ensure that the public are properly protected in all aspects of rickshaw use.”

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Water charges deBacLe WarraNts Massive PuBLic resPoNse oN august 29th

Sinn Féin Senator David Cullinane has said that the government's water charges debacle warrants a massive public response and he called on people to "turn out in their droves" for the Right2Water National Demonstration in Dublin on August 29th.

Senator Cullinane said; "The government's water services policy is a complete and utter failure. It is now clear that the vast majority of people reject water charges and they rightly see Irish Water for the absolute shambles that it is.

"Enda Kenny and Joan Burton seem content to drive forward with their disastrous water policy at all costs. They are happy to stumble from one crisis to the next.

"Only recently, we saw this detached government introduce pick-pocket style legislation that will allow the government to take unpaid water charges from the wages and social protection payments of struggling families. They did this with complete disregard for the financial pressures that have been placed upon people by their austerity and cuts.

"The Eurostat ruling, that Irish Water cannot be considered "off-

balance", has underscored the government's catastrophic mishandling of this issue from the start to the present day.

"Over the last couple of days, we have learned that charges are being brought against anti-water charges protestors in relation to events in Jobstown last November. This is another pathetic attempt to intimidate and silence the campaign against water charges and Irish Water. It won't work.

"Sinn Féin would dismantle Irish Water, keep water services in full public ownership and replace Irish Water with a public water utility. This utility would have a new model of governance, funding and delivery with full public ownership and democratic control and accountability".

"The government's water charges debacle warrants a massive public response. Sinn Féin is calling on people from every community across Ireland to come out in their droves and support the Right2Water National Demonstration on August 29th.

"By joining together, in one voice, we can defeat water charges.

Sean Kelly and Roz Purcell, along with 10 year old Ross Brett launched this year’s charity cycle Tour de Leinster in aid of Down Syndrome Ireland. The charity is calling on cyclists to saddle up for the Tour de Leinster charity challenge which begins on 24th September and continues over four days until 27th September. The challenging event will take in a 600km route through some of the most beautiful scenery within the 12 counties of Leinster. (Pic. Robbie Reynolds)

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goverNMeNt faiLiNg those With disaBiLities

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Sinn Féin TD and Spokesperson for Social Protection Aengus Ó Snodaigh has today called into question the Government’s commitment to employability supports people with for disabilities trying to access jobs.

The lack of action thus far by labour/Fine Gael government and their failure to act on job creation and supports for disabled, or even publish the long awaited Comprehensive Employment Strategy for people with a disability is causing continued

marginalisation and jobs to be lost once again for this large group in society.

Deputy Ó Snodaigh said: “The labour/ Fine Gael Government Minister for Equality Aodhán Ó Ríordáin committed to publishing a long awaited and overdue Comprehensive Employment Strategy for people with a disability months ago.

This has yet to see the light of day.

“At the same time, the Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton has, as recently as last week, failed to extend a successful pilot project, The Walk Peer

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project in louth, which was highly effective.

This exemplary model has been discontinued and no alternative is in sight.

“In May 2015 after consultations with the relevant stakeholders, Sinn Féin published our comprehensive for proposals immediate actions from the Department of Social Protection, A Fair Recovery for Jobseekers with Disabilities.

“We are committed to ensuring that with jobseekers disabilities have the fair recovery that is their right and that they are not left behind. Our plan made practical and immediate proposals which could be acted on now such as opening mainstream jobseeker supports to people with disabilities on a voluntary basis and ending the exclusion of

young people with disabilities from the Youth Guarantee; increasing the capacity and promotion of specialist employment supports such the Employability Service and the Reasonable Accommodation Fund schemes; securing rollout of good practice and in particular that the positive concepts developed by Walk Peer are developed and replicated by others; developing a new facility to voluntarily suspend claims, saving both the applicant and the department significant time and resources.

“I call on the Minister to immediately publish the Comprehensive Strategy, to act upon it and to ensure that Budget 2016 will enhance the supports for and employability of people with a disability.

“There are 600,000 people with disabilities in this country who continue to feel that they’ve been left behind as the economy is recovering. They have endured unacceptable cuts to services and supports since 2008 and now have a reasonable expectation that Budget 2016 will deliver concerted action by the backed necessary resources; as the Disability Federation of Ireland put it, ‘No recovery without us’. Sinn Féin want a Fair Recovery for people with a and for disability disabled people who want to work who have been unsupported and whose rights to join the labour market have been devalued by the Government’s disjointed approach to their employment.”

NeW BusiNesses caN get tax Back

People starting a new business in Tallaght and neighbouring communities could be eligible to tax refunds under a scheme aimed at supporting their investments, according to Independent Senator and Dublin South West election candidate, Senator Katherine Zappone.

Senator Zappone says the StartUp Refunds for Entrepreneurs (SURE) Scheme could be the significant difference which will ensure that new small local firms will get through the difficult early phase and go on to provide jobs in our local areas.

The Independent Senator is encouraging all new local companies to examine the scheme and see if they are entitled to repayments.

Senator Zappone added: “While big multi-national investments may grab the headlines for providing huge numbers of jobs to our country, the reality is that it is small firms often started by local people form the backbone of the economy in communities in Tallaght.

It is vital that people who have decided to follow their dreams or to make a fresh start by going into business are given every support.

Under the SURE scheme a person who invested €50,000 in capital as part of their start up and who paid PAYE on any or all of the six previous years could get back up to €10,000 in a tax refund. In the right circumstances the return could be significant.

Full details are available from the Department of Jobs and Employment at www.djei.ie or from local enterprise officers. An online calculator is also available at www.sure.gov.ie I would encourage all business people who have recently taken the initiative to go into business to examine the scheme and see if they are eligible.”

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12

usi urges studeNts faMiLies to secure accoMModatioN asaP

your free Local Newspaper

USI President Kevin Donoghue has urged families to get ahead of the curve on student accommodation by seeking and securing places for the semester ahead.

Speaking to promote USI’s free rooms listing website ‘homes.usi.ie’, Donoghue explained: “The earlier you secure your bed for the year, the more chance you have of getting good accommodation close to your college.

It stands to reason that good places closer to your chosen college will

fill up first - after that you may need to make compromises on quality, price and the commute to college.”

USI’s warning comes just ahead of leaving Certificate results and the CAO offers, amidst a growing crisis for accommodation in the nation’s major cities and college towns.

“There’s simply not enough student accommodation in our big towns,” said Donoghue.

“Student numbers are rising, with more and more students having to turn to the already

pressurised private rental market.

Government support for people to rent a room to students is welcome, and we’re promoting the fact of the up-to €12,000 tax free allowance for people prepared to rent their rooms to relieve the crisis.”

USI is also warning that student supports need to be examined in light of accommodation issues.

“The student assistance fund and the adjacency rates for grants are not sufficient to deal with the issues we will be

facing in a few months time. Increased student supports are absolutely needed to alleviate the accommodation issue.”

Colin Byrne, a student looking for accommodation had this to say. “Due to an increased number of multinational companies in the area accommodation prices are increasing to a point which students are unable to afford.

This causes students to have to take residence miles from Maynooth, interfering with study and college experience.”

changes are a real possibility and can transform lives. We believe in lifelong learning and lifelong opportunity. Age is no barrier whatsoever to achieving your aspirations and career choices you made in your early twenties. “ The study also reveals the job aspirations of a new generation of Irish youngsters, with being a professional footballer registering as the most popular career amongst 11-16 year olds, nudging the traditional areas of medicine and teaching further down the list.

were not available to their parents.

The top five “dream” careers amongst Irish 11 to 16 year olds: Footballer Teacher Doctor Vet App developer The survey also shows the majority of adults in Ireland don’t feel equipped to make a career change in pursuit of their dream job.

The study finds a range of reasons for this reticence, with the majority of people (38%) believing they are too old to retrain; a quarter feeling they don’t have the necessary qualifications to find a new job and nearly 20% citing a lack of confidence as the reason for staying put.

John continues: “For

those thinking about a career change a distance learning degree could be the solution, giving the qualification needed to make the change, with flexible study time to fit around working lives.”

“With a flexible and supported course from The Open University, people can gain both the necessary skills and confidence to start turning their dreams in to realities.”

oNLy 1 iN 10 are iN their dreaM joB

A survey of 1000 adults conducted by The Open University in Ireland found that the majority of people are not in their childhood dream job; in fact only 10% consider themselves to be in the job they wanted as a teenager.

Respondents said as children they most wanted to become a teacher, followed by a nurse, a doctor, a vet and a pilot. However, 90% of people have not achieved these ambitions as adults.

John Darcy, National Director (Ireland) at The Open University, says: “It’s very sad that so many people are not in their dream jobs.

Whilst the thought of taking a leap into the unknown can be daunting, career

The relatively new career of an app designer also enters the top five, suggesting that new technologies are giving young people career options that

The research has been conducted as part of Degree Week, a weeklong event where The Open University’s international team will be offering information and support to those contemplating degree study, either this autumn or further in to the future.

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14

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The Legal Column

by Romaine Scally

Romaine Scally is the principal in the firm of ROMAINE SCALLY AND COMPANY SOLICITORS Main Street Tallaght, Dublin 24 TEL 4599506

In this edition of the paper, Romaine Scally Solicitor, of Romaine Scally & Company, Solicitors, Main Street, Tallaght, Dublin 24, Telephone 014599506 email legal@scally.ie answers Readers queries in relation to the preparation of Wills.

q. my father, who is now in his 80s, refuses to make a Will. he has been a Widow for some years. he has four children. he says that we will get everything anyway, so it is only a waste of time and money in making a Will. however, we are trying to encourage him to do so, but wonder if in fact he is correct in his thinking.

A. Making a Will is very much a matter of choice and there is no legal obligation whatsoever to make a Will. As we get older, we can become more reluctant to actually go so far as to have a Will drafted and signed. There is an older generation of people who simply will not execute a Will, believing that it is ‘bad luck’. Although you can encourage your father to make a Will, he may be adamant about not doing so.

From a legal point of view, making a Will is extremely important and the sooner we all make Wills the better. Firstly, if we prepare a Will when we are still reasonably young, then we do not automatically make the association with our own mortality. . We then become accustomed to the idea of making Wills and the content of a Will can change as younger children’s needs alter and Trusts no longer need to be maintained for them.

Most couples will make an average of three Wills during their lifetime. Most importantly, there is a considerably amount of additional cost attached to an Intestacy (no Will) as opposed to a Testacy (with a Will).

In the case of an Intestacy, the deceased has failed to appoint anyone to administer his or her Estate. The family have to get together and decide who will do this. This can lead to unnecessary tensions. In addition, an ‘Administration Bond’ has to be taken out in all cases where a deceased dies without making a Will. This is a special Insurance Bond which has to be

put in place to protect unidentified beneficiaries, or beneficiaries who do not properly receive their appropriate share.

Remember, cases involving Intestacy are open to abuse and there are many cases to this affect. Children who have been many years living abroad and who are not included, or amounts not clarified for them. Effectively, the deceased looses control of the Administration of their Estate if they do not make a Will, whereas, with a Will they obviously retain control.

It is far easier for a family to deal with the death of a parent if that parent has left specific instructions in their Will. Firstly, there is always the element of doubt. Did they actually make a Will? If so, where?

Where do you start ? We have no official Wills register in Ireland, so it is usually a case of having to write or phone many local firms of Solicitors, to see if indeed they did draft a Will for the deceased parent. This is time consuming and can be costly. It is true that if a surviving parent dies with no Will, then all their children ultimately do inherit equally, with the children of any deceased children sharing equally the share which their parent would have taken. The problem is that it is a long, expensive and time consuming process and can so easily be avoided by the preparation of a straightforward Will, at a nominal cost with a local Solicitor. Although this may not encourage your father to make a Will, nonetheless it may help other people who have been unsure about the merits or otherwise of making a Will. q. my father bought and completed a ‘Do it yourself’ Will form recently, and said that he has been very fair in leaving everything equally between his five children. my brother has recently told me that he was one of the Witnesses to the Will and was able to confirm that this was indeed the case. i am the only single daughter living at home, and have looked after my father since he was Widowed 5 years ago. With the price of property now, if i was to inherit a one-fifth only of the house, i would still be homeless. obviously, i would not want to challenge the Will, as i would not want to fall out with the rest of the family. however, i feel that something should be done about it now.

Would it be reasonable to bring it up with my father, and suggest that he ‘reconsider’ his Will?

A. There are a number of very important factors here. Firstly, and most importantly, you mention that your

FAX 4599510 email: legal@scally.ie

brother, who it would appear is an intended Beneficiary in your father’s Will, actually witnessed the Will? If this is indeed the case, and your brother is a witness to the Will, then he will effectively be disbarred from inheriting, no matter what your father has said in the Will. Anybody who benefits from the Estate of any deceased Cannot witness the Will. This tends to be one of the difficulties with these ‘Do it yourself Wills’, and it is a problem which simply never arises if the Will is professionally prepared in a Solicitor’s office, as the Solicitor and his/or her staff will inevitably always witness the Will. This needs to be pointed out to your father, as, from what you have said, he would appear to have completely inadvertently ‘disinherited’ one of his children. In those circumstances, your father definitely needs to re-do his Will and clearly this would be considered quite urgent, given that the Will does not appear to reflect his intentions, all be it inadvertently.

With regard to your other question as to whether or not you should raise the matter of your ‘longer term security’ with your father, this is really a personal matter. Is it the case that your father has lead you to believe that you will be ‘looked after’?

If you have made sacrifices, both professionally, financially and socially, so that your elderly father can continue to live in his own home, then it is certainly a subject which could be discussed openly with him. However, it should probably be discussed with the other family members to ensure, in as far as one can, that there will be no animosity between the beneficiaries, if and when the contents of the Will come to pass.

Remember, we are all free to do as we wish with our property, particularly where we are leaving behind adult children only.

There is no obligation to leave our assets to our adult children. Clearly, most Testators wish their children to benefit after they are gone. The percentage to which a parent might want one or other child to inherit, depends on each particular case. It may be that your father has not considered the questions going through your mind. An amicable conversation might bring this to a head and prompt your father to put in place, something he simply had not thought of.

However, if he does intend to change his Will, he should certainly discuss the matter in private with his Solicitor and ensure, firstly, that it is correctly drafted and witnessed, and secondly, that it fairly reflects exactly what his intentions are with regard to his assets after he has gone. Remember, your father is under no legal obligation to tell you or any other

member of his family, what he has put into his Will. He has chosen to do so, but he is not obliged to do this. Any Testator is entitled to absolute privacy and many families do not know the contents of their deceased parent’s Will until such time as it is read out after their parent’s death.

Nonetheless, there is action needed in this particular case and I would urge you to talk to your father as soon as possible about the witnessing of his Will and the consequences thereof. q. my husband’s Father died recently and left most of his estate to his Children. his wife was left a life interest in the family home. she seems to be unhappy about what she was left in the will and apparently wants to challenge the will. Can she do this?

A. Section 115 of the 1965 Succession Act allows a spouse of a deceased to elect to take either the property or assets bequeathed in the will or their legal Right Share. A Spouse’s legal right share, in cases where there is a will and children amounts to 1/3 of the entire estate. If your husband’s mother has been left less than a third of the value of the entire estate then, she can elect to take her legal Right Share instead, thus increasing her share of her inheritance.

There is also special provisions relating to the family home but legal advice would have to be taken on this to ascertain the exact position. You do not say who the executor of the will is. It is the responsibility of the executor to notify the surviving spouse in Writing of their rights conferred under Section 115 of the Succession Act. It is important to note that these Rights are only eXCersiable within 6 months of receiving notification of the right or 1 year from the date of the grant of probate, whichever is the later.

In other words, if your husband just happens to be the executor in the estate of his late father then, he has a legal Duty to notify his mother in Writing of her option to take her share according to the terms of the will or instead to opt for her legal right share which may be greater than the share given to her by her late husband. From what you have indicated, it seems as if your Husbands Mother will have the right to challenge the will.

However, the matter can be settled amicably without any need to go to court as it is a legal entitlement which can be worked out mathematically and there is little point in disputing the legal right conferred on the surviving spouse. I hope that this has been helpful.

In contentious business a Solicitor may not calculate fees or other charges as a percentage or proportion of any award or settlement

15

sLiMMers Put Best foot forWard for caNcer charity your free Local Newspaper

Several Slimming World groups have raised €770 for a leading cancer after charity participants taking part in their own Steps for SMIlES event came together for a BOKWA class.

The women and men are all members of local SlimmingWorld groups in Ballyfermot Drummfinn, Chapelizod, Cherry Orchard, Clondalkin Green Isle Hotel, liffey Valley, Neilstown, Palmerstown and Quarryvale. The event was held to raise money for the Marie Keating Foundation, Slimming Worlds charity partner, through its fundraising arm SMIlES (Slimmers

Making It a little Easier for Someone).

The groups were cheered on at the event by friends, family and other people from the local community, some of whom also took part themselves.

As well as raising money for charity the aim of Steps for SMIlES is to raise awareness of how managing a healthy weight and being active can improve health and reduce the risk of developing cancer.

Debbie who runs the Chapelizod group, says her members thoroughly enjoyed their Steps for SMIlES event. She says “It was a fantastic event and the atmosphere was electric.”

Karen from the Neilstown/GreenIsle Clondalkin groups says “I’m so pleased with how much we raised for the Marie Keating Foundation, a leading in cancer voice awareness and information in Ireland,and to achieve their aim of making cancer “less frightening by enlightening”.

“We wanted to do something that all our members could enjoy and BOKWA fit that perfectly”, Tracy from the Greenisle Clondalkin group added, “and when we explained who we were fundraising for all our members really got behind us”.

“With their fabulous weight losses often comes more energy” says Martine from the GreenIsle Clondalkin group, “and members often find they start to enjoy adding a little

activity or Body Magic as we call it, into their daily lives.”

“It was a great night, lots of fun and a super workout.” Debbie say “and we would like to give a big thankyou to

linda J Bokwa with Caroline Bokwa for donating their time and help for this super event.

If you would like some more information on

Participants in the Steps for SMILES which raised €770 for charity

your local Slimming World group call Debbie @ 0858503029 or go to www.slimmingworld.ie.

For information on BOKWA classes call linda J Bokwa @ 0862221738

16

your free Local Newspaper

NicoLas roche LauNches MagNet juNior cycList of the year aWards

Cloud telecoms provider Magnet, sponsor of the Nicolas Roche Performance Team (NRPTMagnet.ie), is to strengthen its support of junior cycling in Ireland with new awards for the topperforming junior cyclists in the country.

launched in Dublin by 7-time Tour de France competitor Nicolas Roche, the Magnet Junior Male and Female Cyclist of the Year awards will see the best junior competitors from the 2015 season recognised by the cycling community at the Cycling Ireland awards ceremony in Dublin in November.

Mark Kellett, CEO of Magnet, commented: “By sponsoring the Nicolas Roche Performance Team and now these awards, Magnet is promoting the future of top class cycling in Ireland,

where our potential stars will be developed for the professional ranks. It is exciting for Magnet to be supporting a sport which embodies the same qualities of speed, endurance and excellence which we strive for with our own brand.”

CSO statistics indicate a 10% increase in people cycling to school or work in recent years.

“We would all like to the increased see popularity of cycling in Ireland feed through to the competitive ranks of the sport,” he continued.

The 10-strong NRPTMagnet.ie team of male and female cyclists compete across Ireland and in Europe.

Established in 2013 and mentored by Nicolas Roche, the team is composed of 16-18 year olds aiming to graduate to the U23 and Elite ranks of the sport.

Already it has clocked

up over 70 wins at home and abroad.

Geoff liffey, CEO of Cycling Ireland, commented: “We are delighted to see Magnet continue their support of young Irish cyclists by introducing this new award for which there should be strong competition given the exciting array of upcoming junior riders in Ireland at present.”

Nicolas Roche, whose younger brother Alexis

is a member of the NRPT-Magnet.ie team, added: “Our goal is to provide our riders with a professional structure and a platform to a possible professional cycling career in the future. Without the support of sponsors such as Magnet this would not be possible.”

Based in Clonshaugh in Dublin, Magnet were the first telecoms providers in Ireland to launch cloud telephony

rose of traLee fever griPs rathcooLe

over a PC/Mobile App solution and the first to offer a 1Gb internet service fibre to the home. In Aertv, Magnet has also pioneered online TV in Ireland.

With its ownership of transatlantic submarine fibre cables, through its parent CVC, its investment in fibre connectivity to and in Ireland directly influences the decisions of big data corporations to invest in Ireland.

Pictured at the launch of the Magnet Junior Male and Female Cyclist of the Year awards are Mark Kellett, CEO of Magnet, Tour de France cyclist Nicolas Roche and 16-year old Brandon Kellett.

Rathcoole village was bursting with excitement when all 32 glamorous Rose’s detoured off the N7 through Rathcoole village and waved to onlookers who had gathered to see local Rose, Aisling Finnegan.

Pictured with Dublin Rose Aisling Finnegan is Cllr.

Emer Higgins (Pic. Sally Graver)

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17

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A walking trail that runs through the Dublin Mountains and ends in Sean Walsh Memorial Park in Tallaght has been listed alongside scenic walks from Africa’s Rift Valley to the Appalachian Trail in a recently published book. The 43km Dublin Mountains Way is featured in the illustrated 1001 Walks You Must Experience Before You Die which has been curated by travel writer Barry Stone.

“The Dublin Mountains Way is a great example of the wealth of trails that exist in Ireland today, ranging from multi access trails for all users to more challenging trails for the serious hill walker or mountain biker”, said Orla Carroll, Director of Dublin, Fáilte Ireland. “Walking is one of the greatest ways to discover our world and the DMW forms part of the wider walking experience that will be developed for visitors in and around South Dublin County over the next few years such as the Grand Canal and Dodder River Blueways. As the trail is essentially only 8 miles from O’Connell Street, The Dublin Mountains Way emphasises the proposition of the Great Outdoors on Dublin’s Doorstep.”

Stretching from Shankill to Sean Walsh Memorial Park in Tallaght, The Dublin Mountains Way runs along mountain trails, country paths and rural roads. The guide grades the trail as “Strenuous”. The trail was established in 2009 to improve the

recreational experience Dubliners who for regularly walked the Dublin Mountains.

Mark d'Alton, the Dublin Mountains Initiative representative on the Dublin Mountains Partnership board said ''This is terrific news for the DMP and everyone associated with it - for a walk that is on the urban fringe to be included in a book like this is really remarkable. It is a huge credit to all those who had the vision and the persistence to make this happen - the initial plans date from the 1980's when JB Malone and Dublin County Council went a long way towards making it happen. As the text in the book's description says, this is a testament to passion - and to hard work also. We would encourage everybody to try part or all of the walk - there are details and maps available on www.dublinmountains.i e. and the DMP also offers guided walks through the same website.''

Each entry in the latest volume in the popular 1,001 series provides essential details about a must-try walk, including start and finish points, overall distance, difficulty rating, maps, and likely duration, which the publisher claim make this book an inspiring reference for anyone looking to venture off the beaten path. The author, Barry Stone, writes for the Brisbane Courier Mail, Sydney’s Sun-Herald, and numerous travel magazines.

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19

your free Local Newspaper

Ms saggart Needs suPPort froM her LocaL area

Back in July Sarah louise had just returned from an amazing holiday in Egypt and whilst she was away, the director or Ms Teen, and Mrs & Mrs Ireland had made contact. Now Sarah louise is representing her area of Saggart as a finalist of Ms Ireland 2015/2016. director had The viewed photographs of Sarah louise and thought she would be a fantastic addition to the finals to be held in November. So the Ms Saggart journey begins.

Sarah louise is giving the competition her all, but needs support from her local area!

Since Sarah louise was 3 years of age, she was immune to being on stage and in the spotlight and Ms Ireland was something she deep down dreamed of but never had the confidence to actually apply!

Sarah louise was so delighted to speak to

Newsgroup saying, 'They found me and I am over the moon as my dream has actually came true. I have been living in Saggart nearly 3 years now and I absolutely love the area. It is duty to represent Saggart on a national stage and do myself and the whole community very proud.' louise also Sarah commented 'There was no local selection process in the local area to become Ms Saggart and I am even more proud that the event had come to me to ask me to take part.'

Sarah louise is 28 years of age, recently got engaged to her wonderful fiance Neil who has supported her through dancing, modelling and any event that she has taken part in big or small since the day she met him. Her day job is a Business Development Manager in Oak Recruitment, Bluebell constantly meeting new people, new faces and

organising new contracts with businesses day to day.

Other loves include her little dog called Hardy (He is the Apple of her eye), dancing, singing, acting, modelling and meeting new people, the gym and getting away on different breaks.

The finals competition entails quite a few

different rounds including an interview, opening number/white round, fashion wear, Irish wear/national costume, swimwear and evening gown.

Sarah louise will be very busy over the next weeks with appearances, photoshoots and preparation.

Sarah louise needs a lot of support from the

community and the wider Saggart area, so watch out for her! We hope to revisit Sarah louise's story closer to the time.

The finals for Ms Ireland 2015/2016, where the winner will be crowned Ms Ireland 2016 takes place on the 14th of November at the Carlton Hotel Dublin Airport.

Tickets are on sale now, general admission is â‚Ź20 and can be purchased through irelandpageants@gmail. com via PayPal.com.

For more information on the even t www.MissTeenIreland.com/ See more details on Sarah louise and her journey www.missteenireland.com/contest ants.html or on Sarah's facebook page facebook.com/profile.php?id=802 134566566028

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20

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While in many cases students, schools and parents see the CAO as the ‘be all and end all’ for those seeking third level education, nothing could be further from the truth according to Gabriel Allen, deputy principal at Bray Institute of Further Education (BIFE). “Over recent years many new avenues have opened up to students to enable them pursue their dream career via a different route.”

He added, “Further Education offers a learner, who may not have achieved the required CAO points, the opportunity to gain advanced entry onto honours degree programmes, both in Ireland and abroad.

The huge range of courses available at BIFE offers learners fabulous opportunities, not only for those looking for additional skills or hoping to go directly into employment, but also as an alternative route on to a college course in a university or institute of technology.”

“Many of our students” he said “who complete a one-year level 6 programme have been successful in gaining advanced entry to year 2 of a relevant degree programme in The Institutes of Technology.

For example, if a student wanted to study Business Studies in IADT (Dl823) but did not get enough points in the leaving Certificate (285 in 2014), they could do a one-year post-leaving Cert (PlC) level 6 course in

Management (6M4587) in Bray Institute of Further Education and gain direct entry into the second year of that same degree in IADT. Over the past few years, graduates of BIFE have achieved honours degrees across a wide range of programmes, opening up a myriad of career opportunities from graphic design to performing arts in Acting and Dancing to psychology.

this year biFe will offer honours Degree programmes in the following: • Fine art • acting • Dance tv & Film (moving image) • • music production • graphic Design • Fashion Design

As Gabriel Allen explained, “These seven courses are at Higher National Diploma level and that allows graduating students to proceed to the final year of an honours Degree Programme in Ireland or Britain if that is their ultimate ambition.”

Allen assured that there are many opportunities for mature students to study and progress at BIFE. “All courses have valuable certification and offer progression routes to Higher Education, yet you don’t

need CAO points to study at Bray Institute.”

Bray Institute will offer a new one-year Professional Cookery QQI level 5 and 6 awards from September. Course graduates from the level 6 course can progress to advanced entry to second year of the BA (hons) Culinary Arts Degree in IT Tallaght Bray Institute will be holding an Open Day on Friday 28th August from 10 am to 4pm.

Potential students, parents, and career guidance teachers will have the opportunity to speak to the staff who, with their educational knowledge and specialist

industry experience, can guide you in the right direction.

There will be a bus available this year from Gorey and Arklow to Bray Institute at a reasonable price running throughout the year from September to May. There are limited places available so contact the Institute immediately to book your place on the bus.

Alternatively, you can call the Institute any day during office hours on 01-2829668 or log on to www.bife.ie

there’s soMethiNg aBout Mary - sLiMMiNg WorLd kiNgsWood’s WoMaN of the year

A Tallaght slimmer who says she feels like a new woman since losing over 7st has been named the Kingswood Slimming World Woman of the Year because of her inspiring weight loss.

mary blake has lost almost 7.5 stones in just 29 weeks. now she is been crowned Woman of the year having been voted for by her fellow members in the group Final on 13th august.

Around one in four women in the UK and Ireland are severely overweight and at risk of suffering a range of health problems including diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Slimming World’s Woman of the Year competition recognises the achievements of women in making long-term healthy lifestyle changes for both themselves and their families.

Mary joined Slimming World in January 2015, having made a pact with her Sister that they would do something about their weight in the New Year.

She admits she was sceptical and didn t know what but expect but also that what had put her off joining was that she didn t want to know what she weighed. Mary is adamant that had the Consultant told her what she weighed on the night she joined, she would have left and never came back. To use Mary’s own words, she took to the food plan “like a duck to water”. She tells us With Slimming World it is completely different, I never have to miss out and I don’t have to get hung up on weighing and measuring everything I eat. I don’t feel deprived and after losing over 7 st I’m the slimmest and the happiest I‘ve been in such a long time!

The Tallaght Mam of 3, follows

Slimming World’s Food Optimising eating plan, which encourages slimmers to fill up on satisfying yet healthy everyday foods like fruit and veg, lean meat and fish, pasta, potatoes, rice and pulses without having to weigh or measure. She says: People are all amazed how much I can eat and still lose weight. I still eat many of the same meals that I did before I started losing weight, like spaghetti Bolognese, curries and roast dinners. Now I just prepare and cook them differently and they taste so much better. I’ve picked up lots of new healthy recipes from the other members at my Slimming World group, too.

I know a lot of people worry about joining a slimming club because they don’t know what to expect. They needn’t be afraid though. Right from the first moment I walked into my Slimming World group I felt at home, the support and motivation I’ve received from my Consultant Karen and the rest of the group has been brilliant, adds Mary. They made me feel so welcome and now I don t know what I was so nervous about it’s just like a night out with friends and I look forward to going to Slimming World each week. Other family members joined too so it’s a real family affair. I definitely don’t think I could have lost all this weight without them and the group.

When I started out I never dreamt I’d be able to achieve all that I have. I lost 17lbs in my first week and was blown away that the changes I’d made had such a big impact so quickly. As the weight started to come off and I began moving down dress sizes. I started to believe I could actually lose the weight and keep it off. losing the weight has

made such a huge difference it s changed my life. I’ve got so much more energy and I can do things now that I couldn’t before. I love shopping now and having the freedom to choose what I like in any shop! My fitness has improved and I enjoy being active now rather than thinking of it as a chore I love just being able to get about more easily and can run up the stairs now!.

I’m more confident and I like the slim, happy, positive person I see in the mirror. I feel like a winner already, so being voted the Kingswood group s Woman of the Year 2015 is just the icing on the cake.

Karen Stokes, who runs the Kingswood group, says: “I’m so proud of Mary. Not only does she look fabulous, she has improved her health and is bursting with energy. She is a huge inspiration to everyone in our group and I hope she inspires other women in Tallaght to change their lives in the same way. It can be hard to admit that you need to do something about your weight and to ask for help, but I think Mary shows just what is possible when you do.

Slimming World is literally changing lives every day! We had a fantastic final in group with a party/taster evening and a glittering awards ceremony. We brought Hollywood to Kingswood and even had a red carpet!

Mary was just beaming from ear to ear.”

the kingswood slimming World group is held every thursday at 5.30 & 7.30 p.m. at kingswood Community Centre. to join or find out more call karen on 087 9066423.

Pictured is Mary after losing 7.5 stone (inset) Mary before joining Slimming World

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WEIGHT LOSS VERSUS FAT LOSS This week I am going to discuss a topic, which can be difficult for people to understand especially those who have a weight loss goal i.e. for a Wedding, Christening, Debs or Holidays. That topic is the DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WEIGHT lOSS AND FAT lOSS. Some information on FATS Fats supply’s the body with energy, it helps the body to respond to insulin (a hormone that regulates glucose in the bloodstream) properly, in addition it forms part of cell membranes.

When you consume too much of the wrong types or unhealthy fats i.e. Trans fats (manmade fats) normally found in long shelf life or other products unhealthy fats including saturated fat, you gain

weight and increase your chances of developing heart disease and other diseases and disorders.

Healthy fats include monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat at least relatively speaking.

Fat loss

Only last week I had a discussion with two PT clients about one of the most common myth’s that is in circulation when it comes to fat loss ‘muscle weighs more than fat’ I’m going to clear this up very quickly and it is important going forward when reading this article ‘1 pound of muscle weighs the same as 1 pound of fat’ no matter how you look at it. However muscle is a lot leaner and takes up

a lot less surface area.

I had 2 clients recently and their main GOAl was WEIGHT lOSS after 6 weeks training both had lost at least 5% body fat one more than the other that said, when I weighed them both they only lost 2lbs in weight, However their before and after pictures told a different story, Both looked like they had lost at least half a stone in weight.

These pictures can be seen on my personal training page www.facebook.com/Se anPTCorr Now that we have cleared that up hopefully! let’s look at fat more in depth. 1 pound of fat contains approximately 3,500 calories of food energy, in order to burn this fat you need to burn off more calories than you

consume from food and drink.

How this is better achieved is by reducing your calorie intake and increasing you levels of activity such as exercise each week, types of exercise include: aerobic, strength training and calisthenics (Body Weight training).

Weight loss

Way too often in my opinion, people in particular get caught up in what the scales reads but really the scales doesn’t tell the whole story especially in the couple we discussed earlier in the article.

You can lose weight by: • By not eating for 10 hours • By not drinking water for a day

• By cutting your right leg off

Was there much progress made by all of the above?

Yes you weigh less but realistically you have fatigued and weakened yourself and in need of a wheelchair!! The best present you can give yourself for Christmas this year is achieving our goal weight. There would be little contour, shape or tone to your body because you have only really burned water and muscle, remember it takes 3500 calories to burn 1 pound of fat!!

What is the right approach you’re screaming?

Here are my top 10 tips to help you achieve your goal

NoveNas NoveNas NoveNas NoveNas

miraCle prayer Dear Heart of Jesus in the past I have asked for many favours. This time I ask you for a very special one. Take it, dear Heart of Jesus, and place it within your own broken heart where your Father sees it. Then in His merciful eyes it will become your favour and not mine.

Amen. Say this prayer for three days. Promise publication and favour will be granted no matter how impossible. Never known to fail. p.m.

miraCle prayer Dear Heart of Jesus in the past I have asked for many favours. This time I ask you for a very special one. Take it, dear Heart of Jesus, and place it within your own broken heart where your Father sees it. Then in His merciful eyes it will become your favour and not mine.

Amen. Say this prayer for three days. Promise publication and favour will be granted no matter how impossible. Never known to fail. t.m

miraCle prayer Dear Heart of Jesus in the past I have asked for many favours. This time I ask you for a very special one. Take it, dear Heart of Jesus, and place it within your own broken heart where your Father sees it. Then in His merciful eyes it will become your favour and not mine.

Amen. Say this prayer for three days. Promise publication and favour will be granted no matter how impossible. Never known to fail. p. m.

as our regular readers will know we have asked for your generosity in supporting very worthy charities over the last few years including nCbi solas Centre in Clondalkin, tir na nog (Cheeverstown house) and laura lynn Children’s hospice . these charities have all been involved in providing vital services to children with special needs and their families. We would

miraCle prayer Dear Heart of Jesus in the past I have asked for many favours. This time I ask you for a very special one. Take it, dear Heart of Jesus, and place it within your own broken heart where your Father sees it. Then in His merciful eyes it will become your favour and not mine.

Amen. Say this prayer for three days. Promise publication and favour will be granted no matter how impossible. Never known to fail. p.m

miraCle prayer Dear Heart of Jesus in the past I have asked for many favours. This time I ask you for a very special one. Take it, dear Heart of Jesus, and place it within your own broken heart where your Father sees it. Then in His merciful eyes it will become your favour and not mine.

Amen. Say this prayer for three days. Promise publication and favour will be granted no matter how impossible. Never known to fail. t.m

like to thank all readers who have supported our chosen charities to date and while we will still be supporting laura lynn Children’s hospice going forward, we are delighted to support the irish pilgrimage trust.

We are appealing to you our loyal newspaper readers to show your generosity in helping us to support an equally worthy charity, the irish pilgrimage trust.

the irish pilgrimage trust is a registered charity in Ireland (Charity Number: 5992), and for over 40 years the Trust has been travelling on pilgrimage/holiday to lourdes with young people with special needs, from all over Ireland.

The Trust has over 1100 people travelling at Easter time and it is divided into small groups of approx 10 young people and 12 volunteer carers who stay in one of the many Hotels in lourdes.

In June we bring a group of 110 people to Hosanna House in lourdes for what is a unique experience both Carer and Guest.

We have two facilities in Kilcuan, Co. Galway and Cois Cuain, Co. Wexford each offering different opportunities. Both facilities provide Friendship weeks during the Summer.

Application forms are available from our Office at 091 796622..

For more information on the Irish Pilgrimage Trust please contact us at 091 796622 or Email info@irishpilgrimagetrust.com or visit our web page on http://www.irishpilgrimagetr ust.com for more information.. if you would like a novena published please send a postal order or cheque made payable to the irish pilgrimage trust and send it, along with your novena to: neWsgroup, unit 3, Floor 2, st. DominiC's shopping Centre, st DominiC's roaD, tallaght, Dublin 24 if you require any further information call us on 087 6535443.

By Seán Corr

1. Ditch the scales!

They can be a demotivator.

2. Proper Nutrition, consuming your greens and protein with every meal.

3. Drink more water, 2 litres a day is best.

4. Consume the right fats never cut out fats, they are important for energy and brain function.

5. You cannot undo a healthy diet. i.e. working out for an hour and then eating a mars bar.

6. Do more weight training muscle is metabolic burns more calories.

7. Change your lifestyle - get active, take the stairs in work not the elevator, small changes can have the biggest impacts 8. Using BODY FAT% analyses and measurements as a tool, in place of the scales for tracking progression.

9.

Take ‘’before’’ pictures we all forget how we used to look,

they can be great motivational tools.

10.

Ignoring cardio machine readings in terms of calories they are very accurate. Just because the machine says you have burnt 1000 kcals, doesn’t mean you have.

local Councillor Charlie O’Connor has called on South Dublin County Council to take immediate action to provide the long promised Playground at Tymon Park, Tallaght, which has been the subject of much delay.

He has received numerous calls from Kilnamanagh Estate and from the St. Aengus Parish area regarding the Playground and there is concern in the communities that progress has not been made in respect of the issue.

within the timescale previously indicated.

However, work is continuing on this task and it is anticipated that it will now be tendered in September 2015” According to Councillor O’Connor, it is time that Council Management sorted out whatever difficulties they are encountering and provide this new Playground as soon as possible.

On a related matter Council Management have also responded to separate representations from Charlie O’Connor, on behalf of local residents in Kilnamanagh and confirmed that it is also intended that consultations for a Play Space in Kilnamanagh will begin in September 2015.

He added that he will continue to give all these matters his particular attention on behalf of the community.

Those who know me and know I’m very passionate about changing people’s views on rapid weight loss especially clients! But hopefully this article has changed your mindset that weight loss is not the path to take.

So do you still think cutting your leg off was a good idea?

Yours in wellness Seán.

For information on personal training and group classes contact me via my Facebook page www.facebook.com/se anptCorr or Contact me by phone 0851038246.

caLLs for actioN oN tyMoN Park PLaygrouNd

In response to representation from Charlie O’Connor the Council has stated as follows “Due to ongoing consultation work involved in rolling out the 2015 Play Space Programme and in completing the 2014 programme it has not been possible to finalise the tender for the Tymon Park Playground

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