11/12/2013 BBC Newsline

News at Six, so it's goodbye from me, and on BBC One we now join the

BBC's Good evening. The headlines on BBC

Newsline: MLAs ask if the child sex abuse inquiries will get to the

truth. Police seize a number of birds as part of an investigation

into cockfighting. I have been visiting schools in the border area

to find out where hundreds of pupils from the Republic are being taught

in Northern Ireland. A new report lifts the lid on just where we spend

our money. Also on the programme: I have got a packet of Christmas

crackers but what will get the lands? The new jokes or the ones in

here? -- laughs. Oisin McConville is one of the most successful club

Gaelic footballers of all time. Now he's taking on a new challenge. And

after days of settled, mild weather, a change is on the way. Rain arrives

tonight and there's an early warning for strong winds on Saturday. MLAs

have questioned how effective the inquiries into child sexual

exploitation can be considering they don't have any real powers. The

issue was discussed during evidence given to the Health Committee at

Stormont this afternoon. Two inquiries are underway into the

abuse of 22 teenagers. All were in care at the time. Some members were

alarmed that no-one could be compelled to give evidence to either

inquiry. Tara Mills reports. Parties, drink and drugs. Just some

of the enticements used to lure young people into a world that can

lead to sexual abuse and exploitation. And while teenagers in

care are often involved, children living in family homes throughout

the community are also victims of this type of abuse. The Assembly's

Health Committee heard evidence today from those involved in two

separate inquiries. They were set up in September to look at the abuse of

at least 22 young people aged between 13 and 18. Many people face

considerable wisdom when faced with the issue but we have a

responsibility to raise awareness of the issue and help extricate

themselves from difficult sigil we must take rigorous action to

identify and pursue arbitrators. Committee members questioned the

lack of powers in both inquiries but the head of social work here

defended their remits. Would you accept you don't have those powers?

The enquiry on its own does not. Is that a failing? If you wanted a

separate enquiry with statutory powers, that is another route.

Others insisted they would get to the truth. We have considerable

powers, if we need to use them, to give us right of access to allow us

to require information. We cannot, in the context of if old public

enquiry, compel witnesses to give evidence. But if we felt we needed

to exercise those powers, we would want to make sure we were exercising

them reasonably. During the hearing, alarming evidence about the profile

of the victims was also revealed. If we go back three years, it was

predominantly young women that people talked about. But I know

through the work I do throughout the UK that there is a significant

number of young men sexually exploited that never made that

radar. Today was also about asking for the public's help in tracking

those behind the abuse. Parents are being asked to watch for signs their

children could be in danger. Are their teenagers going missing or

returning home late? Does it appear they've been drinking or taking

drugs? And are they becoming more secretive or appearing to have new

phones, money or clothes? 22 initial victims have been identified. But

the figure is likely to be much higher. This raises serious

questions for the agencies who were supposed to be looking after them.

It will be at least one year before we get any answers. Birds have been

seized by the police in County Fermanagh. An investigation into

illegal cockfighting prompted searches in three locations. Julian

Fowler was at one of those searches. Police believe these birds may be

bred to take part in cockfights. A practice that has been illegal for

almost 200 years. Although healthy and uninjured, the comb on their

head has been removed, believed to be common practice in fighting birds

to reduce the risk of injury. Police have been carrying out searches here

and that two other, similar locations where roosters have been

found tied up to blue plastic barrels. Earlier this year, Newsline

revealed that cockfighting is regular taking place that

clandestine venues on both sides of the border. Bloody contests that can

end in the death of the animal. The US PCA, which carried out a two-year

investigation into this practice, said it was shocked when the number

of people, including children, taking part in organised cockfights.

Police seized a number of birds from the three properties in for a number

of birds from the three properties in from another. And items linked to

alleged cockfighting were taken away for further examination. They have

appealed for anyone who knows of similar locations where birds are

being kept to contact them. There was severe rush-hour congestion in

Belfast this evening after a collision involving a car and a

female pedestrian. It happened on an off-slip of the Sydenham bypass near

Middlepath Street. Traffic was diverted away from the area towards

the Newtownards Road. The pedestrian has been taken to hospital. Her

condition is not known. The family of a man who was crushed between two

cars when thieves tried to steal his lorry say he is lucky to be alive.

53-year-old Adrian McLaughlin from Drum near Dungiven was at a family

wake near Burnfoot in County Donegal when it happened. He was carried on

the side of a car that crashed into another. Gardai say he suffered

serious injuries to his legs, pelvis and chest. A year-old survey into

schooling in border areas has still not been published and a DUP MLA

says he suspects that's because the results did not suit the Sinn Fein

Education Minister. More than 400 children from the Republic of

Ireland attend schools in Northern Ireland and they don't pay for

tuition or books. Maggie Taggart reports from the border counties.

Children from the Republic of Ireland are choosing Northern

Ireland schools more than ever. Four times as many of them are crossing

the border than Northern Ireland pupils going in the other direction.

In 2009 the number of post-primary students heading north across the

border stood at 193. By this year, that figure had jumped to 275. The

number of southern primary school pupils attending schools here rose

from 115 in 2009 to 132 in the last academic year. The latest available

figures show that the number of secondary pupils from Northern

Ireland heading south for lessons dropped from 75 in 2008 to 63 last

year. Northern Ireland pupils take priority in school admissions here,

but other than that, pupils from either side of the border get the

same treatment. 11-year-old Courtney and her sister travel from Dundalk

to St Joseph's High School in Crossmaglen. It's close to home but

there's also a financial benefit. In the South, you pay for all of the

books and it could cost between 500 euros to 700 euros per child, per

year. In the North, that does not count, you do not hate. -- pay. Ryan

is head boy in St Joseph's and he has been helped by better support

for his dyslexia. We find this was the best school for e-learning

support unit and with exams as well. This is a controlled school in

Northern Ireland and it is attractive to Protestants living

just across-the-board. They preferred the system of education

here. Like Rachel Harrison's parents, everyone I spoke to

preferred the GCSE and A-level system rather than the Junior Cert

and Leaving Cert in the Republic. They only have one day to do that

and any child can have it bad day. Here, they have two years.

Coursework for two years and an exam at the end. For small schools like

this, pupils from across the border help it survive. There will be years

when we are fractionally under the quota so we can boost numbers using

pupils from the state and we appreciate them when they come. The

DUP's education spokesman doesn't object to the cross-border traffic

but wants to know who is paying. My question to the Minister, and has

been, how much is that costing the Northern Ireland taxpayer and how is

that funded ID system in the Republic? -- by the system. Because

of European Union laws, there is no requirement for the Republic's

government to pay for pupils being taught in Northern Ireland. Still to

come: Why are we spending more on fuel than the rest of the UK? The

campaign to save 300 jobs at the Driver and Vehicle Agency in

Coleraine went to Downing Street today. The UK Government wants to

centralise services at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in

Swansea but it would mean big job losses in Coleraine. David Maxwell

reports from Westminster. This group is on a mission. A mission to save

jobs. We have come here to bring a 40,000 signature petition to Downing

Street from Coleraine. We have exhausted the local governor at

levels, we have been through Stormont and have approached our own

MPs and MLAs and we thought it was time we brought it to the home of

government. And this is where the final decision on 300 DVA jobs will

be made. The UK Government wants to centralise services in Wales. It

says that would save money and allow drivers in Northern Ireland to tax

vehicles online and over the phone. We have heard what the government

has said on this issue, we have seen their proposals. But only a 0.5 per

cent increase in tax evasion will wipe out all of those savings the

government is talking about. And that will leave us with a worse

service than the one we have, one which has a 98% customer

satisfaction rate. Those who provide that service were also represented

today. For them, this decision could be life-changing. I live in a small

town and transport is not the best to get from Bushmills so to say, you

must work in Belfast, I will spend half of my day travelling. And I

have a young family. This campaign has been gaining momentum in recent

months. It is supported by all the local parties. Today, MPs joined

council, business and union representatives to hand over the

petition. The Northern Ireland Assembly has unanimously backed this

and I have raised it in Parliament and we have been to the Minister and

there is only one Other Place to go to, Downing Street. We have done

everything possible to take this campaign to the ultimate conclusion

and we await a response. The uncertainty is unlikely to continue

over Christmas, with no final decision expected until the New

Year. But the campaign to save them has been a vocal one. Those behind

it at the decision-makers are listening.

new figures show the average household spends much more on petrol

by Britain. It also shows we have the lowest

housing costs. What is the survey? This is research from the Office for

National Statistics and it looks across the UK at household budgets.

Attract 500 households in Northern Ireland between 2010 and 2012.

Detailed stuff, spending on cigarette, fresh fruit, holidays and

heating costs. The average household here has average weekly outgoings of

?489. But there are significant variations with the rest of the UK.

The big bugbear is you will? -- petrol? The average household here

spends about ?34 a week on petrol. The rest of the UK, it is ?24 a

week. Why is that? Are we being ripped off? Researchers say, not

necessarily. It could be matter of geography. We have lots of rural

areas and people are more dependent on cars rather than public transport

and they have to buy more petrol to live. What other things do the

figures show? It shows we spent a large part of our budgets on food,

?54 a week, ?31 a week on clothes, and we spent more on cigarettes,

fizzy drink and potatoes than any other part of the UK. We come in

second on restaurant spending. We like our grub! What do you call a

man with a spade on his head? We will find out if the old cracker

jokes are still the best. First to a new Gaelic football

manager. He's the most successful club player of all time. Now Oisin

McConville is taking charge of Ulster's most successful club.

Here's Gavin... Last year he was coaching the

under-sixes at Crossmaglen. Now he's taking the big step to take charge

of the senior side. John McEntee, who played with McConville for club

and county, is his joint manager. Thomas Kane caught up with Oisin

this afternoon in South Armagh. You only have to look at the photos

to have an idea of the achievements of the Armagh side through the

years. Central to that success has been the accommodation of McEntree

and McConnell. I think it was something I was always interested

in. It is a natural progression. Joe did a good team do my job with the

team last year and we are going to try and facilitate them were ever we

go. And it is something Crossmaglen are famous for? It is important that

we keep it going, but past players take up the reins. -- that past

players. We have had a lot of success in the club and people are

willing to do it. How do you manage the expectation? Crossmaglen are

synonymous with success. It is not about managing expectation, it is

about getting to where we want to be. 20 years ago, there was no

expectation and that did not work that well. Those expectations, we

are expected to be challenging for the all Ireland and that is where we

intend to be. Whether it works out is another thing. Thank you.

been a busy schedule. They will take a holiday after the New Year and

after that, the new area of management will begin.

Ireland's cricketers have fought back on day two of the ICC

Intercontinental Cup Final in Dubai. This morning they bowled out

Afghanistan for 182, for a first innings lead of five runs. And

although they lost two early wickets in their second innings, Ireland

rallied to 159 for two at the close of play today. Ed Joyce is 74 not

out, with Niall O'Brien on 40. Ireland have already won the ICC

World Cricket League Championship and World Twenty20 titles this year

and if they can win this final, it will complete a unique treble.

Wallace High School have won hockey's McCullough Cup final in a

thriller against Friends this afternoon at Lisnagarvey. Andrew

O'Hare got the winner in extra time to make it 3-2. It's the first time

the Lisburn school has lifted the trophy in 24 years.

Olympic handball is a big sport globally, but has traditionally had

a much lower profile here. But that's changing. At the weekend,

Belfast Handball Club, established only a year ago, won in the

All-Ireland League for the first time, beating University College

Cork. And the club is leading the sport's growth locally. Nikki Gregg

reports. It is a huge drop across the globe with 15 million

participants. Small but steady steps are being taken to establish Olympic

handball in Northern Ireland. The game is in its infancy here. Teams

feature men and women. That has taken a little bit of getting used

to for one old hand. I started in Slovakia 15 years ago and I was

nine. It is not easy to play with men. They are stronger than the

women. But it is quite fun. A key part of the sport's success is

making it available to children at a young age. We want the kids who do

not like the traditional sports and have never been interested in

sports, and we want healthy young people to play sport for a lifelong

experience. It is getting those kids into Olympic handball. It is a very

physical sport. There are seven people on the team, six outfield and

a goalie. It is constantly not leading the opposition not get

anywhere near the goal. There are senior teams across Ulster which can

be in the all Ireland league. It is hoped that they will be a

springboard for the sport. One of Londonderry's most famous

boxing families say they're thrilled that a trophy they thought was lost

forever has now turned up six decades later. The Lonsdale trophy,

which was won by the original Spider Kelly in 1938, is now on public

display. Here's our North-West reporter, Keiron Tourish. # Billy

Kelly and his father Jimmy, who were both known as Spider, captured in an

old BBC news report. Billy Kelly started in boxing at the age of 14.

They made history by becoming the first father-son combination to win

the British and Empire featherweight titles in 1938 and 1954. Tomorrow

night, Kelley fight Sammy McCarthy. -- Kelly fights. But while this

report focused on the exploits of Billy Kelly, it was his father, who

joined him on training runs on his bicycle over Craigavon Bridge, whose

long-lost trophy has now turned up 60 years later. The Lonsdale Cup is

now proudly displayed in a special exhibition in the Guildhall after

being spotted by a big boxing fan, who just happens to be a local

councillor. I noticed it on the auctioneer's website at the time and

I thought it might be a good idea to bring it forward to Derry City

Council's development committee for consideration and obviously, to put

in a bid to try and bring it back home to its rightful place. The son

of Billy "Spider" Kelly - who's a mere toddler in this old news report

- says he's delighted the Lonsdale trophy is back where it belongs. I

am very proud of it. It gives me great bragging rights when I go out

for a pint. I know the history of the family. I do not know as much

about boxing as some of the family, as I wasn't a boxer myself, but

occasionally I get recognised. The exhibition runs until 20th December

and in the New Year, there are plans to reveal a special memorial in the

Bogside. Finally, the British Olympic

Association confirmed today that Coleraine's Jenna McCorkell, the

eleven-time British champion figure-skater, will represent GB and

Northern Ireland at the Winter Olympics in Sochi in February.

Christmas cracker jokes. Hilariously funny or eye-rollingly awful? We all

know the old favourites, but for many, they've lost their charm. So,

a group of comedians has come up with a new set of festive jokes,

aimed at a more contemporary audience. Andy West took the fresh

gags to Belfast Christmas market, along with a pack of traditional

crackers with the old jokes inside, to see which are funnier.

I have got a pack of family Christmas crackers and the question

is, what will get more laughs? The new jokes, or the ones in here? I

have a Christmas cracker here, a traditional one with a traditional

joke. Who wants to pull it? One, two, 3... It did not snap! We need

the joke. What do you call a man with a speed on his head? I don't

know. Doug. ! DougIt is obviously funny. What does Miley Cyrus eight

for Christmas? Twerky, she guessed it! What is funny? The old jokes.

What does an angry kangaroo do? Gets hopping mad. I thought that was

funny. How did Mary and Joseph know that Jesus weighed seven lbs. Six

oz. When he was born? They had a weigh in a manger. This is a

traditional joke. See how funny this is. What do you call a crate of

docs? Our box of! Quackerswhy did no one bid for Rudolph and Blitzen on

eBay? Because they were two deer. Why are Advent Callender is so hard

to buy? Because there are days are numbered. Maybe the days for old

jokes are numbered, too. After a very settled few days when

we had good weather, there is a change on the way. It is going to be

wet and there is rain heading in our direction. A cold front is moving

through and it will bring rain to all parts. It will be a wet night.

It will be reasonably warm. Lows of nine degrees, so only a couple of

degrees below the daytime temperature. What is driving that is

this frontal system, the first of a number of weather fronts heading in

our direction. We have to watch out for the low pressure developing in

the Atlantic. It will be with us on Saturday and it will bring some

really strong winds with it. For that reason the Met Office has

issued a yellow warning of strong winds. More on that in a moment.

First of all, we have to get through Thursday and Friday. Thursday starts

wet and some showers around breakfast time could be quite sharp.

That is before things gradually dry up and brighten up as we go through

the day. It is quite mild. Top temperatures of 13 or 14, not bad

for the middle of December. We have got the wind from the south,

bringing warm air. It is moist air and it means there is the chance of

showers throughout the day on Thursday. NIO night on Thursday

night going into Friday. Friday, a similar day with cloud and drizzle.

Temperatures staying on the reasonable side. Quite a mild day on

Friday. It is Saturday where things start to change. That is why we have

this early yellow warning for strong winds. That is in place from nine

o'clock on Saturday morning. The time could change a little bit, so

keep an eye on the forecast over the next few days. Make the most of the

next couple of calm days before things get a bit more wild at the

weekend. Our late summary is at 10.25. You

can keep in contact via Facebook and Twitter. Good night.