:00:00. > :00:19.One, we join our teams where you are.
:00:20. > :00:23.Good evening. The headlines on BBC Newsline: our main story - the
:00:24. > :00:26.stormy weather. I'm in Donaghadee where the
:00:27. > :00:29.strongest of today's winds have been recorded. Elsewhere, and huge waves
:00:30. > :00:32.were recorded battering parts of the north coast, while in West Belfast
:00:33. > :00:36.part of a building collapsed. Trees fell on the strength of the winds,
:00:37. > :00:38.causing disruption to transport, and power lines were brought down,
:00:39. > :00:41.leaving thousands without electricity.
:00:42. > :00:45.Also on the programme: The Police say the organiser of Saturday's
:00:46. > :00:47.loyalist protest could be prosecuted for breaching the Parades Commission
:00:48. > :00:53.ruling. Motorists won't be needing these any
:00:54. > :00:56.more after 93 years. The Justice Minister is to ask the
:00:57. > :01:00.public about changing the law on abortion.
:01:01. > :01:02.The Ireland rugby coach Joe Schmidt assures Ulster's Darren Cave he has
:01:03. > :01:12.an international future. Power cuts, travel disruption,
:01:13. > :01:19.fallen trees - today's stormy weather has caused a lot of
:01:20. > :01:25.disruption. About 30,000 homes and businesses had no supply because of
:01:26. > :01:28.damaged cables. Motorists were fortunate to escape serious injury
:01:29. > :01:31.from falling trees and other flying debris. In West Belfast, part of a
:01:32. > :01:39.gable wall collapsed onto the pavement. First we go to Barra Best
:01:40. > :01:45.who's in Donaghadee in County Down. And Barra, the coast felt the full
:01:46. > :01:57.force of those strong winds. We are here in Donaghadee. A short
:01:58. > :02:01.distance away gusts of wind were carded at a kilometres an hour.
:02:02. > :02:04.And, on the Beaufort scale, those were hurricane-force gusts. The
:02:05. > :02:07.storm moved in from the Atlantic in the early hours of this morning as
:02:08. > :02:10.weather warnings came into effect. The winds have caused disruption
:02:11. > :02:13.across Northern Ireland, as Mark Simpson reports.
:02:14. > :02:21.High tide on the North Antrim coast. Very high tide. This is the seafront
:02:22. > :02:27.at Port Stewart. It is little wonder there was no one about. There was
:02:28. > :02:34.water everywhere. Wave after wave after wave. It was all caused by the
:02:35. > :02:45.strongest winds seen so far this winter. Some reaching more than 80
:02:46. > :02:51.miles an hour. The dangers were all around. Anything above ground level
:02:52. > :02:55.was vulnerable. A number of drivers narrowly avoided injury from falling
:02:56. > :03:01.trees. The police had to close a number of roads. Never mind driving
:03:02. > :03:08.in some parts of Belfast, even walking wasn't easy. And cycling. It
:03:09. > :03:12.came on a very strong and then calmed down and then was bad again.
:03:13. > :03:21.From one extreme to the other. It was desperate. The damage caused to
:03:22. > :03:29.this shop in Belfast was bad but it could have been much worse. The wind
:03:30. > :03:34.blew down a wall, but somehow no one inside or outside was hurt. It ended
:03:35. > :03:39.like a car going into the wall. I'm still shocked. I haven't stopped
:03:40. > :03:48.shaking. It is nerve wracking. I can't believe it. I'm devastated for
:03:49. > :03:53.my boss and colleagues. Disruption was caused to the power supply of
:03:54. > :04:01.more than 25,000 homes and businesses across Northern Ireland.
:04:02. > :04:06.NIE Said there were more than 250 faults reported across the network.
:04:07. > :04:10.Quick action was needed but getting around today has been treacherous.
:04:11. > :04:17.It has been a difficult day on the travel front, whether by road, rail
:04:18. > :04:25.or especially by C. The normally calm coastal waters near Bangor were
:04:26. > :04:31.whipped up by the wind. It was even worse in North Antrim. You can never
:04:32. > :04:36.underestimate the power of the water and the power of the sea. The whole
:04:37. > :04:43.road was covered in water and rocks underneath it. In Belfast, it was
:04:44. > :04:48.too windy for the Christmas markets to open this morning. We can cope
:04:49. > :04:56.with rain and snow but wind is an unknown factor. With a construction
:04:57. > :05:00.like this with lots of fixtures and fittings, I want to make sure it is
:05:01. > :05:06.safe for people to be in and I'm not prepared to take that risk.
:05:07. > :05:09.Normality is now returning. What fell down and is gradually being put
:05:10. > :05:17.back together, including the Christmas tree at Stormont.
:05:18. > :05:20.Of course, it's not unusual to have strong winds at this time of year.
:05:21. > :05:24.We have to expect a few storms during the winter season. It's still
:05:25. > :05:27.very windy around the coast with gusts here a short time ago close to
:05:28. > :05:31.50mph, but the winds are subsiding as forecast. But as the warning for
:05:32. > :05:35.wind expired this afternoon, a new warning for ice came into effect -
:05:36. > :05:42.mainly in the north and east - with temperatures expected to fall to
:05:43. > :05:45.freezing and below tonight. The police have interviewed the
:05:46. > :05:48.organiser of last Saturday's protest in Belfast city centre for breaching
:05:49. > :05:51.the Parades Commission's determination, and they say he could
:05:52. > :05:59.be prosecuted. Loyalists gathered outside City Hall, before parading
:06:00. > :06:07.to Tennant Street in North Belfast. -- he will be prosecuted.
:06:08. > :06:11.About 2000 people took to the streets on Saturday to protest and
:06:12. > :06:21.according to the parade application over alleged police brutality. The
:06:22. > :06:27.parade was supposed to know. The police used large signs to warn
:06:28. > :06:34.protesters. They also spoke directly to parade officials. Something one
:06:35. > :06:41.steward didn't want us to film. Having breached the Parades
:06:42. > :06:46.Commission ruling, the parade moved on. That breach was brought up
:06:47. > :06:50.today. It is clear that there were breaches. I am wondering whether the
:06:51. > :06:59.police have done anything to do with it. The organiser was spoken to on
:07:00. > :07:05.Monday and will be prosecuted relating to offences relating to
:07:06. > :07:10.that. We will continue to study the case and more prosecutions will
:07:11. > :07:13.follow. The person being prosecuted as the person who signed the form
:07:14. > :07:19.submitted to the Parades Commission. Police have spoken to him already.
:07:20. > :07:23.The BBC understands the same man was responsible for a parade on the 21st
:07:24. > :07:31.September which also breached a Parades Commission determination.
:07:32. > :07:35.The Chancellor says the UK economy is expected to grow by 2.4% next
:07:36. > :07:37.year - it's fastest rate of growth in a decade. Delivering his autumn
:07:38. > :07:40.statement, George Osborne pledged some extra money for Stormont but
:07:41. > :07:45.said that austerity policies would have to continue to tackle the debt
:07:46. > :07:49.run-up during the recession. Our economics and business editor John
:07:50. > :08:03.Campbell is here. The Chancellor was also talking about state pension
:08:04. > :08:06.age. It is still a big thing for him to keep welfare spending under
:08:07. > :08:15.control. Whether state pension it is
:08:16. > :08:20.difficult to cut that, politically. Currently it's 65 and we knew it was
:08:21. > :08:24.due to move up to 66 and then 67 by 2028. What was new today was that
:08:25. > :08:28.the Chancellor said it would be 68 by the mid-2030s and 69 by the late
:08:29. > :08:32.2040s. So what that means really is, if you are now in your 40s, you'll
:08:33. > :08:36.have to work till you're 68. If you're in your 30s, till you're 69.
:08:37. > :08:40.And realistically, if you're at the start of your working life in your
:08:41. > :08:48.20s, you'll be 70 before you can retire. Some research this evening
:08:49. > :08:56.says that a newborn baby born today will be 77 before they can claim a
:08:57. > :08:59.state pension. And staying with benefits, the
:09:00. > :09:06.Chancellor talked about a cap coming in by 2015.
:09:07. > :09:09.Yes, what that means is that a figure for total annual spending on
:09:10. > :09:14.benefits will be agreed by Parliament and it will be up to the
:09:15. > :09:17.Government to stick to that. And really what that is intended to do
:09:18. > :09:20.is keep downward on those benefits. That raises the prospects more
:09:21. > :09:29.freezes and even cuts. It could have a disproportionate impact here.
:09:30. > :09:34.So all these pressure on but still Stormont gets some extra money to
:09:35. > :09:38.spend here? Because of the vagaries of the
:09:39. > :09:40.formula used to work out spending for devolved administrations,
:09:41. > :09:44.Stormont will get a small boost of ?136 million over the next two
:09:45. > :09:51.years. That's in the context of an annual budget of abou ?11 billion.
:09:52. > :09:55.The Secretary of State says that could be used to help consumers with
:09:56. > :09:58.their energy bills. Earlier today I asked the Finance Minister Simon
:09:59. > :10:07.Hamilton if that's how the money would be spent. We will decide what
:10:08. > :10:10.our priorities are. There are lots of things including energy prices
:10:11. > :10:18.and support for businesses and support for a normal per -- support
:10:19. > :10:23.for the vulnerable. But you can't say that will help people with their
:10:24. > :10:28.energy bills? There is a compelling argument that the government uses
:10:29. > :10:34.the additional money to support business and the community where it
:10:35. > :10:41.is needed. Rising energy bills is somewhere I'm sure we would be keen
:10:42. > :10:47.to look at. As rate relief for small businesses something he would
:10:48. > :10:49.consider doing with the money? Extending small business rate relief
:10:50. > :10:56.for one year is something we have already agreed to. We brought it in
:10:57. > :11:01.over one year ago. It is working successfully in Northern Ireland. I
:11:02. > :11:05.can understand why they would want to do some thing for business rates
:11:06. > :11:12.in England because over the last two years to increase in business rates
:11:13. > :11:19.in England has been nearly doubled that of Ireland. Looking at giving
:11:20. > :11:27.an extra thousand pounds to businesses is some thing we're
:11:28. > :11:32.looking at doing. Will it be help for business or help for everyone
:11:33. > :11:36.crushing work that has to be thrashed out around the business
:11:37. > :11:41.table. Thanks John. The Chancellor also
:11:42. > :11:44.announced the end of an era for something almost a century old. The
:11:45. > :11:47.tax disc on vehicles is to be abolished - but not the charge which
:11:48. > :11:50.goes with it. Our business correspondent Julian O'Neill
:11:51. > :11:55.explains more. The tax disc has been a feature of
:11:56. > :11:58.motoring life for more than 90 years but now it ended a paper exercise
:11:59. > :12:05.that goes with it in offices like this one are about to vanish under
:12:06. > :12:08.the puzzles announced today. Instead, electronic systems will be
:12:09. > :12:14.used to maintain a register of tax vehicles. So, the disc will
:12:15. > :12:22.disappear. The change will happen next October. A monthly direct debit
:12:23. > :12:27.option will and while payment to be spread but at an extra 5%
:12:28. > :12:32.administration cost. Stormont's department of the environment said
:12:33. > :12:36.it was a matter for Westminster and therefore would be adopted
:12:37. > :12:40.throughout the UK. But are we good to go? A recent government report
:12:41. > :12:45.spoke of compatibility issues with computer systems. With aligning are
:12:46. > :12:52.services more closely with the rest of the UK potentially cost jobs? The
:12:53. > :12:58.end of jobs are threatened here. Stormont wants the local posts
:12:59. > :13:02.spared and says this move does not further endanger those soft. Add the
:13:03. > :13:10.road tax office, doing away with the disc is a talking point. It would be
:13:11. > :13:16.good for direct debit instead of paying a large amount of money at
:13:17. > :13:26.once. If it goes over to Swansea as the hardest to understand someone.
:13:27. > :13:37.This is a cost saving measure. Losing a piece of paper from our
:13:38. > :13:42.windscreen will save ?7 million. The DUP has said the Garda
:13:43. > :13:49.Commissioner should public lay apologise for the way his force
:13:50. > :13:58.responded to revolutions. The intelligent material suggested that
:13:59. > :14:05.tarmac Garda liars dismissed it as nonsense.
:14:06. > :14:09.Almost 25 years after the iron sheeting of the two most senior RUC
:14:10. > :14:15.officers to be killed during the troubles, the incident casts a
:14:16. > :14:22.shadow on the present. The Smethwick report this week said that they died
:14:23. > :14:30.as a collision between Garda officers and the IRA. There were
:14:31. > :14:37.questions about Harriet the Garda and tarmac had responded. This man
:14:38. > :14:48.was the Chief Constable who is responsible these include the
:14:49. > :14:54.intelligence branch of the PSNI. A lawyer speaking on behalf of the
:14:55. > :15:00.Garda Commissioner said the PSNI had failed the two officers. He
:15:01. > :15:09.dismissed the evidence is not just nonsense but nonsense upon stilts.
:15:10. > :15:15.In his report, the judge said he had been impressed by the evidence given
:15:16. > :15:17.and accepted it. Considering that everything has been vindicated
:15:18. > :15:27.around the evidence that was given by Drew Harris, do not think it
:15:28. > :15:32.appropriate that Commissioner should give an apology? It would be
:15:33. > :15:36.inappropriate for me to comment but I would say again that I'm very
:15:37. > :15:46.proud of the integrity of the PSNI. I am proud that the ACC next and he
:15:47. > :15:54.was given that accolade by the judge. The commission refused to be
:15:55. > :15:58.drawn on the issue yesterday. We have discussed it with our
:15:59. > :16:03.colleagues in the PSNI and they have a position and we have a position
:16:04. > :16:08.and it would be inappropriate for me to go any further publicly at this
:16:09. > :16:11.point in time. The two police chiefs will meet shortly to discuss the
:16:12. > :16:18.implications of the report into the killings.
:16:19. > :16:22.The Justice Minister wants to consult the public on changing the
:16:23. > :16:25.law on abortion so that in certain circumstances women do not have to
:16:26. > :16:28.travel to Britain for a termination. Sarah Ewart came to prominence
:16:29. > :16:32.recently. She had an abortion in England after she was told her baby
:16:33. > :16:34.had a fatal abnormality and could not survive after birth. This report
:16:35. > :16:41.from our political correspondent Gareth Gordon.
:16:42. > :16:45.Sarah Ewart never imagined having an abortion but when she discovered her
:16:46. > :16:47.unborn baby had a condition which meant it wouldn't survive outside
:16:48. > :16:53.the one, that's what happened. She had to go to London because the life
:16:54. > :17:02.you would not allow it. I had no choice. I am carrying a body. Unless
:17:03. > :17:10.you are at suicidal stage, they will not offer you a termination. The
:17:11. > :17:14.case of Sarah and another couple also provoked a huge public
:17:15. > :17:21.response. Did it help lead to a change in the law? It will be an
:17:22. > :17:25.open consultation. Some people will respond by saying there should be no
:17:26. > :17:30.change and others will want a widening of the law. There is
:17:31. > :17:34.another play a public case for a very narrow change which would deal
:17:35. > :17:38.with these small number of very difficult and tragic issues. He
:17:39. > :17:42.knows that even that prospect will be resisted by some with deeply
:17:43. > :17:50.healthy is against abortion of any kind. This move may signal an
:17:51. > :17:54.important change but it must be remembered we are only talking about
:17:55. > :17:58.a consultation at the moment. The ultimate decision is one for the
:17:59. > :18:02.executive parties. The health minister appeared before the Justice
:18:03. > :18:06.committee today on another matter. His only comment on abortion came on
:18:07. > :18:27.a statement from his department saying...
:18:28. > :18:35.The Ulster Unionist leader was clear. A change has got to come. It
:18:36. > :18:40.is a matter of conscious tarmac conscience for us. I will support a
:18:41. > :18:52.mother's right to choose abortion when she is carrying a fatally
:18:53. > :19:04.flawed foetus. I wish to record that such an reported issue should not be
:19:05. > :19:06.treated with media coverage. A recent parliamentary commission
:19:07. > :19:12.looked at this and one of the difficulties was where do you draw
:19:13. > :19:15.the line. They looked at the 1967 act and said it probably wouldn't
:19:16. > :19:16.pass today because it would be discriminatory against disabled
:19:17. > :19:18.people. act and said it probably wouldn't
:19:19. > :19:25.pass today because it would The argument has only just begun.
:19:26. > :19:29.A pipebomb has exploded at the front door of a house in County Down. It
:19:30. > :19:32.happened at about 2am in the village of Shrigley, near Killyleagh. No-one
:19:33. > :19:35.was injured. The front door of the house was damaged. The police are
:19:36. > :19:38.investigating a motive for the attack.
:19:39. > :19:41.One of the reasons we have a skills shortage is said to be inflexible
:19:42. > :19:43.childcare. A new survey of 5000 parents suggests that qualified
:19:44. > :19:47.people are leaving the workforce because they can't find childcare
:19:48. > :19:56.they can afford. Or that it doesn't fit their working hours. BBC
:19:57. > :19:59.Newsline's Tara Mills reports. They may not be double trouble but
:20:00. > :20:06.twins are definitely double the cost. That goes from food to nappies
:20:07. > :20:09.and childcare. With most families already stretched paying for food
:20:10. > :20:17.and fuel, tough decisions have to be made. This family was lucky. A
:20:18. > :20:22.flexible employer allowed them to work shifts which means they have
:20:23. > :20:27.cut their bill in half. Both of them are part-time so they make up the
:20:28. > :20:41.place of one full-time child. Anyone on a quite a good wage with have
:20:42. > :20:47.difficulty with ?1600. The average full-time nursery place now costs
:20:48. > :20:53.?158 per week. That means a family with two children would spend over
:20:54. > :20:57.?16,000 per year on childcare. Two thirds of parents surveyed said they
:20:58. > :21:02.struggle to meet those costs. The cost of childcare don't just affect
:21:03. > :21:08.individual families. There is a big impact on the economy, too. It
:21:09. > :21:13.doesn't make sense for parents, particularly women, to train in the
:21:14. > :21:15.workforce to go through qualifications and then just leave
:21:16. > :21:21.because childcare and the cost and lack of flexibility is forcing them
:21:22. > :21:27.out. This family believes Stormont could do more. A lot of mothers
:21:28. > :21:32.stuck at home are very qualified and can't get to work because childcare
:21:33. > :21:43.is to expensive. We'll help with PETA have funded nursery places from
:21:44. > :21:46.a younger age. -- would be to have. Childcare strategies are being
:21:47. > :21:50.looked at but we are already six years behind England and Wales,
:21:51. > :21:57.where local authorities are legally obliged to provide adequate
:21:58. > :22:00.childcare places. The Ireland rugby coach has been
:22:01. > :22:06.responding to reports that one of Ulster's top players is unhappy with
:22:07. > :22:08.his lot. Gavin's here. The English premiership clubs have
:22:09. > :22:11.just confirmed any statement in the last ten minutes that they won't
:22:12. > :22:22.compete in the Heineken Cup in the next season. They are pursuing other
:22:23. > :22:25.options. Ulster centre Darren Cave has
:22:26. > :22:29.speculated about why he's got just five Ireland caps in four years. He
:22:30. > :22:32.said it could be because his "face doesn't fit". Cave was left out of
:22:33. > :22:35.Ireland's tests in the Autumn international series but has been in
:22:36. > :22:40.impressive form for Ulster. Ireland coach Joe Schmidt gave this response
:22:41. > :22:44.today. He called me this morning and was disappointed with what was
:22:45. > :22:50.written. Sometimes that happens. It makes for a good story. He felt that
:22:51. > :22:56.reading through the full article that there were a lot of positive
:22:57. > :23:02.things with the current set up. I like him as a character. He is a
:23:03. > :23:07.smart rugby player and he is a good guy to have stopped I don't think
:23:08. > :23:12.there is any personal animosity there but I certainly understand his
:23:13. > :23:16.frustration. Ulster Table Tennis is 90 years old
:23:17. > :23:19.this year and it has just been given a timely birthday present. For
:23:20. > :23:22.decades, a haul of valuable trophies lay forgotten in a storeroom. Their
:23:23. > :23:25.rediscovery has revived memories of legends in the sport from the
:23:26. > :23:33.distant past. Mark Sidebottom reports.
:23:34. > :23:41.This week I introduce to you Victor Barna from Hungary. In his day,
:23:42. > :23:46.Victor Barna was to table tennis what Roger Federer is to tennis. A
:23:47. > :23:53.holder of 22 world titles. He won the Ulster title some 70 years ago
:23:54. > :23:58.is no surprise. Imagine the surprise when a routine rummage in a
:23:59. > :24:04.forgotten store a few months ago on earth the Hospital Challenge Cup.
:24:05. > :24:09.When I opened the box and pulled back several layers of newspaper, I
:24:10. > :24:16.was struck by the quality of the silverware. These things are solid
:24:17. > :24:21.silver. We looked through the various dates on them and the people
:24:22. > :24:27.involved and discovered a very strong link with the history of
:24:28. > :24:35.table tennis worldwide. This is a useful Tommy Caffrey. He played
:24:36. > :24:44.Victor Barna 50 years ago. And he was also doubles champion 1952. I
:24:45. > :24:51.said they are worth a lot of money and he said he knew. The doubles one
:24:52. > :24:56.must be worth thousands. Table tennis's very own treasure trove
:24:57. > :25:03.kept on giving. The ladies single trophy, also recently unearthed and
:25:04. > :25:08.refurbished was donated by sorority Harcourt -- Sir Robert Harcourt.
:25:09. > :25:19.They are worth several thousands of pounds but the memories are
:25:20. > :25:22.priceless. Finally, Mark Allen is in action
:25:23. > :25:29.shortly in the quarterfinal stage of the UK Championship in York against
:25:30. > :25:33.England's Ricky Walden. We know all about the wind and rain
:25:34. > :25:34.today now get ready for another weather extreme - ice. Geoff has the
:25:35. > :25:42.forecast. today now get ready for another
:25:43. > :25:47.Wasn't that a wet and windy day today? The problem tonight is not
:25:48. > :25:51.strong winds. It is ice. The Met office have issued a yellow warning
:25:52. > :25:56.for ice because it is going to get properly chilly overnight tonight.
:25:57. > :26:02.We have got some wintry showers this evening continuing as temperatures
:26:03. > :26:08.dropped down towards freezing. A little lower in rural areas. We
:26:09. > :26:14.could see some snow on the hills at dawn tomorrow morning. Because it is
:26:15. > :26:20.such a cold night temperatures tomorrow will not really recover
:26:21. > :26:28.from that. It will be a cold day. Showers will continue and you could
:26:29. > :26:32.catch one just about anywhere. Temperatures are nothing to write
:26:33. > :26:39.home about. Nothing spectacular at all. Plenty of showers around. Some
:26:40. > :26:45.good news is the wind. They will drop off quite markedly. The
:26:46. > :26:49.south-west is a much warmer quarter. Over the next few days, things will
:26:50. > :26:55.warm up. But we have had a properly wild day today. Tomorrow will feel
:26:56. > :26:59.very different to that. We have seen some very strong winds, the
:27:00. > :27:03.strongest for the last two years. The maximum gust was 84 miles an
:27:04. > :27:10.hour with average wind speeds in excess of 53 mph. Thank goodness
:27:11. > :27:14.things calmed down with high pressure in charge of the next few
:27:15. > :27:21.days. The weather will have a very different feel. For Saturday, for
:27:22. > :27:26.example, a bit more cloud and milder temperatures and a few showers,
:27:27. > :27:31.still, around. Those temperatures are starting to warm up, though. For
:27:32. > :27:40.next week, we can wave goodbye to the wild weather and say hello to
:27:41. > :27:46.mild weather. Our Facebook page has news of a
:27:47. > :27:51.peace project launched by schoolchildren in Londonderry and a
:27:52. > :27:54.Christmas tree at Lisbon Cathedral. -- less