President names seven to Council of State

The President, Mrs McAleese, has brought a distinct business content to the Council of State with the appointment of her seven nominees yesterday.

She has attempted to fulfil her election commitment to give representation to a broad strand of Irish life, with the selection of a Northerner, an active student, a leading businessman, a trade unionist and a radical nun among her nominees.

Mr Noel Stewart, a Protestant from Enniskillen, has strong Northern and cross-Border links. A chartered accountant, he was managing partner of Coopers and Lybrand, Northern Ireland, from 1978 until his retirement in 1993. He has held a number of government and commercial appointments and was a board member of Co-Operation North from 1985 to 1987.

He is chairman of the Craigavon Area Hospital Group Trust, honorary treasurer of Queen's University, Belfast, a director of the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company and a board member of the National Lottery Charities Board.

Mr Martin Naughton is founder and executive chairman of the Glen Dimplex Group, which has plants employing 2,000 people on both sides of the Border, as well as in Britain, Germany, Canada and France. He was given honorary Doctorates of Law by TCD and UCD. He is also a member of the Industrial Development Board of Northern Ireland.

Ms Ruth Curtis, a chartered psychologist, is an academic at University College Galway who has been involved in AIDS-related counselling. She is vice-president for development and external affairs in UCG since 1996.

A graduate of UCC, Ms Curtis is an associate fellow of the Psychological Society of Ireland and the British Psychological Society, a committee member of the European Cultural Foundation, a member of Galway Chamber of Commerce and founder member of the Business and Professional Women's organisation in Galway.

Ms Christina Carney-Flynn is assistant general secretary of the IMPACT trade union. She is a graduate in social science of UCD and was president of the European Youth Forum 1984-86. She is a member of Comhairle na nOispideal.

Mr Gordan Anthony Brett (23) is from Athlone and a final-year student in business studies at the Institute of Technology in the town. He is also a member of the college chaplaincy service which assists students with problems. He is a League of Ireland soccer player with Athlone Town. He also played for Galway United from 1994 to 1996.

Sister Stanislaus Kennedy, from Dingle, is founder and life president of Focus Ireland. She was its first chairwoman and is a director of the Combat Poverty Agency. She has been a member of the Irish Sisters of Charity since 1958 and was founder and director of the Kilkenny Social Services in 1960.

She was also a founder member of the National Federation of Youth Clubs, the National Association of Child Care Workers and the Campaign for the Care of Deprived Children.