04/12/2013 BBC Newsline


04/12/2013

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Keep up-to-date online. That's all from the BBC News At

:00:00.:00:12.

This is BBC Newsline. Tonight's top stories. The Smithwick Report's

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finding of collusion in the murder of two senior RUC officers leads to

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an apology from the Republic's top policeman - and heated debate in the

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Dail. I cannot get out of my mind the image of one of those men,

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injured, out of his car, waving his white handkerchief and being shot in

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the head by an IRA activist. Eight arrests after police carry out drugs

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raids in Londonderry. Why are police investigating these invite -- but

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with these vices? Game of Thrones stars in the new tourism strategy

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for Northern Ireland. After two years at Ravenhill, Ulster's World

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Cup winner John Afoa is leaving. A wet and windy night ahead. The Met

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Office have issued a warning for strong winds for tomorrow morning.

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Join me later for all the details. The Garda commissioner says he is

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horrified that any member of the force would have colluded with the

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IRA. It follows yesterday's Smithwick Report, which found that

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there was collusion in the murders of Chief Superintendent Harry Breen

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and Superintendent Bob Buchanan. The two senior RUC officers were shot

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dead as they returned from Dundalk Garda station in 1989. Here's our

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Dublin correspondent Shane Harrison. 24 years on, the IRA murders of the

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two senior police officers continued to cast a long shadow. At 24 hours

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after Peter Smithwick found that on balance of probability and

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unidentified rogue Garda officer colluded with the killers, the Garda

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Commissioner gave his reaction. I accept, of course, the conclusions

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arrived at by the chairman of the tribunal. I want to apologise

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unreservedly for any failings on behalf of any member of the Gardai.

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unreservedly for any failings on I, like everybody else, and

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horrified at the thoughts of any member of my organisation betraying

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themselves, their organisation and the fundamental values of the

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Gardai. I know you say you accept the findings, but I did not hear you

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say that you believe them or agreed with them. It is very important that

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I would look carefully at the report that has taken almost eight years to

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complete and it is just within the 24-hour period that I have had my

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hands on the report. I will that it very closely with my officers on we

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will go through it line by line to see what lessons are required to be

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learned. Was yesterday a black day for the Gardai? Absolutely. I hope

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we will move forward and learn from the lessons of the past and we will

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move forward and we will be a better police force. The officers were

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frequent visitors to Dundalk Garda station and in a radio interview,

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the Sinn Fein leaders said they appear to have a laugh a fair

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attitude to the personal security. Our government minister described

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the comments is nauseating and in the Dail, Gerry Adams had to defend

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himself from attack. It is insulting to the families concerned, it should

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be withdrawn and I think it also, essentially almost claims by

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implication, the officers themselves. We should be very clear

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in this House, this was premeditated murder. I cannot get out of my mind

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of one of those men, injured, out of his car, waving his white

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handkerchief, and being shot in the head by an IRA activist. That is

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what we are dealing with. Today is not a day for self-justification by

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anybody, a political party, it is not a day for muddying the waters. I

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have already said clearly that these were brave officers doing their duty

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as they sought in the same way as the IRA volunteers would see

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themselves as doing their duty, as they sought. On a visit to Japan,

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the Taoiseach repeated his government's apology and offered to

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meet the families of the officers if it was deemed appropriate. The PSNI

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also say they are examining the contents of the Smithwick Report,

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which criticised how police on both sides of the border responded

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which criticised how police on both allegations of collusion in the

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murders of Chief Superintendent Harry Breen and Superintendent Bob

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Buchanan. Our Home Affairs correspondent Vincent Kearney's

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report begins with the Chief Constable at the time dismissing

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those allegations. The evidence which we have firmly confirms to us

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that there was no mole. I think it was too rushed, I understand perhaps

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that the corporation was key, but it should not have been key to the

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detriment of the murder of two police officers. Harry Breen and Bob

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Buchanan with the easiest of targets. They were both unarmed and

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in a car with no armour or bullet-proof glass and travelling

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back from a meeting in Dundalk Garda Station. On a quiet back road, they

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drove into an IRA trap. Less Station. On a quiet back road, they

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hours later, the RUC chief constable was asked about allegations of

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Gardai collusion. I have spoken twice today to the Garda

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Commissioner and we have been concerned at these statements as to

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the possibility of a mould. We have each, within our own area of command

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examined this and we can say that categorically, the evidence that we

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have firmly confirms to us that there was no leak. We would ask that

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this be discounted very firmly and very clearly. That morning, he had

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been told that before going to Dundalk, Harry Breen had expressed

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concerns about some police officers there. This man give that

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information to the Chief Constable. At the time, he was an RUC Sergeant,

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serving as staff officer to the Chief Superintendent. For him to

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come in, it was not me that he was dismissing, it was Harry Breen, and

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that annoyed me. The report says the Chief Constable acted for reasons of

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political expediency. Here he was, faced with the death of two of his

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officers, allegations that there had been treachery on the part of the

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Gardai and if he had gone along and confirmed that, that would have

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brought the corporation complete end. I know that he took a very

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pragmatic and political decision that he would not rob the noses of

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the Gardai in it in the hope that it would build up trust and they would

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get more effective cooperation. After the enquiry, doors -- Judge

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Peter Smithwick said there was a leak and collusion. He says the

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circumstances of the attack point towards a conclusion that

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information was leaked in order to trigger the commencement of the

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operation and there was likely that McGregor was likely the information

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came from the Garda Station. The officers may have been soft targets,

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but they were also obvious targets. A senior police commander in Armagh,

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Harry Breen had been pictured with weapons recovered from IRA men. The

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judge said this made killing him a priority for the IRA. There is no

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doubt they would have had to take time to prepare their ambush. The

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tribunal heard evidence that soldiers carrying out surveillance

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near the cross-border railway line had noticed suspicious activity.

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They pulled out at 11am that morning, just hours before the

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shooting. Something the judge described as noteworthy and tragic.

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The judge also referred to an increase in IRA radio transmissions

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in the area from around midday. He said the suggested to him and much

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more major IRA operation and this signals activity was in all

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likelihood, connected to the operation to ambush Chief

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Superintendent Harry Breen and Superintendent Bob Buchanan. Nearly

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25 years after the killings, the PSNI and Gardai say they are

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examining the contents of the report. A report that confirms

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allegations on that but the police on both side of the border dismissed

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all those years ago. Our political editor joins me now. Quite a

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reaction to Gerry Adams comments? Those comments in which Gerry Adams

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talked about the security of the officers have prompted major

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criticism. We heard from the Irish government bearer, the Irish just in

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-- but the Justice Minister call the comment nauseating. The Secretary of

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State call them offensive. Whilst Gerry Adams was trying to explain it

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from the perspective of the IRA, it was an ambush, he has brought this

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political firestorm down on his head. Where does this leave us in

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terms of dealing with the past? It has been said this was a dummy run

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for a truth commission, we had IRA members giving evidence to the tribe

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-- Michael to the tribunal. If this is a dummy run, it has not been

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particularly successful. Instead of bringing about reconciliation, we

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have a lot of recrimination. We have the best guess from a judge, that

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has brought some solace to the families, but because he has not

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uncovered direct evidence, politicians are arguing about

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exactly what happened. Plenty to come before seven. Politicians have

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been asked to come up with ideas for a new flight? What did the next

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generation think? -- flag. Eight people have been arrested in a

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police crackdown on illegal drugs in Londonderry. Dozens of officers

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carried out searches throughout the city yesterday. The police believe

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they uncovered a significant find of one drug which has been linked to a

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number of deaths. Here's our north west reporter, Keiron Tourish.

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Around 70 officers were involved after their briefing at the

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station. The searches took in homes in the Waterside and city side and

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the outskirts of the city. Overall, police say there were five seizures

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of herbal cannabis, one of cannabis resin and seven of suspected method

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Rome. At this house, the officer in charge believe they had uncovered a

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drug linked to several deaths in Northern Ireland. We suspect we have

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drug linked to several deaths in recovered a very dangerous drug.

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What is concerning here is that it is in a room that children have

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accessed too. We have a shame that vacuum sealed plastic bags that drug

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dealers often use. We have a set of scales. We have a filling agent, and

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it is true that lots of drugs that are sold by actually -- actually

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contain bulking agents. The PSNI say every available resource is being

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used in the fight against drugs. This is a springer spaniel and we

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use him to search for drugs. We use him to detect firearms and cash as

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well. In these operations they are invaluable. The police say these

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operations are vital in the crackdown on drugs and drug

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dealing. These searches have come as a result of information directly

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from the public. Police say it is vital that that continues. The talks

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chairman Richard Haass has asked the political parties for their views on

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a potential new flag for Northern Ireland. He requested a response, in

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writing, by this evening before his return to Belfast next week. But is

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another flag really needed? Mark Simpson reports. When it comes to

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flags, in many ways we are spoilt for choice. Choosing one which suits

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everyone, that is when the problems start. That is exactly what Richard

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has once the political parties to consider. You cannot just invent a

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flight, or can you? All countries have changed their flag at one

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point. They have all been invented at some point. During the peace

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process in South Africa, they came up with a new national flag.

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Inventing new flags is very common. Can you imagine being a tourist in

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Belfast? It is not just politicians debating the issue, comedians have

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had a goal. Richard has has arrived and he wants to know what we could

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possibly do to help the situation. When it comes to flags, it seems

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that Richard has is trying to get the parties to focus on the future

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rather than the past will stop what do the next generation think about

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the issue? Do you think we need a new flag? We need a new attitude. It

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will not make a difference. I think they do need a new one. There are

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people who are purely represented, the people who do not care. What

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colour should it be? Purple. Royal Lou. That is a bad decision -- and

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blur. The politicians will decide. If they do decide to go for one,

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there are plenty of ideas on social networking sites. You can join the

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debate on our Facebook page. Still to come... We hear from the

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Coleraine woman who has skated her weight to the Winter Olympics. --

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skated her way. With energy bills continuing to soar, it's very

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tempting to grasp at anything which will make us a saving. But there's

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been a warning that thousands of us are being fooled into buying energy

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saving devices. They cost around ?100 or more and claim to make

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savings of up to 25%, but many simply don't work. Kevin Sharkey has

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been investigating. No chance of anything in these bags of evidence

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saving you electricity. Even before they were by police, these devices

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were unlikely to save much par or money. Not that an unsuspecting

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customer will know, the products are marketed through so-called cold

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calling over the phone. Investigators say the devices are

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imported from the Far East. Simply, they do not do what householders

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think they will do. This is an example of some of the devices. It

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is quite small. The promise is that they can help you to make a big

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savings. Investigations into these items have found that they make

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people make very few savings, in some cases, none at all. Trading

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Standards is aware of householders and businesses being approached by

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companies offering to sell electricity saving devices, often on

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a promise of very substantial savings, sometimes up to 25%. We

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believe that there may be many thousands of these devices across

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Northern Ireland currently. Investigators believe the recession

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of recent years and rising fuel costs have led to more and more

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householders looking at ways of saving money and when they are

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offered something they think will work, they buy it without checking

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how it works or even if it works. We believe that many of these devices

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will represent virtually no savings. In fact, there has been

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some independent tests done on some devices which have concluded that.

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Furthermore, some of the devices have actually been shown to be

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dangerous. Given what investigators are finding, they believe that the

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best way for people to save money is by switching off the lights. Filmed

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mostly in Northern Ireland, the TV series Game of Thrones is to be used

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to help attract more tourists. Its worldwide popularity means it could

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be as strong a selling point as iconic attractions like the Giant's

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Causeway. Here's our business correspondent Julian O'Neill. Making

:18:42.:18:50.

Game of Thrones in Northern Ireland could pay dividends for local

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tourism. The series will have a starring role in future campaigns to

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boost visitor numbers and a new marketing strategy was outlined

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today with the industry out to capitalise on the region's

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appearance on screen. This is a major motivator. Game of Thrones is

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a great example. It is in its fourth major motivator. Game of Thrones is

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series. We had Dracula here as well. We have had Bollywood producers

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here. We could not afford to advertise on television, but if a

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film is shot here, it can impact on people 's choices. By 2016, Stormont

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wants to see 2 million people visiting Northern Ireland annually,

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an increase of about 16%, but to achieve it, the region may need to

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attract more direct flights. Negotiations are ongoing. Canada is

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my number one objective and I very much want to push that. I have put

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myself out there and I believe for us to increase the number of

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tourists, we need more direct accessed. Big hopes are pinned on

:19:57.:20:01.

the promotional possibilities of hosting a race next year. It will be

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screened to a global audience. hosting a race next year. It will be

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Developing tourism is a key part of the Northern Ireland Executive's

:20:10.:20:16.

plans for economic growth. There is optimism that this ?2 million target

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can be met. They say everyone has a cross to bear. But for the town of

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Downpatrick, it's a cross they want to preserve. This morning, the High

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Cross was dismantled and removed from the front of Down Cathedral in

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what's hoped to be the final chapter in a history spanning over one

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thousand years. Nicola Weir reports. In the bright sunshine of a cold

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December morning, a little piece of history is stirred from its slumber.

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This cross has stood here for over 100 years, having been moved twice

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and dismantled once during a history spanning a millennium. It is now

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being moved to the town museum. We have been worried about it being

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weathered and we are per packs as to what to do, so when the Heritage

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Association offered to take it into the museum, we were quite relieved.

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It is important to preserve it. I think it is going to be very

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important to remind people that think Patrick is buried here. It is

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such an important early Christian site. A safe pair of hands was

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required for this nervous worker. We have got softening on our straps and

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we will try not to lose any of the detail. This historic

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we will try not to lose any of the what is hoped to be its final

:21:52.:21:55.

journey. It will be placed in the museum in the town and a new replica

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will be placed here in time for St Patrick's Day next year. Time for

:22:00.:22:07.

sport. Ulster Rugby prepare for a big week with news of a big loss.

:22:08.:22:11.

Gavin's here. Yes - Treviso come to Ravenhill on Saturday for the first

:22:12.:22:15.

of back to back Heineken Cup games with Mark Anscombe's side. And this

:22:16.:22:19.

evening came the news that one of Ulster's key internationals will be

:22:20.:22:22.

leaving at the end of the season. World Cup winner John Afoa has

:22:23.:22:26.

signed a long term deal with a team in the English Premiership, after

:22:27.:22:29.

two years here. The news comes as no surprise - speaking to BBC Newsline

:22:30.:22:32.

recently, he suggested that his future was uncertain. Last year I

:22:33.:22:41.

was looking to go home, but I stayed on. I am at the end

:22:42.:22:42.

was looking to go home, but I stayed we will look at everything. I am

:22:43.:22:49.

getting on now and there will not be too many contracts over the next few

:22:50.:22:58.

years. Mark Allen is through to the quarterfinals of the UK Snooker

:22:59.:23:03.

Championship. He beat Judd Trump earlier. He was not at his best but

:23:04.:23:09.

came through and will now face Ricky Walden in the last eight tomorrow

:23:10.:23:13.

night. Coleraine is well known for producing Olympians - usually in

:23:14.:23:16.

rowing and usually in the Summer. But next year, figure skater Jenna

:23:17.:23:19.

McCorkell from the town, will compete at the Winter Olympics in

:23:20.:23:22.

Russia fresh from winning yet another British title. The games are

:23:23.:23:25.

a fitting finale to an illustrious career as Nikki Gregg reports. She

:23:26.:23:34.

set the standard in British figure skating for over a decade. Jenna

:23:35.:23:41.

McCorkell collected and 11 UK title last weekend, but her era of

:23:42.:23:46.

dominance is coming to an end. I am going after this season. People ask

:23:47.:23:57.

me how I feel, I feel old. I miss one year due to injury, now I am

:23:58.:24:02.

27, you never say never, but I do not want to think too much about it.

:24:03.:24:08.

Those competitions will include the European and world championships and

:24:09.:24:12.

in February, the Winter Olympics. Four years ago she competed in

:24:13.:24:17.

Vancouver, finishing in 20 Ninth Place. The experience was daunting.

:24:18.:24:23.

Mentally, coping with the Place. The experience was daunting.

:24:24.:24:29.

thing, I was taken aback by everything. I have learned a lot

:24:30.:24:34.

over the last four years. She is clear about what she wants to

:24:35.:24:39.

achieve. I do not want to put too much pressure on myself. I would

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like to have a couple of great escapes. I would like to show before

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I finish, exactly what I can do. In a sport where artistic impression

:24:54.:24:56.

counts, Jenna is determined to leave a lasting one. Finally, the Belfast

:24:57.:25:02.

Giants lost 8-3 last night away to the Nottingham Panthers. They return

:25:03.:25:05.

to the Odyssey on Saturday and face Edinburgh.

:25:06.:25:13.

Some unpredictable weather is coming. Good evening. After

:25:14.:25:20.

Some unpredictable weather is beautiful day, try and bright and

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sunny, it is all change overnight. As we go through this evening, it

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becomes increasingly cloudy, showery and windy. Temperatures tonight will

:25:30.:25:38.

dip down to three or four degrees before the rain arrives. It is the

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wind which is the story of the night. That is why the Met Office

:25:44.:25:49.

have issued a wind warning. That is in force across Northern Ireland

:25:50.:25:55.

from 2am, we could see gusts of up to 70 mph. It could make it quite a

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lively drive to work tomorrow. We have this system coming across. As

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you head to work, do take extra care, leave a bit of extra time and

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stay tuned to BBC Radio Ulster for the latest traffic and travel

:26:18.:26:22.

information. It is not a pretty picture. Lots of rain, lots of

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strong winds and even after that rain works its way through, it will

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stay windy through the day. The best of the temperatures are nine

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degrees, early in the day, because the clear skies mean the heat will

:26:37.:26:42.

fade away later. It will be a raw and cold day. Showers on the north

:26:43.:26:48.

coast. Some of them will be wintry. Into the evening, those temperatures

:26:49.:26:53.

will plummet down to freezing. A properly cold and wintry night on

:26:54.:27:11.

Thursday going into Friday. That means that Friday starts cool.

:27:12.:27:12.

Another front coming through, it will be wet as well. Not a very nice

:27:13.:27:16.

day, at the one bit of good news is the wind speeds. They will be a lot

:27:17.:27:19.

lower. A bit more good news, just a little bit. As we head towards the

:27:20.:27:25.

weekend, it will get drier, cloudier and a little bit warmer. Our late

:27:26.:27:28.

summary is at 10.25pm. You can also keep in contact with us via Facebook

:27:29.:27:31.

and Twitter. From BBC Newsline, goodnight.

:27:32.:27:33.

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