28/11/2011 BBC Newsline

Welcome to BBC Newsline. The headlines: The writing's on the

board for teacher jobs as schools face budget cuts of 5%.

I find it frustrating to know that I have to make redundancies and

reverse all those things I know have contributed to a high levels

of what we have achieved in the last number of years.

The finance minister Sammy Wilson warns of more pain in the

Chancellor's autumn spending plans. The soldier blinded by a Taliban

bomb, is now able to see his three- year-old son.

This is where our salt comes from, underground in a network that

stretches for 60 kilometres outside Carrickfergus in County Antrim. BBC

Newsline goes down the mines for the first time to see how we're

preparing for winter. But it's not cold enough for

salting the roads yet. It is the rain we are keeping an eye on

tonight. A yellow warning is in force for some heavy downpours.

In sport, and 9th Ulster title for Crossmaglen Rangers and they are

now set on retaining the All Ireland.

A letter arrived on the desks of school principles today that gave

them more than a severe case of Monday morning blues. It was from

the education department and spelled out unexpected cuts that

each school will have to make. One of the teaching unions is

predicting thousands of job losses over the next four years.

When schools look at their budgets to see where cuts could be made,

then inflexibility is in staff costs. Principles have been taken

aback that instead of cutting 3% next year, they will have to make

savings of 5%. This has all but out there, it has been debated in the

chamber, my officials have spoken about it but when it is in black-

and-white in front of a principle, it will come as a shock. Some

schools are already in dire straits financially but even some like this

one which has the luxury of not being in deficit and having had the

cushion of a circus over the last few years, are forecasting cutbacks

and that could mean losing teachers and resources. I think we're

looking at a reduction of �10 and 50,000 for the next financial year

and we need to sit down and go through the entire budget to see

where savings can be made but our aim will be to maintain our

staffing levels at the highest possible level. When you face

redundancies? I'll be surprised if any school in the situation will

not face redundancies. A across Northern Ireland schools are

already �10.5 million in the red but that is likely to get worse.

One union has predicted 4000 teacher jobs and 12,000 support

jobs will go. I think the Department of Education would do

well to sit down with all the stakeholders and lay on their cards

on the table and put her heads together to see what alternatives

we can come up with because this brittle approach of simply missing

-- making the cut with little regard for the consequences is not

in the interest of children, teachers for the communities.

minister is to make the finance minister Sammy Wilson over the next

week and no doubt he will be putting on the pressure to get more

money for his Budget. Three of four schools in the South

Eastern Board area which were threatened with closure have been

told the proposal will go ahead. Only Knockmore Primary in Lisburn

has been reprieved following a protest campaign by parents and

politicians. Redburn Primary in Hollywood, Ballykeigel Primary in

Comber and Dunmurry High School have been told the board would like

them to close by the end of August next year.

Could there be even more cuts to our public services? The Chancellor,

George Osborne, will give his Autumn Statement tomorrow and has

been talking about �30 billion of extra money for infrastructure.

That sound like good news but could actually spell more cuts for

Northern Ireland according to the finance minister Sammy Wilson. Our

business and economics editor has more. Why is Sammy Wilson so

worried? He has a bad case of the Barnett consequential. It is a

Northern Ireland condition that means when Westminster increases

spending, we see a cut. We're talking about a headline in price

so why are we seeing a cut? The reason is, most of the money is

coming from the private sector and �5 billion from that infrastructure

spending is coming from cuts elsewhere so if that is translated

here, it could mean a cut of �one and 50 million and Sammy Wilson is

so concerned that he has written to the Chancellor. If, for example,

the figure we have been told is going to be taken of current

spending is applied in the full weight Northern Ireland, we would

lose �one and and 50 million which would be a substantial hit it to us.

I think we can make an argument for saying, the rules, even under the

current spending rules, that should not apply to Northern Ireland and

hopefully the Treasury will respond to that. Sammy Wilson is saying if

it is implied in full, we could lose 150 million this year but he

is hoping there will be and negotiation and perhaps that won't

happen. �30 million in infrastructure, Cammy benefit from

any of that? We would like to think so. In practice, there are good

reasons why we might not benefit and again, the minister is

concerned. The structure of the way big projects are structured, it is

centred at government level and because this is private sector

money, there is not an incentive for departments year to get

involved. The size of the projects that are likely to be attractive to

private sector money may not exist here. We have had been a five a

project here Scheldt, is it likely to come on board? No because Dublin

is not paid for half of it. The family of a Newry man shot dead

by soldiers in the city 40 years ago have been told his killing

should not have happened. Sean Ruddy was shot dead with two

friends in October 1971. They had tried to grab takings from two bar

staff making a deposit at a night safe in the town centre. The army

had mounted a covert operation expecting an IRA bomb attack. The

three friends were shot as they ran away. A report by the Historical

Inquiries Team says it should not have happened.

It brings some sort of consolation but as I told you earlier, I met

the team and I told them it didn't matter, I thought my brother was

murdered and they have now confirmed that and that eases the

burden a bit but it doesn't help you to sleep at night.

A founder member of the dissident republican group, the Real IRA, has

denied getting tip-offs from members of the Gardai. Michael

McKevitt was giving evidence at the Civic tribunal in Dublin. It is

investigating allegations of Gardai collusion in the murders of two RUC

officers along the border in 1989. The trial of two men accused of

murdering two soldiers at Massarene Barracks has heard defence

arguments that DNA evidence should be ruled inadmissible. Colin Duffy

and Brian Shivers deny murdering Patrick Azimkar and Mark Quinsey in

2009. Defence barristers argued that Dr Mark Perlin from the United

States who analysed DNA evidence found in the getaway car would gain

financially if this system of analysis was accepted.

The DUP leader Peter Robinson has set out his vision to attract

Catholic support for the union saying the days of us and them

politics are over. But Sinn Fein have called remarks by another

well-known speaker at the DUP conference disgraceful.

This was the day Peter Robinson unveiled his vision of a new

Northern Ireland with no more us and them. Arkwright of no surrender

served us very well in the days when we were being mercilessly

attacked and when our backs were against the wall. Happily, times

have changed and now a new approach, I believe, is justified. Some

things haven't changed. Sammy Wilson still does the jokes. The

sunglasses, added that Alistair McDonnell. Then there was the one

about the Sinn then. I would have loved to see that creche, the

babies were in cages, wrapped in blankets and they wouldn't bet they

die and -- dinner either! You should see what they did with the

nappies! Can you imagine Seamus's dad would have been proud of him.

15 months old and he has mastered the dirty protest already!

former minister didn't find it funny. I find his remarks

disgraceful. I found they were demeaning to him as a minister and

demeaning by association to the entire Executive and I would even

go as fire to say it demeaned his audience although many didn't have

the wit to recognise this. Sammy Wilson was unrepentant. It was Sinn

Fein who talked about their creche so I don't think it was in poor

taste and the conference didn't think that. He says he is still

glad he can annoy a Sinn Fein but it seems a long way from his

leader's new vision. A Belfast soldier left without legs

and blinded by a bomb in Afghanistan has regained a 3rd of

his sight. He says seeing his young son's smile wipes away the memory

of the attack three years ago. Andy Allen has been talking to BBC

Newsline's Julian O'Neill. Andy Allen almost died in

Afghanistan before his son was born three years ago. A bomb blast took

his legs and very nearly his sight but fans to laser surgery, he can

see his son like never before. can see his smile and his laugh and

when he giggles, I can see his expression of whether he is

enjoying what we are doing or or no, I don't like that. It has made a

massive difference for me and him to be able to bond together. This

was the dramatic moment Andy Allen's world change for ever, a

documentary crew recorded the ambush in Helmand Province that

almost killed him. Critically injured, he was flown back to the

UK and when you walk from a,, he could not see. The blast blew

upwards towards my face so it left damage on my face and it blew the

surface of my eyes off. Leaving me with no side at the time. The he

did gradually recover a little side but surgery this year has now given

him 30% of his vision. I have been given a second chance and I will

love my lead to the best I can. There are more pros and cons and

one big thing is it that I will be able to see my son more clearly and

that wipes away all the bad things. The Royal Irish soldier was 19 when

he was wounded. He hopes one day medical science may give him fit -

would fill site but he is already habit with life's new perspective.

Still to come on the programme: The Orange Order opens up the archives

to put some of its history on show. New life for an old Belfast school,

now home to some of its former This time last year we were about

to plunge into the coldest December in living memory. Castlederg became

known as Castle Iceberg. Barra Best takes a look at how we are

preparing for winter this year. He got unprecedented access to the

only salt mine in Ireland and he asked the Water Service if it had

learned from last year's crisis. As the big freeze began to fall

last winter, thousands of people were left without water. Homes were

rooms, the clean-up cost a fortune. Northern Ireland water suffered its

worst ever crisis as more than a million calls were made to them and

people were trying to use its website, but it was not prepared.

It bore the brunt of public anger and frustration and led to the

richest - - led to the red touch - - led to the resignation of its

chief executive. The very painful memories for us. We have doubled

the amount of call handlers than last year. Our website Leicester

had the capacity of 20,000 visits a day, to a website again deal with

up to 200,000 per hour. The Roads Service battled against the snow to

keep the roads open. Thousands of tons of Salt were spread. This is

where the Salt comes from. It is 350 metres underground and

stretchers for 60 kilometres, beer Carrickfergus. Half-a-million

tonnes of this stuff is mind every year from the seabed they dried up

240 million years ago. Workers travel and so deep underground that

it is like scaling down the side of the Empire State Building. Inside,

the Salt is crushed by giant machines until the grains are about

the width of the pen. When it is ready, 4000 tonnes every day are

brought to the surface. It is extremely busy for us. Our busiest

year on record. We supply its something like 400,000 tonnes to

the road surface. At achieve and had to import Salt? By that is

correct. Our own production here could not meet the increased demand,

so we brought some Salt in from Egypt. Stormont will give out cold

weather payments of �25 again this year when temperatures are forecast

to be below zero for seven days on the road. It is to help those on

benefits if their homes. Things could be difficult for us all if

there is another big freeze. Tomorrow, Barra looks at ways we

can help protect your home in any cold snap.

It is thought demand will be even greater this year for the Christmas

Family Appeal, which opened today. The charity collection is run by

the Salvation Army and the St Vincent de Paul with support from

BBC Northern Ireland. The charities are asking for donations of new and

unwrapped presents. Last year we had 11,700 families that were

helped to the family appeal. This year we would predict an increase

in that number. So, if you can think of the family appeal When you

outdoing your shopping and perhaps by an extra gift to support those

less fortunate in our community. The Orange Order has blown the dust

off some of its most treasured artefacts to encourage more people,

including Catholics, to look at the history of the organisation. Mervyn

Jess discovered a collection that also remembers the Orange

credentials of Northern Ireland's most famous footballer.

The Orange Grand Master donned his white gloves Anne's collar today,

not for a parade, but to hold a book but it's back to the Battle of

the Boyne. Some of the order's most precious items were being shown

today. All of these artifacts gathered over the years one to be

careful eye of the leading historian in the order. This is a

major page in history. Absolutely. This is the Book Of the Paymaster

General from 6090. - - 1690. There are lots of surnames in here, the

names of officers and high-ranking people within the regiments. The

ordinary foot soldier did not it is them in the book. We can look at

this plate, connected with the Ulster government. This is one of

the original printing plates. This would have been used as a souvenir

print. It is not just the documents, there were things like this. This

is George Best's collarette, all but he wore when he was a young lad.

George Best, as we know, was good at kicking with both feet.

In a few minutes a school reunion with a difference as past pupils

take up permanent residence. There was disappointment for our golfers

over the weekend, but joy for Crossmaglen Rangers as they

retained their Ulster title. Gavin Andrews is here with all the sport.

Jamie Clarke was once again the centre of attention for Crossmaglen

Rangers yesterday. The 22-year-old produced a sparkling display to

give the Armagh side their ninth Ulster championship, and a place in

the All-Ireland semi-finals. Thomas Niblock reports.

It has been a year of very little change. Crossmaglen Rangers are

once again Ulster champions and once again man of the match was

Jamie Clarke. The Armagh forward was sensational during a first have

that set the tone for the winner of Crossmaglen. If he didn't score,

his passing and essayists provided for others. He was superb today. He

won every ball became to him. He is a superb target man. Kitsch Kelly

had been watching him the whole way through. He is very professional,

wouldn't have a drink or a smoke. A fantastic talent. I did not expect

to get it this year. We had some brilliant boys this year, boys all

over the page that were brilliant. This will be remembered for the

team performance and we're happy with the winner. Would you be

content with just winning the Ulster this season? No. We want to

Brendan Rogers is among the many to have paid warm tribute to Wales

manager Gary Speed, who was found dead at his home yesterday morning.

Rogers manages Swansea, the only Welsh club in the Premier League,

and spoke last night after their home game against Aston Villa.

thought it was poignant that the game was here in Wales. It is still

hard to taking. My players loved working with them and really

enjoyed it. You have players like Shay Given who were close friends.

It is very, very difficult to comprehend. With me coming to Wales,

I have had quite a lot of contact with him since he has taken over

the job. It puts everything into perspective.

Glenavon parted company with manager Marty Quinn at the weekend.

His side's 1-1 draw with Dungannon Swifts left them adrift at the

bottom of the table. But it is as you were at the top.

Glenavon bid to be on the way to a third win with this long-range

strike. The celebrations with Marty Quinn showed what it meant. But

there was an equaliser in stoppage time. It was one disappointment too

far for the manager. That was a hammer blow to us. It was going to

be a rare win and clean sheet for us and it will we deserve that, but

we didn't get it. But his football for you. Cliftonville came from a

goal down to extend their winning streak to 11 games. There was an

injury-time freak own goal that gave the Reds all the points.

Linfield had a comfortable win against Carrick Rangers. Portadown

stay second. They won by two goals at Lisburn Distillery.

Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell started the final round of the

World Cup with a two-shot lead on the rest of the field on Sunday,

but the silverware eluded Team Ireland once more. Thomas Kane

reports. It just wasn't to be for a team

Ireland. There were some moments when it looked as if Rory McIlroy

and Graeme McDowell were going to do it. But this putt on the 18th

green summed up their day. They came up short in China, finishing

4th overall. There was disappointment to for Ulster a way

to Glasgow. An off day for Ian Humphreys and the men in white. The

home side scored the only try of the game. Ulster are now 8th in the

table. It was a bitter weekend for the Belfast Giants as a guaranteed

a Challenge Cup semi-final - - semi-final spot and remains on top

For some, school marked the greatest days of their life. For

others, the final bell couldn't come soon enough. Classroom

memories can divide opinion, but not in East Belfast, where people

were lining up to go back their old school. Simon Hunter has had

exclusive access to a place that's even had visitors from out of this

world! It is 1978 and Mersey Street grimy school gets a visit from Dr

Who. Travel forward in time 30 years and you will see a listed

building abandoned after the school closed in 2006. But what now? The

school is open again and full of former pupils, except they don't go

home at 3 o'clock. And now they live here. There were 30 new

Housing Executive Homes and the development, a third of them going

to former pupils. It is strange, because when ever anybody comes in,

everybody wants to see it, and when they come and the door they are

shocked, because the corridors have gone and it is a beautiful

courtyards. It is a lovely, quiet place to live. All the homes open

onto this courtyard, which closely resembles the school playground

many of them used as children. But keeping their character, keeping

that feel made it a very challenging project. It was Grade B

listed, which brought with that lot of difficulties. It looks exactly

like the school always stayed. As you can see from the courtyard, it

has turned it into our he have done. This woman is another former pupil

now living in this school. Her two children also went to the school

and she even worked as a dinner lady. I had sneaked in before and

saw what it was like, but I never dreamt that I would be offered one.

It was great and the offer came. This sum may have second Mersey

Street Primary, but the old school is going to play an important role

Now, let's get the weather. As I mentioned earlier, no need for the

rock Salt yet for the roads and pavements, it is the reason that we

are looking out for tonight. There is a warning from the met Office

about heavy rain right through until mid-morning tomorrow. The

rain is settling in, some of that heavy and we might see a touch of

localised flooding. It will not be especially cold tonight's. The

winds are going to change once the rain clears out of the way, so it

could be called in the West. It will be wet for all of us tomorrow,

but it will improve throughout the day. We could see a lot of surface

water and problems with transport for Russia are tomorrow. One

secures it will leave a drier picture, cloudy, and with

freshening winds it will feel colder. I say colder, but those are

the temperatures we should be seen at this time of year. A few

scattered showers to come, potentially wintery in the higher

ground. Into the evening, more in the way of clear skies, so it will

be a cold night as a going to Wednesday. Still, cold start to

Wednesday, but it should be mostly dry. Prince will come in from the

south-west. For the second part of Wednesday there will be more Rhian,

but it will settle down for Thursday and Friday. It will be

cooler by day at around seven degrees and by night it will be