:00:08. > :00:12.Civil servant sick leave. It cost the taxpayer here ?30 million last
:00:13. > :00:15.year. Are some people swinging the lead or is there a genuine problem?
:00:16. > :00:26.Why should Belfast City councillors be given four free tickets each for
:00:27. > :00:28.a Van Morrison gig? As a toddler, Melanie Grimsley
:00:29. > :00:32.sustained life-changing injuries in a fire which killed her sister. We
:00:33. > :00:35.meet this inspirational young lady who has triumphed over tragedy.
:00:36. > :00:36.And the winner of The Voice UK, Andrea Begley, will be singing live
:00:37. > :01:16.in this studio tonight. First up tonight: Civil service sick
:01:17. > :01:20.leave is on the increase here in Northern Ireland and the empty seats
:01:21. > :01:24.at the heart of Government cost taxpayers ?30 million in a single
:01:25. > :01:28.year. What has gone on, it's gone up another ?2 million. So are our civil
:01:29. > :01:43.servants being pushed to breaking point or are they swinging the lead
:01:44. > :01:50.at our expense? When you look at the figures, 70% of it is long-term sick
:01:51. > :01:53.leave, a lot of it down to stress, anxiety and depression. Public
:01:54. > :01:59.servants have been kicked in the teeth every day by this government.
:02:00. > :02:06.Last week alone, to public services have been cut, jobs are ready to be
:02:07. > :02:12.exported to Swansea, hundreds of jobs not being filled. Why has it
:02:13. > :02:25.come up in the last year? Because pressure is going -- is growing
:02:26. > :02:28.daily in, day out. Figures out today show civil
:02:29. > :02:37.servants here missed 10.6 days on average last year due to ill health.
:02:38. > :02:53.The UK private sector sick leave: 4.9 days! The way in which figures
:02:54. > :02:58.are counted is an issue. The civil service counts seven days a week. I
:02:59. > :03:03.am sure the private sector only counts Monday to Friday. But the
:03:04. > :03:16.statistics are not important. What is important is the underlying
:03:17. > :03:18.reasons. Lots to talk about tonight. Here's
:03:19. > :03:38.how you at home can get in touch: the facts are extremely important.
:03:39. > :03:45.First of all, in the civil service, it -- the most humble level, those
:03:46. > :03:52.people in Northern Ireland earned 18% more than their equivalents in
:03:53. > :04:00.the UK. The typical public sector worker earns 44% more than their
:04:01. > :04:04.equivalent in the private sector is -- so how is it that those two are
:04:05. > :04:12.paid more and enjoy better holidays and pensions, enjoy all those
:04:13. > :04:19.benefits, find it a challenge to get out of bed? Because they can get
:04:20. > :04:26.away with it! And why? Because Bumper and those in the trade unions
:04:27. > :04:37.coming -- come on this programme and make excuses for them. Outrageous
:04:38. > :04:42.and ill founded comments! The bulk of sickness is long-term, meaning it
:04:43. > :04:50.has been signed off and certified by a doctor. So are the doctors in
:04:51. > :04:55.cahoots with lazy public servants? These people are genuinely sick,
:04:56. > :04:59.signed off by doctors, and the bulk of the illness is down to stress and
:05:00. > :05:08.depression. That is caused by people on the right. Strangely, this
:05:09. > :05:15.depression and stress doesn't affect those in the private sector who
:05:16. > :05:21.typically are on 4.9 signatories are here. What is about the public
:05:22. > :05:31.sector that causes these problems? -- 4.9 sick days a year. There is a
:05:32. > :05:40.significant minority who was swinging the lead. You are arguing
:05:41. > :05:48.over five days difference, but we hear stories about expenses, and
:05:49. > :05:55.people I know, you hear about expenses they have. But these people
:05:56. > :06:00.have their set holidays, and then they have their sick holidays during
:06:01. > :06:08.the year, and in low and behold, close to Christmas, they get sick.
:06:09. > :06:18.They are never in bloody work! Do you not know of that? I certainly
:06:19. > :06:23.haven't seen them in the public service. Unfortunately, the public
:06:24. > :06:36.services full of them! Data shows the bulk of people is long-term
:06:37. > :06:42.sick. One in ten civil servants... It has cost Northern Ireland ?139
:06:43. > :06:54.million. It has cost the taxpayer that. But the level of sickness we
:06:55. > :06:57.are seeing is inexplicable. If you consider that those in the top
:06:58. > :07:04.private sector managed to get by with 4.9 days, let's see about
:07:05. > :07:18.cutting it back by half. In fact, in the past year, it has gone up. I
:07:19. > :07:22.would like to speak to Bumper. He spoke about people under pressure.
:07:23. > :07:32.What about people in the construction trade? That's pressure.
:07:33. > :07:38.He says long-term illnesses are down to depression. If you can't stick
:07:39. > :07:48.the heat in the kitchen, get out! You have got to be careful about the
:07:49. > :07:53.sweeping statements. When you need the police, that's a public sector
:07:54. > :07:58.worker. When you're in the hospital, that's a nurse. The people cleaning
:07:59. > :08:08.the streets are public sector workers. That's understandable, but
:08:09. > :08:15.going back to construction, people are under pressure thereto.
:08:16. > :08:25.Ambulance and nurses and everything else, yes, but what about the office
:08:26. > :08:29.clerks? Bill and David are trying to make this into an odd comment about
:08:30. > :08:35.public and private sector workers. At the end of the day, it isn't
:08:36. > :08:40.about that. The role of trade unions is to try and enhance and improve
:08:41. > :08:44.the working conditions of the ordinary working person. There is no
:08:45. > :08:51.want more sympathetic to the mismanagement of the Northern Irish
:08:52. > :08:55.economy than my trade union. But when it comes to sick leave, I have
:08:56. > :08:59.to make the point again that people are being signed off sick by their
:09:00. > :09:08.doctors. Now, somebody is saying here there is a mass conspiracy of
:09:09. > :09:14.doctors! The first day or two, you're not signed up a doctor. Yes,
:09:15. > :09:22.but the bulk is. One in ten of those of sick are off for an average of 60
:09:23. > :09:26.days per year. That's outrageous, but we have such a scenario. That
:09:27. > :09:30.would not be tolerated in the private sector. You come on an
:09:31. > :09:38.excuse them, and that's why they do it. People don't get cancer in the
:09:39. > :09:44.private sector! The private sector is more likely to dispose of those
:09:45. > :09:48.people. But the taxpayer has to fund the public sector. The other thing
:09:49. > :09:51.you don't understand is that those in the public sector who swing the
:09:52. > :09:55.lead are letting down their colleagues who then have to work
:09:56. > :10:08.even harder. So you are perpetuating the problem. I think we need to deal
:10:09. > :10:13.with the issue behind the absence and stress management or something
:10:14. > :10:16.needs to be spoken about in the workplace. People should feel
:10:17. > :10:23.comfortable talking about stress-related illness. And
:10:24. > :10:27.actually, stress and anxiety and psychological problems make up a
:10:28. > :10:34.third of the sickness leave we are talking about here in the public
:10:35. > :10:39.sector. I think it's across both sectors. I don't think it's a divide
:10:40. > :10:43.when it comes to that. If people are genuinely ill, there is no issue,
:10:44. > :10:52.but is it something to do with stress, we all need to be more
:10:53. > :10:59.comfortable discussing that. These figures show civil servants had ten
:11:00. > :11:09.points six days of last year. The target was 9.5 days. The Department
:11:10. > :11:20.of Justice had the worst figures: On average, 13 days of. Disgraceful! It
:11:21. > :11:34.is being funded by the taxpayer in Northern Ireland, which cannot
:11:35. > :11:39.afford to indulge in this. Many colleagues were threatened on a
:11:40. > :11:43.daily basis by paramilitaries. That is what is happening inside a prison
:11:44. > :11:50.services. The management side is doing next to nothing about it. But
:11:51. > :11:58.prison officers do not make up the entire public service! I know David
:11:59. > :12:01.turns up for these attacks on the public sector quite regularly, but
:12:02. > :12:07.public sector workers pay taxes as well, and if you don't like it, why
:12:08. > :12:16.are you move to somewhere like Somalia? You don't understand that
:12:17. > :12:26.the public sector is not well creating. It is funded entirely by
:12:27. > :12:38.the private sector. If the private sector manager, why can't the public
:12:39. > :12:44.sector? We have more than double the level
:12:45. > :12:54.of sickness here than in the put private sector. Why? It is
:12:55. > :13:06.policemen, paramedics, and nurses that work in the most stressful
:13:07. > :13:16.jobs. And like somebody who turns up on this show to perpetuate
:13:17. > :13:25.right-wing views. I am not causing the taxpayer ?30 million per annum
:13:26. > :13:32.stop there are a couple of points that I want to add in. There are
:13:33. > :13:37.more older people working in the public sector. There are also more
:13:38. > :13:50.women, who generally have higher levels of sickness. The problem here
:13:51. > :13:57.is the management and the leadership. Nobody wants to see high
:13:58. > :14:01.levels of sickness. It is falling down in the leadership and the
:14:02. > :14:09.management. There was an issue with the fire service. A woman was forced
:14:10. > :14:26.onto long-term sickness recently. Why is it worse here than in England
:14:27. > :14:29.which Mark -- than in England? Northern Ireland has higher levels
:14:30. > :14:34.of post-traumatic stress. It is the highest in the world. I have seen
:14:35. > :14:47.the statistics. This is highest in the world. I have seen
:14:48. > :14:54.annual report that has come out. The speech she made a few minutes ago,
:14:55. > :15:06.he made it the year before. Over the last five years nearly 120 million.
:15:07. > :15:14.What could we have done about that? You ought to have been part of the
:15:15. > :15:22.solution not part of the problem. Here is the report. The report is 90
:15:23. > :15:26.pages long. 80 pages of that I did. There is not one suggestion in the
:15:27. > :15:33.report as to how we resolve the problem. The point was made that
:15:34. > :15:39.people who are older take more sick leave. What is the answer? Make them
:15:40. > :15:45.work longer saw the problem will exacerbate. That is the sort of
:15:46. > :15:54.nonsense and lack of attention to detail on the management side.
:15:55. > :16:03.Someone has tested in to see take away sick pay. Someone on Twitter
:16:04. > :16:12.has said they would not last a day in the real world.
:16:13. > :16:27.Go ahead. I am self-employed. If I take a day off I do not get paid.
:16:28. > :16:30.They are milking the government. You are talking about your friends who
:16:31. > :16:39.are working in the public sector. Nurses, doctors, Lee's men. I am
:16:40. > :16:47.talking about anyone who is milking the system. That is what they are
:16:48. > :16:56.doing. They are able to do it because they get full sick pay for
:16:57. > :17:09.six months. The comments of David Vance are disgraceful. People are
:17:10. > :17:25.being attacked in the form of welfare reform. If I take a day off
:17:26. > :17:32.I do not get paid. There is a statistic in here about women. The
:17:33. > :17:38.absence level of females, 12.6 days, was substantially higher than that
:17:39. > :17:42.for meals, 8.8 days, and it remained higher, even when pregnancy related
:17:43. > :17:54.disorders where taken into account. How do you explain that? This gets
:17:55. > :17:58.very complex. You have to look at differences between men and women in
:17:59. > :18:02.terms of health. Setting aside maternity it is the position that
:18:03. > :18:11.women suffer greater ill health than men particularly June the working
:18:12. > :18:18.years of life. -- particularly choosing the working years. This is
:18:19. > :18:23.the usual annual witchhunt of public servants. The management side should
:18:24. > :18:30.be sitting down with the trade union and trying to get our successful
:18:31. > :18:41.resolution. That does not mean that we go back to the days that David
:18:42. > :18:45.Vance wants us to go back to. Maybe we should send the trade Unionists
:18:46. > :18:55.up the chimney because they are living in the dark ages. All the
:18:56. > :19:04.details of how to contact us at coming up on the screen.
:19:05. > :19:14.You are a civil servant Richard Mack -- servant? My wife makes ?2 above
:19:15. > :19:26.the minimum wage. She is regularly swore at and shouted that and
:19:27. > :19:36.screamed at. She is a civil servant. She cannot hang up. What is she
:19:37. > :19:42.getting abuse like that for? She works in benefits. Every day she is
:19:43. > :19:49.getting sworn that because she has refused somebody there are
:19:50. > :19:58.benefits. Or somebody makes a big do not want to talk to a woman. --
:19:59. > :20:06.somebody may say they do not want to talk to a woman. Do you not think
:20:07. > :20:19.people work in the private sector are putting up with the same levels
:20:20. > :20:24.of stress? Yes and no. If you work in the private sector you can fill
:20:25. > :20:36.in your own tax returns. In the public sector there are no perks.
:20:37. > :20:45.Thank you. Somebody says, stop full pay sick
:20:46. > :20:51.leave for the public sector. Give our guests around of applause.
:20:52. > :20:59.Still to come - Belfast city councillors are guaranteed for macro
:21:00. > :21:11.tickets for the Van Morrison concert, but you at home may not get
:21:12. > :21:25.any. Is that fair? # Hello, won't you come back Mr
:21:26. > :21:30.Mark. # Let us remind ourselves of the
:21:31. > :21:59.details to contact the show. My next guest suffered a major
:22:00. > :22:05.trauma as a young child. She was only two when she was horrifically
:22:06. > :22:15.burned in and explained car fire that claimed the life of her older
:22:16. > :22:22.sister. -- in a car fire that was not explained.
:22:23. > :22:27.She has battled to maintain a positive attitude to life.
:22:28. > :22:56.Please welcome Melanie Grimsley. It is lovely to talk to you. Thank
:22:57. > :23:08.you. You were two years of age when the fire happened. That is correct.
:23:09. > :23:13.It has been quite a journey. I was in the car with my sister Amanda. My
:23:14. > :23:24.mother went to the shop to get some milk. In a matter of minutes the car
:23:25. > :23:31.went up in flames. I was rescued by Oliver Quinn who was walking past.
:23:32. > :23:42.He was able to get me out of the car. He tried to save my sister, but
:23:43. > :23:46.was not able to reach her. Presumably you do not remember much
:23:47. > :23:52.about the fire. I do not remember anything about the fire. I have some
:23:53. > :24:04.early memories of being in hospital. I do not really remember
:24:05. > :24:18.any other way than what I am. The pain that you endure in hospital was
:24:19. > :24:32.unbelievable. When I was younger I did not understand why I had to go
:24:33. > :24:37.for as much surgery. Every time I came out of hospital, I did not
:24:38. > :24:47.think I looked much better. I found it hard to realise why I was there.
:24:48. > :24:55.Your dad had to hold you down sometimes. I was in theatre and had
:24:56. > :25:04.to be held there while they administered the anaesthetic when I
:25:05. > :25:18.was very young. I know we talk about skin grafts, but what were they
:25:19. > :25:23.doing? There was a reconstruction. Initially my hands were fused
:25:24. > :25:43.together. I would not have been able to pick anything up. They literally
:25:44. > :25:57.had to create my fingers. When you go through something like that as
:25:58. > :26:07.young as that, presumably there is growing up emotionally. I always
:26:08. > :26:17.knew that I had been in a car fire. I was always able to explain that to
:26:18. > :26:24.people. I always knew that I was different. I always felt fit and
:26:25. > :26:35.therefore I worked very hard to try and fit in and at school did you? I
:26:36. > :26:47.was very stubborn. I did not want to be treated different. I worked
:26:48. > :26:56.double to make sure I was not labelled like that. How did the rest
:26:57. > :27:07.of the kids react? Kids are great. Once they know why something is the
:27:08. > :27:18.way it is, they get on with it. The kids in school were not too bad.
:27:19. > :27:24.Life is not a straight line and there are lots of bumps along our
:27:25. > :27:28.lives. I really be at -- I really admire the string some people have
:27:29. > :27:42.to battle through. There is no doubt you must have had that. Emotionally,
:27:43. > :27:46.though, it was tough. I was nine or ten and I found things very
:27:47. > :27:58.difficult to deal with. As my understanding grew... When I was two
:27:59. > :28:04.or three I would have accepted more. But as I got older, at the end
:28:05. > :28:14.of the day, you only have two choices. Did it come to a stage,
:28:15. > :28:17.though, I know you have described this in the past really vividly,
:28:18. > :28:27.where your brain could not cope with the pressure? I just really
:28:28. > :28:33.physically shut down, and there was so much inside I was not letting out
:28:34. > :28:39.and was not talking about it, so I literally gave up. I just needed to
:28:40. > :28:45.stop and take a break and let things out. Things have a habit of coming
:28:46. > :28:49.out, and if you don't let them out in a controlled manner, they come
:28:50. > :28:53.out in the end. You will write to be angry, though. Why did something
:28:54. > :28:59.out in the end. You will write to be like that happened to you? It's a
:29:00. > :29:06.normal question to ask, definitely, but is it a productive one? I could
:29:07. > :29:11.have asked, why did this happen? But it's not going to get me anywhere
:29:12. > :29:16.and it will not make the most of my future if I keep going down that
:29:17. > :29:23.road of being angry and questioning it. So after the breakdown, you got
:29:24. > :29:33.help and for back? What's the fighting back? For me, personally, I
:29:34. > :29:38.have always been aware that my sister died in that fire and that I
:29:39. > :29:43.have a second chance that she didn't get. I very much want to live my
:29:44. > :29:47.life for the both of us and that drives me on because she didn't get
:29:48. > :29:55.a chance and I have had a second chance and I need to make the most
:29:56. > :29:58.of it. I have a choice: I can either let it dictate my future or decide
:29:59. > :30:03.what my own future is despite the past I have had. The majority of
:30:04. > :30:09.people watching you will be thinking they don't have that courage.
:30:10. > :30:14.Sometimes, you don't realise the courage you have until you need to
:30:15. > :30:18.find it. If this hadn't happened to me, and somebody said to me, you
:30:19. > :30:22.can't come through something like this. But when you are in that
:30:23. > :30:26.situation, you have to have that choice and make something of your
:30:27. > :30:38.life. It's amazing the courage that can come forward. How important our
:30:39. > :30:45.looks in life? Looks very important in our. If you look at magazines and
:30:46. > :30:50.the media and the celebrity culture, a lot of young people
:30:51. > :30:55.especially can get very caught up in looks and the importance of that.
:30:56. > :31:02.For me, as well, I went to an all girls school for secondary school,
:31:03. > :31:08.and it was important for me as well, but there has to be a limit to how
:31:09. > :31:12.much you let that consume your life. It's important to be happy with
:31:13. > :31:19.yourself and how you look, definitely, but there has to be any
:31:20. > :31:31.of the limit on that. -- but there has to be a healthy limit on that.
:31:32. > :31:39.Your hair is beautiful. The Burns destroyed a lot of skin that grows
:31:40. > :31:52.hair, right? Up until this point, I have been wearing wigs. Wearing a
:31:53. > :32:00.wig, right, is it awkward? It can be. You are always aware it is a
:32:01. > :32:09.wig. You are always conscious of it. The other thing, you are always
:32:10. > :32:22.hiding behind it. It was awkward, and this hair is not a wig. This
:32:23. > :32:27.hair is stuck on. It uses extensions. I've got a tiny little
:32:28. > :32:33.bit of my own at the back to security on, and basically, it's not
:32:34. > :32:39.like a wig for me, it's like having a little part of me back that I
:32:40. > :32:42.lost. The first time I walked outside and the wind blew and I
:32:43. > :32:47.didn't have to look down at the ground because I wasn't wearing a
:32:48. > :32:54.wig and it wasn't going to move, you go, bring it on! It feels amazing
:32:55. > :32:59.and it has restored something to me that I lost and really, really
:33:00. > :33:04.missed. I have been able to get it done here in Belfast and my
:33:05. > :33:09.hairdresser is in the audience and she's fantastic. It really has
:33:10. > :33:12.changed my life. For anybody who has lost hair and their confidence along
:33:13. > :33:21.with that, just that feeling of waking up in the morning with hair
:33:22. > :33:33.is totally beyond words. Family is really important to you. The
:33:34. > :33:46.two-week heads are full of energy. -- the two we kids. Are you overly
:33:47. > :33:52.protective of your kids? Not really. They are boys. They just go
:33:53. > :34:04.for it! You have to let them be kids and boys and come home in puddles.
:34:05. > :34:20.They are full of life. What's the, then? I am studying law at the
:34:21. > :34:30.moment. -- what's the future. I am studying law, and that's what I want
:34:31. > :34:35.to pursue. Just to have a direction I am going in is really important to
:34:36. > :34:42.me. Hopefully, I will make it as a lawyer someday. We employed lawyers
:34:43. > :34:49.every day of the week. We can probably give you a job! In the work
:34:50. > :34:53.that I do, we get caught up in arguing and what people don't
:34:54. > :34:58.achieve and what people are doing wrong. You hit adversity in your
:34:59. > :35:02.life and for your way through it and you have got a lovely family and you
:35:03. > :35:06.are proud of yourself, you have got confidence, and no doubt you will go
:35:07. > :35:08.on and be a lawyer, and thank you very much for coming in here to
:35:09. > :35:32.night. -- tonight. That young lady's 's story is
:35:33. > :35:38.heartbreaking. Such a brave, brave girl. An example of the best in
:35:39. > :35:46.Northern Ireland. What an inspiring and beautiful art -- young lady.
:35:47. > :36:06.Van Morrison is getting the Freedom of Belfast.
:36:07. > :36:11.To mark the occasion, Van's playing a free concert for Belfast's
:36:12. > :36:16.citizens at the Waterfront Hall in November. The only problem is a row
:36:17. > :36:19.has broken out because councillors are guaranteed four tickets while
:36:20. > :36:30.there's no guarantee at all for an ordinary member of the public. You
:36:31. > :36:45.might not get any and the maximum you'll get is two. So you get four
:36:46. > :36:50.and this audience might get none. First of all, we are getting two
:36:51. > :36:58.tickets, one for ourselves, and another perhaps for a wide,
:36:59. > :37:09.partner, fiance or whoever. -- for a wife. The other two tickets for us
:37:10. > :37:14.to give to our constituents, somebody who is physically or
:37:15. > :37:19.mentally disabled, who is in care or whatever. I have no doubt that all
:37:20. > :37:27.51 councillors, that's how we will handle our tickets. We didn't have
:37:28. > :37:39.to tell anyone that councillors were getting tickets. Belfast City
:37:40. > :37:44.Council realised that people pay a lot of money to keep the council
:37:45. > :37:54.going and provide the very best services. We also want to be open,
:37:55. > :38:00.transparent, and trustworthy. There are over 11,000 people who have
:38:01. > :38:05.applied. It closed at 5pm. Within a week, people will know whether they
:38:06. > :38:11.have two tickets or not. We would love to have 20,000 at the event. A
:38:12. > :38:15.few people said to me, is there no possibility of linking up with the
:38:16. > :38:23.big screen at the front of City Hall? I pursued that but
:38:24. > :38:30.unfortunately, that was out. Others talked of the Odyssey. We don't own
:38:31. > :38:41.the Odyssey. We chose approximately 11,000 people. It's all dead on. You
:38:42. > :38:52.lot are getting four, and the ordinary great unwashed don't? But
:38:53. > :38:57.I've explained the reasons: Two are for ourselves and whoever we want to
:38:58. > :39:06.bring with us, and the other two we give to our constituents. You can
:39:07. > :39:17.rest assured we are responsible public representatives. Well, this
:39:18. > :39:23.is wonderful that Belfast City Council have recognised Van Morrison
:39:24. > :39:37.for the international talent that hears. -- that he is. It's
:39:38. > :39:45.wonderful, fantastic and wonderful it is happening in Belfast, which is
:39:46. > :39:55.a week-long festival all over well faster in 70 venues. And now this
:39:56. > :40:07.brow -- this row has broken out and has become a complete PR disaster. A
:40:08. > :40:15.lot of people thought, this here is ridiculous! Councillors are getting
:40:16. > :40:19.for tickets! What they should do is they should give extra to get away
:40:20. > :40:25.to people who look after six children in the day, who look after
:40:26. > :40:32.elderly parents. But the whole thing about the way it has been handled is
:40:33. > :40:36.a complete PR disaster which has overshadowed the wonderful work
:40:37. > :40:46.everybody has been doing for months to promote Belfast in a positive
:40:47. > :41:01.light. Everybody gets perks of their job, but I am as much of a citizen
:41:02. > :41:05.of Belfast as you are. You please most of the people most of the time.
:41:06. > :41:12.But you can't please all of the people all the time! Some sections
:41:13. > :41:20.of the media unfortunately have taken away what this is all about. I
:41:21. > :41:25.will not go into names, but Van Morrison, well known throughout the
:41:26. > :41:29.world and who has played in virtually every country one can
:41:30. > :41:33.think of to thousands of people is getting the freedom of the city he
:41:34. > :41:42.was born and brought up in. That is a wonderful honour. It was his
:41:43. > :41:57.decision to have a concept, but the concept is the -- but the concert is
:41:58. > :42:03.not the traditional type of concert. She decided to have sports at the
:42:04. > :42:12.front of City Hall and wanted to leave a legacy for young people.
:42:13. > :42:17.This is got nothing to do with the allegation. This is about perception
:42:18. > :42:23.and a council realising that the public, who they serve, who employed
:42:24. > :42:29.you, have got to have the perception of equality with you guys, that it's
:42:30. > :42:32.not just tickets for those who have elite status. You guys will get more
:42:33. > :42:49.not just tickets for those who have than everybody else. That's the
:42:50. > :42:55.message sent out here. 2000 tickets will be distributed next Wednesday.
:42:56. > :43:02.And you are going to exclude people who travel into Belfast?
:43:03. > :43:10.Absolutely. They should stay where they are, should they? It is only
:43:11. > :43:16.proper that the ratepayers should get the opportunity. If any
:43:17. > :43:21.councillor lives outside of Belfast they will be banned from getting
:43:22. > :43:40.tickets, right? That is another story. APPLAUSE There are
:43:41. > :43:45.councillors that live outside Belfast, but they are ratepayers
:43:46. > :44:04.because they own property in Belfast.
:44:05. > :44:10.I am a big fan of Van Morrison. I go to his concerts when I can. But the
:44:11. > :44:19.village I live in means I cannot even apply for a ticket. I would
:44:20. > :44:26.love to be able to offer you a ticket, but it is not a concert in
:44:27. > :44:32.the true sense. We could not open it up for the whole of Northern
:44:33. > :44:43.Ireland. But you do want people to come into Belfast and shop? But this
:44:44. > :44:55.is different. Why? This is pure lead to confer their freedom of the city
:44:56. > :44:59.of Belfast to Van Morrison. I do not think this is a PR disaster. More
:45:00. > :45:07.people now know about this concept than ever and would have done. But I
:45:08. > :45:20.do agree with Jim. If the councillors give away the extra
:45:21. > :45:33.tickets, I do not have a problem with that. I think it is fine. There
:45:34. > :45:47.is negativity now, that there always was going to be. There are 360
:45:48. > :45:52.events throughout music week. We were always going to disappoint some
:45:53. > :46:04.people. I do not think it is the end of the world that the councillors
:46:05. > :46:09.are giving away two macro tickets. It was my colleague that broke the
:46:10. > :46:14.story. It is important that we get a sense of perspective. No one has
:46:15. > :46:19.died here. But it was an opportunity for the council to gain some
:46:20. > :46:23.positive PR and they have shot themselves in the foot and how they
:46:24. > :46:31.have allocated these additional 500 tickets. My concern is not about the
:46:32. > :46:35.200 tickets that are going to elected representatives. It is the
:46:36. > :46:52.other 300 gets that having allocated to council officials and employees
:46:53. > :47:04.and so-called VIPs. The IP often means minor local celebrity. Van
:47:05. > :47:14.Morrison also has some personal friends and family on the list and
:47:15. > :47:26.rightly so. Why do you have the right to get the tickets? Why not
:47:27. > :47:32.put those tickets into a lottery and expand the area so it is not just
:47:33. > :47:36.within the Belfast constituency? The ratepayers of Belfast are paying for
:47:37. > :47:48.this event. They collect as to represent them. I thought it was
:47:49. > :47:53.free. It cost ?60,000 to put on. People say, why not open up the
:47:54. > :48:03.whole of Northern Ireland? That would be ridiculous. No matter what
:48:04. > :48:11.we do, we cannot win. I am a business owner. That would be like
:48:12. > :48:21.you coming into my business and me saying, you are from Belfast, no. It
:48:22. > :48:32.is shocking that people outside Belfast to not get the chance. He is
:48:33. > :48:48.saying it is Belfast ratepayers footing the bill. Other councils do
:48:49. > :49:02.something similar. They look after their own ratepayers. Is there any
:49:03. > :49:09.merit in the council looking at this again? There are so many people from
:49:10. > :49:15.all over Northern Ireland wanting to go. We fight about so many things in
:49:16. > :49:20.Northern Ireland. Here is an event that the council have been happening
:49:21. > :49:24.that could actually Unite a lot of Northern Ireland and people from
:49:25. > :49:33.Northern Ireland could come together again. Should you guys not
:49:34. > :49:39.contemplate buying a bigger venue? A big open-air park? And no matter
:49:40. > :49:54.where you are from in Northern Ireland, you are welcome to come?
:49:55. > :50:01.And open-air event at this time of year would be ethical. We have got a
:50:02. > :50:05.team working, representatives of the council, representatives of Van
:50:06. > :50:13.Morrison, doing all the organisation. When President Clinton
:50:14. > :50:19.came here in December and turned on the lights and Van Morrison played
:50:20. > :50:26.it was an alleged that went all over the world. It was a positive image.
:50:27. > :50:35.Snow patrol played at MTV in front of City Hall. Fantastic image going
:50:36. > :50:42.out. And now what was meant to be a celebration of the work of Van
:50:43. > :50:48.Morrison, and his life, has turned into a very negative PR disaster. It
:50:49. > :51:03.is a backlash now against Van Morrison but she does not deserve.
:51:04. > :51:11.-- that he does not deserve. It is not fair. We have two macro for
:51:12. > :51:20.ourselves, and the other two macro will be given to constituents. The
:51:21. > :51:28.first person contacting me looking for a ticket was Stephen Nolan.
:51:29. > :51:45.Rubbish. You just made that up. Like half of the rest of your answers.
:51:46. > :51:53.Do the invited guests have to live in Belfast? That is important and
:51:54. > :52:05.most councillors will bear that in mind. Is that a rule? It is not a
:52:06. > :52:14.rule. You are not giving in to your constituents, then? I am giving mine
:52:15. > :52:18.to my constituents. If you do not live in Belfast, do not apply. If
:52:19. > :52:24.you do live in Belfast you can only get to. You can get for. It is very
:52:25. > :52:28.important because it is the ratepayers that are paying for this.
:52:29. > :52:31.It is very important it is only Belfast people who can apply, but a
:52:32. > :52:40.counsellor can get his tickets to anybody. I would hope that is not
:52:41. > :52:46.the case. Is that a rule? It is not a rule. I hope they will endeavour
:52:47. > :53:01.to give the two macro tickets to a Belfast ratepayers.
:53:02. > :53:10.This is the last show of 2013. We wanted to end the series on a high.
:53:11. > :53:15.Andrea Begley scooped the top prize in The Voice UK.
:53:16. > :53:53.The winner is... Andrea Begley. Since then Andrea has been in the
:53:54. > :54:03.recording studio. She has just completed her first album. It has
:54:04. > :54:09.been a crazy couple of months. What happens after you when the
:54:10. > :54:13.competition? You hit the ground running. We were in the studio
:54:14. > :54:18.straightaway. We were trying to think what would be good for the
:54:19. > :54:27.album. It must be a nerve wracking period. You are wondering if you
:54:28. > :54:36.will really make it. There is a lot of pressure. No one puts as much
:54:37. > :54:41.pressure on me as I put on myself. I demand 110% effort. What has been
:54:42. > :54:48.the most shocking part of the business? The intensity of it. It
:54:49. > :54:55.can be very intense at times. It can be heavy going in terms of time,
:54:56. > :55:03.travel, things are that. Your ambition? My ambition is to keep
:55:04. > :55:13.writing, keep making music. Do you get down to enjoy it? I do. I am
:55:14. > :55:25.enjoying myself. What was it like at the Albert Hall? It was phenomenal.
:55:26. > :55:32.Such a venue. Such an experience. Do you find your lack of sight holding
:55:33. > :55:43.you back? Not at all. I take it in my stride. I have never allowed it
:55:44. > :55:52.to hold me back. So far, so good. What is next? Hopefully more music,
:55:53. > :56:02.playing some gigs. I am playing on the 3rd of November.
:56:03. > :56:08.Thank you so much. Thank you for watching us this series. We are back
:56:09. > :56:15.on the radio tomorrow morning. We are continuing the discussion
:56:16. > :56:44.tonight on Twitter. Andrea Begley is now going to sing
:56:45. > :56:57.Dancing In The Dark. # I ain't nothing but tired
:56:58. > :57:02.# A dear baby I could use a little help
:57:03. > :57:12.# You can start a fire # You can't start a buyer without a
:57:13. > :57:21.spark # Message keeps getting clearer
:57:22. > :57:25.# I check my look in The Mirror # I want to change my clothes, my
:57:26. > :57:32.here, MySpace # I ain't getting nowhere
:57:33. > :57:37.# Just living in a dump like this # There is something happening
:57:38. > :57:42.somewhere # Baby I just know there is
:57:43. > :57:45.# You can start a fire # You can't start a fire without a
:57:46. > :57:58.spark # These claims go higher
:57:59. > :58:18.# Even if we're just dancing in the dark. #
:58:19. > :58:31.# You can't start a fire sitting around crying with a broken heart
:58:32. > :58:43.# These claims are higher even if we're just dancing in the dark
:58:44. > :58:51.# Even if we're just dancing in the dark
:58:52. > :59:02.# Even if we're just dancing in the dark. #