27/09/2013 BBC Newsline

Good evening. The headlines on BBC Newsline. The Prime Minister tells

BBC Newsline there is no political crisis at Stormont. The First

Minister and Deputy First Minister work hard and they are doing the

right thing by governing together. The architect behind the Peace

right thing by governing together. Centre at the Maze says it won't

glorify terrorism. Nine people are hurt in a morning crash involving

several vehicles in West Belfast. We're at Ravenhill for Ulster's

Pro12 game against Treviso. The Sports Minister joins us live. All

singing, all dancing and toe-tapping in Belfast tonight as the city

stages its first ever Belfast Tattoo. And finally, after a week of

stages its first ever Belfast leaden grey skies, it's a brighter

Friday evening and with the promise of a better weekend ahead.

The Prime Minister says he does not believe there is a political crisis

at Stormont. In a BBC Newsline interview, David Cameron accepted

that power sharing had problems but he would not characterise the

current difficulties as a crisis. Earlier this week, Sinn Fein said

the Assembly was in crisis. A claim that was rejected by the DUP. David

Cameron has also been speaking about the Haass talks and Labour claims

that his government's approach to Northern Ireland is semidetached.

Stephen Walker has been to Downing Street to speak to the Prime

Minister. Do you accept that when it comes to Northern Ireland, the

Labour Party are right and you have become semidetached? I do not accept

Labour Party are right and you have that for one moment. I am the Prime

Minister that brought the G8 to Northern Ireland and it is a vital

part of the UK and deserves attention. I brought together a

Martin McGuinness, Peter Robinson and the Secretary of State in

Downing Street to sign a new accord for economic development so we can

get a shared future going. I do not accept that. I do believe in

get a shared future going. I do not trusting the default institutions to

do their job and not try to interfere every five minutes but

where the Westminster government can help galvanise change and help the

economy, I look for -- I look forward. Sinn Fein says that

economy, I look for -- I look Stormont is in crisis. Do you accept

that? It is difficult to make these institutions work when parties who

were so opposed in the past work together. I think that the first and

Deputy first Ministers work hard at their relationship and they are

doing the first thing -- right thing by governing together. But there are

difficulties. There is a war of words between Sinn Fein and the DUP.

Do you think Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness could do more to

appear united? That is a good question and the result was more

than all editions can do to focus on delivery for people rather than

thinking about our own position. That is the real challenge in

Northern Ireland and people are crying out for a shared future. For

taking down peace walls and the barriers. Trying to bring people

together. That takes bravery on behalf of the politicians. I do not

sit here lecturing them as I know how tough it is. The US diplomat

Richard Haas is hoping to get agreement on parades and the past

and flags to Christmas. If he does not do that by Christmas, when you

intervene? Let him do his work. That is not assume these things will

fail. Let us hope for success. I will always do what I can to bring

politicians and people together in Northern Ireland so that it can be a

success story and would ever that takes. Richard is doing a good job.

Would there be any point when you would intervene? I don't want to

predict when things will go wrong before they have had any chance to

go right. In one year there is a referendum in Scotland. Either way

that filled goes, there will be applications for Northern Ireland.

Do you accept that? Of course there will be applications and I hope they

will be positive because I hope that Scotland will vote to stay in the UK

and we can then take further steps to strengthen the UK and make sure

and we can then take further steps everyone in our United Kingdom is

proud. Would you be sad if Scotland everyone in our United Kingdom is

left the union under your watch? I would be desperately sad and one of

the messages from this conference should not just be to Scotland, that

we think you're off inside the UK. One of the messages should be,

whether we are English or Northern Irish are Welsh, we want you

because we care about keeping our family of nations together. The

Prime Minister speaking to our political reporter Stephen Walker.

The architect who designed the proposed Peace centre at the Maze

has told the BBC he's certain the project will go ahead. Last month

the First Minister Peter Robinson withdrew support for the project

saying it would be wrong to proceed in the absence of a consensus about

how it would operate. But Daniel Libeskind says he's convinced issues

surrounding the centre will be resolved. Ciara Riddell reports.

Daniel Libeskind, the architect behind the Maze-Long Kesh project,

is considered the leading architect in the field of conflict resolution.

He led work on sensitive sites like the Ground Zero project in New York

and the Jewish Holocaust Museum in Berlin. A documentary to be aired

this Sunday, Daniel Libeskind says that critics who see the planned

design as a shrine to republicans have got it wrong. And he would

never be involved in anything that glorifies terrorism. My parents are

Holocaust survivors, I was born in a Communist Party, which I dreaded and

I had to go to school there. How can I, who embraces democracy, the

involved in something as evil as a celebration of terrorism? Who in

their right mind would do that? I have full confidence will happen. I

have seen a pause button in every project, projects which are very

emotional. Bringing peace is not easy, conflict resolution is not

easy. Some victims' campaigners have reacted angrily to the architect's

comments and want a clear statement on the shelving of the project.

Where does this leave the Maze? There are many people in Northern

Ireland who just felt that this site was not the proper place to put a

Peace Centre, because of its association with the past and

because of the retained buildings. It does buildings have been removed

from the site and we were looking at a green field, I think people could

have lived with that. But not with the retained buildings on site. That

has been the problem here. No-one from Sinn Fein was available for

interview. Others believe the plan could still go ahead. The Maze and

other politics will happen if Peter Robinson stops following those who

other politics will happen if Peter shout the loudest and when Sinn Fein

recognise the hurt of the relentless promotion of the legitimacy of IRA

recognise the hurt of the relentless terrorism and when everybody comes

back to the values of being in politics. On the far side of that,

much can happen. Meanwhile, little will. Although Daniel Libeskind's

comments will give some hope to those who champion the controversial

project, the ultimate decision now rests with the politicians. And you

can hear that documentary, which is called Building on the Past, on BBC

Radio Ulster at 1:30pm on Sunday afternoon. Nine people were injured

in a multiple car crash on the Falls Road in Belfast this morning. At

least four vehicles were involved in the collision. Claire Savage was at

the scene. The scene along the Falls Road this morning told its own

story. Dozens of emergency vehicles, even more paramedics,

police officers and fire crews. The crash involved for vehicles, some of

them were stopped at the traffic lights with the junction of beach

might Avenue when it happened. There were cars everywhere and people were

in shock. Carnage. It was like something from the Troubles. People

were standing about, not knowing what was going on. And the Fire

Brigade and amber lenses arrived. The emergency services were quickly

on the scene. -- and... . We received a call about the collision

at the junction of beach might Avenue and we sent seven vehicles,

and some of the patients were seriously injured and have been a

number of casualties which have been taken to hospital. At least four

people had to be stretchered from the vehicles by emergency services.

Investigations are underway to try to establish the exact cause of this

accident. Still to come on this evening's programme. We're at

Ravenhill, where the Sports Minister will be joining us, and we also have

news of another change of management for Rory McIlroy. Two daughters of a

Belfast man on trial for raping and abusing their elder half sister have

testified that no such abuse ever happened to them. 58-year-old Liam

Adams of Bernagh Drive denies ten charges of assaulting his eldest

daughter, Aine, when she was a child. Today, both daughters from

his second marriage were asked if he had ever abused them. They told the

court it had never happened. Both had ever abused them. They told the

prosecution and defence cases are now complete and the trial continues

next week. The high-profile loyalist Willie Frazer has arrived at a court

hearing in Belfast dressed as the Muslim cleric Abu Hamza. Mr Frazer

said he was wearing the costume in protest at being charged under

legislation which is aimed at curbing militant Islamic preachers.

He faces a charge of obstructing traffic, possession of a prohibited

weapon and encouraging or assisting an offence to be committed. He will

appear in court again next week. A Sinn Fein Special Adviser has been

paid thousands of pounds in compensation after losing his job.

He was removed from his post under a new law which bans anyone with a

serious criminal offence holding such a position. Paul Kavanagh is a

serious criminal offence holding former IRA prisoner. He had been an

adviser to Martin McGuinness. To explain further, here's our

political editor, Mark Devenport. He stopped receiving his wages from the

First and Deputy First Minister's Office earlier this month. Why did

he get compensation and how much was it? We cannot say for sure but

contractually he is entitled to compensation and the reason I cannot

say is that the first and Deputy first Ministers office will not

discuss individual personnel matters. Sources suggest it could be

as much as £60,000 and others say less because he would get six months

salary. We know it is into several thousand pounds and one of the

curiosities is he still going into work but not been paid through the

party purse. He is appealing that removal from his position, which he

is allowed to do. How does that square with the new law? He is

appealing this and is in a limbo situation because they lasted

belated but he would be dismissed two months after coming into force

and the appeal is yet to be heard. Sinn Fein make the point that the

party is not touching any compensation payment until that

appeal has been exhausted. For him to win that, he would have to show

that he was resource full about his previous offence, and by Bud Chelsea

barracks bombing in 1981, and that he cooperated with police. The MLA

who push this through was Jim Allister. You have been getting

reaction? It was all to do with the campaign about the Mary Travers case

reaction? It was all to do with the and Jim Allister push through this

long, working together with her sister. He says that he is happy the

long, working together with her law has achieved the same inasmuch

as Paul Kavanagh is no longer being paid from the public nurse. Insofar

as the appeal is concerned, he says the coming months will tell whether

Sinn Fein will challenge this in the courts or whether it is all offhand

bluff. He told me that on my radio Ulster programme. Thank you. An MLA

who is paying his wife and son around £60,000 a year says he has

broken no rules and has done nothing wrong. The DUP's Robin Newton also

paid his daughter £13,000 for research work. The man who chairs

the body which sets MLA allowances says the arrangements are to be

reviewed again next year. Here's our political correspondent, Gareth

Gordon. The East Belfast MLA book up this morning to the kind of

headlines no politician wants. The issue is a number of family members

that he employs. Under one third of MLAs employee a family member. A

handful, including Robin Newton, employ more than one and he says

under current rules he has done employ more than one and he says

nothing wrong. In spite of any perceptions people might have.

nothing wrong. In spite of any Everything I have done has been

transparent and recorded and every piece of work that I do is approved

by the Assembly and approved through the finance committee. If there was

anything wrong, I am sure that they would point that out. His wife

manages his constituency office and his son, Adam, here in the

foreground, is also employed. Together, the burned a ride for in

nine years. -- the burned. A further 13,000 pounds went to his daughter

for research work that this ended at 13,000 pounds went to his daughter

the time that MLAs were required to 13,000 pounds went to his daughter

declare all family members receiving payments. She was moving on to

another career and I would not have minded employing her on other work

but she wanted to improve her prospects with another career. She

did not want to continue doing the work. If I wanted to give it a

secret, I would have paid in some other way, wouldn't I? She went down

with her name and then as a name which is a commendation of her

initials. That company exists? That company was to be formed with three

other girls that actually did not happen. Recent controversies

involving the SDLP MLA Connell McDevitt and Trevor Nunn from the

Alliance Party after the Spotlight on MLAs employing relatives. The

rules about how many family members MLAs can employ were changed last

year and the manic charge of that says it will be reviewed again. --

man in charge. There will be a formal consultation next year and

all of the expenses, including employment, and the employment of

people in general by MLAs, is a matter of concern for us. Those

terms and conditions, how they are recruited and all of those issues

have somehow been tackled in other legislatures, such as on wheels, and

we are very interested in that. It is not only the public who are

concerned about Stormont 's finances. The Republic's Finance

Minister says the bad bank, NAMA, is re-examining how it might help the

economy in Northern Ireland by disposing of more properties under

its control. Michael Noonan, who was in Belfast today, was responding to

recent criticism by the First Minister Peter Robinson who claimed

NAMA was hampering economic growth this side of the border. We will

keep the northern authorities fully informed and when I was in Stormont

Castle this morning the Peter Robinson, we had conversations along

conversations, to agree a way forward. You're watching BBC

conversations, to agree a way Newsline - still to come: final

preparations are being made for the first ever Belfast Titanic and I can

tell you, it is sounding good. -- Tattoo. The Ulster rugby team are in

action this evening in the Pro12 League against Italian opponents

Treviso. Austin O' Callaghan is there for BBC Newsline. Good

evening. Here at Ravenhill, it's less than 20 minutes to kick-off in

tonight's Pro12 clash with Treviso. Ulster welcome back Tommy Bowe

Andrey Best for a strong team and there are 11 Ireland international

is in the Ulster line-up. Ravenhill is taking shape as well. The Sports

Minister is here to cast a right over the new facilities. -- Caster

I. You must be pleased, given the job of the other projects? The other

stadiums will end up looking like this, if not better, in their own

right but Ravenhill is wonderful tonight. It looks good and we're not

one yet. It is going on the right correction. What do you like? I

think it looks moribund, it looks bigger. People look more comfortable

and they are happy and they are still supporting Ulster Rugby but it

shows that we can achieve. This will look like a world-class facility and

rightly so. Soccer supporters will wonder about Ezra Park. It is also

reliant on DCAL funding. -- Windsor Park. You have described the recent

changes as a retrograde step. Without effective thinking in terms

of allowing the cash to flow to the IFA? -- would that affect your

thinking. We will deal with those difficulties around governance and

take a problem-solving approach. As I believe the IFA are doing. We are

going in the right reaction but we are not there. But we are working

towards making sure that the money goes into soccer. What happens if

you cannot make those changes? We will make those changes. It will

happen. It will be achieved. Can I ask you about Casement Park? It also

places a couple of hurdles, among them objections from residents.

Would it be fair to say that the GAA venue is the one of the biggest

challenges? I don't really want to go into the objections at the minute

and there is a plan in application and process that is very sensitive.

It has a bigger chance because it is a digger venue at the minute. But

all of these governing bodies, we have sat for years and worked out

our problems and that is what we are going to do, we will do the same

our problems and that is what we are thing with soccer and have a good

our problems and that is what we are stadium for soccer and a great

stadium for GAA. Ravenhill looks the part. Politically, you need Windsor

Park to be built and Casement Park? And they will be built. That is the

assurance you can give fans? It'll be done, I give my fans the

assurance that both soccer and the GAA will have their stadium. Sounds

good. An update now on Rory McIlroy. The Holywood golfer has confirmed

today that he has terminated his contract with the current management

group, Horizon Sports, with the details of the termination in the

hands of lawyers. It is his second change of management in little under

two years. The golfer's business interests will now be managed by

two years. The golfer's business Rory McIlroy Incorporated, run by a

board which includes his father, Gerry. McIlroy has had an

indifferent year by his previous high standards and failed to qualify

for the final of the PGA Championship last week, knocking him

for the final of the PGA down to number six in the world.

Onto football. The Danske Bank leaders, Glenavan, face a trip to

Crusaders tomorrow. Second-placed Portadown play Glentoran. And it's a

Crusaders tomorrow. Second-placed sign of changed times in the Irish

League to have two Armagh clubs leading the way. It is good for

mid-Ulster foot or that Glenavan and ourselves are challenging. I hope we

can sustain it. We are one of the top teams in this league and people

are starting to see that. We will not get carried away. At the end of

the season, the table does not lie. All the football results tomorrow

the season, the table does not lie. from 5:00pm on Final Score on BBC

One. The Belfast Giants face a big match this weekend away to the

Nottingham Panthers, the reigning Elite League champions. And for the

Giants' new head coach, it will probably feel a little odd being in

the away dressing room, as Nigel Ringland explains. Games between the

Giants and the Panthers are always feisty. There is added spice

tomorrow as Belfast are led to a man who spent the majority of his career

as a player and coach in Nottingham. It is a tough crowd. There is no in

between. You're either a hero or a bomb. I got used to that quickly.

That is the job we have. We will go in there and we know the crowd will

be tough on us, trying to stir us up. But we will be smart. We will

keep focus. The Giants travel without their captain, who was

serving a suspension, and they face without their captain, who was

a tough examination. You do find out. In this league, you have two

give for every game because of the type of league it is and anybody can

beat anybody. There is extra excitement when you play them, they

are a top team to beat. Wedding in Nottingham would be a telling

psychological blow by the Giants early in the title race. Good luck

to them on and ladies in the All-Ireland final at Croke Park.

to them on and ladies in the Finally, a reminder that there's

live coverage of Ulster against Treviso immediately after this

programme over on BBC Two. -- the Monaghan ladies. The first-ever

Tattoo begins tonight in Belfast. Think pipes, drums, dancers and

singers. Two nights of entertainment Think pipes, drums, dancers and

with a cast of about 500. The origins lie with military parades

and the most famous is the annual event in Edinburgh. But the Belfast

Tattoo will showcase a much wider musical talent. Mark Simpson was at

the Odyssey Arena this afternoon for rehearsals. The Odyssey Arena has

seen some events in its time. Coldplay, one direction. But nothing

like this - the first Tattoo. Some rehearsals taking place. There were

other rehearsals earlier. Let's have a quick look. That was impressive.

Let's speak to the woman who put it all together. Michelle Johnson, the

choreographer. These goals have to be pretty fit? Really fit. We have

got to dance on items and they are longer than regular competition. We

are jazzing things up and making it faster paced. How long have you been

rehearsing? Since April. And that was just with the dancers meeting

other dancers for the first time. Before that, we had preparations

with auditions and a selection process as well. Where are the girls

from? All over the place. The furthest is from Dublin. They have

travelled from far-away. Good luck tonight. Break a leg. Can you say

that? ! I hate to interrupt the pipes but can we have a quick word?

What sort of music can be expected? There is a real mix of traditional

music and some contemporary music. The flute bands and accordion bands

and pipe bands, a massive spectacle of all types. You are the musical

director, will you play yourself? I will be doing the piping for the

dancing and the lone piper up their ad the end of the show. We

appreciate that. I hope you are not afraid of heights. I tell you what,

appreciate that. I hope you are not never mind the heights, down at the

bottom, my toes tapping and everybody's tools will be tapping in

the Odyssey Arena this weekend. The weather is next with Geoff.

It has been a grey wig but finally, this evenly, we have seen the first

It has been a grey wig but finally, signs of whiteness. Plenty of cloud

the seasoning and means it is another mild night with those of 11

degrees. Tomorrow we shall see the change. A brighter feel to the

weather, staying mainly dry for the day but we shall start to see the

sunshine perhaps. If you whole is getting punched into that blanket of

cloud. It means temperatures will be quite reasonable through the day.

Into the high teens. Feeling warmer than you would expect for this time

of year. Very pleasant indeed. As we go into the evening as well, it

means it will be another dry if running and another mild night

overnight. Temperatures down to 10 degrees or so. A very pleasant

weekend in prospect. After a week of degrees or so. A very pleasant

looking at skies like this, Sunday in particular is going to be much

brighter. Just look at this. We have not seen this for a very long time.

We lose the temperature a little but we gain in those brighter skies. It

will be a very nice day, a day to get out and make the most of it.

Take a few pictures and send them to us. You might want to head into town

on Sunday as well. It is well fast day at City Hall, a celebration of

multicultural heritage. And it will be a very nice day, ice of 19

degrees. Weather over the next few days as a battle between

low-pressure and the high pressure to the east of us. That is winning

the battle for the weekend. It starts to go downhill by Monday and

Tuesday and it is getting breezy as well. 19 degrees! Our late summery

is at 10:25pm. You can also keep in well. 19 degrees! Our late summery

contact with us via Facebook and Twitter. Goodbye.