:00:00. > 3:59:59things will get colder and sweet, find out
:00:00. > :00:21.Welcome to BBC Newsline. The top stories: These two men admit being
:00:22. > :00:26.high on drink and drugs when the stolen car they were travelling in
:00:27. > :00:31.struck and killed a policewoman. Hearing loss claims by former RUC
:00:32. > :00:34.officers will top over ?160 million. We have more on last night's
:00:35. > :00:38.exclusive story. The Prime Minister says take-home
:00:39. > :00:47.pay is on the up but what do you think?
:00:48. > :00:52.Every year you are getting 1% and inflation is going up 3% so it is
:00:53. > :00:55.not keeping up. The play that is causing a row of
:00:56. > :00:59.biblical proportions in Newtownabbey.
:01:00. > :01:04.A drive is on to get more and more people playing hockey than ever
:01:05. > :01:08.before. Join me live in Banbridge. We are in for an unsettled weekend
:01:09. > :01:16.with warnings in force for Sunday. I will have the full forecast shortly.
:01:17. > :01:19.Two men who were charged in connection with the death of a young
:01:20. > :01:24.police constable in Londonderry almost a year ago had consumed large
:01:25. > :01:28.amounts of drink and drugs. They had been travelling in a stolen land
:01:29. > :01:33.cruiser at speeds of up to 80 miles an hour in a 30 mile zone moments
:01:34. > :01:35.before the fatal crash. It claimed the life of police Constable
:01:36. > :01:46.Philippa Reynolds who was described by family and friends as fun loving
:01:47. > :01:51.and dedicated to her job. Philippa Reynolds has been in the
:01:52. > :01:56.PSNI for two years and was described as a kind and caring officer, deeply
:01:57. > :02:01.committed to serving the community. Her un-marked police car was struck
:02:02. > :02:06.by a stolen vehicle on the line to February last year. The former
:02:07. > :02:10.teacher died at the scene. 26-year-old Shane Christopher Friern
:02:11. > :02:17.admitted the manslaughter of Constable Reynolds. 24-year-old
:02:18. > :02:25.Conor Clarence admitted they kill taking. -- vehicle taking. On the
:02:26. > :02:37.day, they had been drinking heavily and had taken 16 tablets. After
:02:38. > :02:41.stealing the land cruiser, Shane drove it at speeds of up to 80 miles
:02:42. > :02:45.an hour. Moments before the fatal crash, the vehicle went through to
:02:46. > :02:51.red lights and ploughed into the police car. In an interview with
:02:52. > :02:55.police, Shane told the detective, I am very sorry for what I did to that
:02:56. > :03:00.office. It was not my intention to do it. I am not into stealing cars
:03:01. > :03:05.and driving around like a lunatic. It is not me. I am very sorry for
:03:06. > :03:09.what I did do. The court heard that he had written a letter to the
:03:10. > :03:18.family of Philippa Reynolds expressing his extreme remorse but
:03:19. > :03:21.it has not been delivered yet. A barrister for Conor Clarence told
:03:22. > :03:28.the court he wished to express his extreme and profound remorse and
:03:29. > :03:31.regret. That, he realised, ABC and as small consolation. A barrister
:03:32. > :03:37.for him said it was accepted that he does pose a significant risk of harm
:03:38. > :03:40.in the future and he was considered a dangerous individual. The
:03:41. > :03:45.barrister said he was not asking the court for mercy or compassion but
:03:46. > :03:53.that it did not take all hope away. Both men will be sentenced on the
:03:54. > :03:57.4th of February. More on an exclusive story we
:03:58. > :04:00.brought you last night about hearing loss claims by former RUC officers.
:04:01. > :04:04.We revealed that the bill so far is more than ?135 million to settle
:04:05. > :04:07.over 8,500 claims but more than 2000 claims are still in the pipeline
:04:08. > :04:14.waiting to be settled and the final bill is expected to be over ?160
:04:15. > :04:27.million. A Sinn Fein member of the Policing Board says the payments are
:04:28. > :04:33.unjustifiable and immoral. Police officers today where your
:04:34. > :04:36.protection while engaged in firearms training but that has not always
:04:37. > :04:42.been the case. The BBC revealed yesterday that more than 8,500
:04:43. > :04:45.former officers here have been paid compensation for hearing loss. The
:04:46. > :04:50.combined payment amount to more than ?70 million. In addition, over ?65
:04:51. > :04:59.million has been spent on legal bills. This list is firm has settled
:05:00. > :05:03.clearance for more than 3,000 officers. One of the senior partners
:05:04. > :05:08.reject claims by critics who question the payments and say
:05:09. > :05:13.hearing loss is easy to fake. Hearing loss can be measured and in
:05:14. > :05:19.every case that is settled by the solicitors, the cloud has been
:05:20. > :05:23.tested and examined by two doctors in each case so they are examined on
:05:24. > :05:28.our behalf by one doctor and then they are also examined for the
:05:29. > :05:31.police service as well and those two doctors, they may differ to some
:05:32. > :05:35.extent but usually there is a meeting ground for what they agreed
:05:36. > :05:39.to be the hearing loss that that person has suffered. These enormous
:05:40. > :05:48.sums of money that have been paid by the police. When Sinn Fein member of
:05:49. > :05:52.the Policing Board said it was undeniable. We have challenged many
:05:53. > :05:55.of the figures that have come in and challenge the way these officers are
:05:56. > :06:00.being paid. What is important here is that there has been a gravy train
:06:01. > :06:03.culture, it has been there for many years and it is time for that trend
:06:04. > :06:09.to pull into the station. He angered a retired detective chief inspector
:06:10. > :06:14.who was one of those paid compensation by questioning the
:06:15. > :06:22.morality of the payments. Something may not be legal but it may not be
:06:23. > :06:25.ethnically right. That is absolutely rubbish, to come out with a comment
:06:26. > :06:30.like that. It is maybe something that he wants to throw out to his
:06:31. > :06:38.own community. That is a different debate. The final bill will be much
:06:39. > :06:42.higher. So far, nearly 11,000 former RUC officers had lodged claims. More
:06:43. > :06:49.than 2000 still have to be settled. Others are expected.
:06:50. > :06:52.Assembly members have been updating the register of interests, giving
:06:53. > :06:56.details of family members they employ using public funds, trips
:06:57. > :06:58.paid by others and gifts received. With the details, I'm joined by our
:06:59. > :07:09.political correspondent Martina Purdy. The new register shows that
:07:10. > :07:16.the DUP MLA for a Lagan Valley Jonathan Craig has hired his sister
:07:17. > :07:21.as a secretary and Mervyn Storey had his daughter last summer just for
:07:22. > :07:25.the summer as a part-time office assistant. It also revealed the DUP
:07:26. > :07:32.MLA for North Antrim David Michael Dean will no longer be employing his
:07:33. > :07:35.father as a part-time researcher. This practice does draw a lot of
:07:36. > :07:38.attention because it is taxpayers money but I will stress it is in
:07:39. > :07:44.keeping with the rules, providing it is declared. The practice is
:07:45. > :07:50.widespread? Not as widespread as it was. A quick look at the register, I
:07:51. > :07:55.estimated a quarter of the MLAs were still hiring family members. None of
:07:56. > :08:00.the Sinn Fein MLA 's hire some of their family members. In terms of
:08:01. > :08:04.the DUP, around one third of its MLAs are still hiring dummy
:08:05. > :08:13.members, around one quarter in the S DLP camp and the Alliance Party.
:08:14. > :08:20.Anything else catch your eye? Two trips to China, one by Jonathan
:08:21. > :08:26.Bell. That was played by the University of Ulster. -- paid. And
:08:27. > :08:33.Lil went along with other European politicians to China on a visit paid
:08:34. > :08:38.by the overseas Chinese affairs office and the Sinn Fein education
:08:39. > :08:42.Minister was given a silver horse by JP McManus at an towards ceremony
:08:43. > :08:48.last year but no details on how much it is worth.
:08:49. > :08:52.One of our biggest unions has dismissed as laughable, a claim by
:08:53. > :08:56.the government that take on pay has risen in real terms for the average
:08:57. > :09:03.worker. Economists also read the situation differently.
:09:04. > :09:09.The economy is picking up, figures show we are in recovery mode but
:09:10. > :09:15.what about wages? David Cameron wants to see people paid more. What
:09:16. > :09:19.stirred controversy is a government claim that take home pay for most
:09:20. > :09:26.workers rose last year, faster than inflation. A hard sell on the
:09:27. > :09:30.streets of Belfast. In my job, which is a nurse, our pay has not changed
:09:31. > :09:36.over the last few years and a lot of nurses are struggling. Pedal has
:09:37. > :09:38.gone up so I have to get the bus to work. Everything is getting more
:09:39. > :09:51.expensive but the wages are not going up to meet it. -- petrol has
:09:52. > :09:56.gone up. It has been OK. The government's argument is based on
:09:57. > :10:00.statistics. They say cuts to income tax and national insurance meant pay
:10:01. > :10:07.increased in real terms by 2.5% for most people. One of the big local
:10:08. > :10:11.unions claimed that is not reality. I don't think there is any doubt
:10:12. > :10:16.that our members will regard this statement as laughable. Their
:10:17. > :10:19.experience very clearly is that their standard of living has reduced
:10:20. > :10:25.over this last number of years considerably and their wages have
:10:26. > :10:29.remained static. One economist said last year, wages here failed to keep
:10:30. > :10:39.pace with the rise in the cost of living. Earnings growth was still
:10:40. > :10:46.below the growth of prices. That has been true since 2008 and when you
:10:47. > :10:52.accumulate the effect of that, it does represent a considerable
:10:53. > :10:55.reduction in real take-home pay. Salaries here are on average lower
:10:56. > :11:01.than the rest of the UK. It is there that this issue could dominate the
:11:02. > :11:06.political agenda right up until next year's general election.
:11:07. > :11:09.A row has broken out over the cancellation of a play about the
:11:10. > :11:13.Bible at Newtownabbey Council's Mossley Mill Theatre following
:11:14. > :11:16.objections by DUP members. The Arts Council has described the decision
:11:17. > :11:20.as disappointing while stressing the artists' right to freedom of
:11:21. > :11:23.expression. Those opposed to the stage production by the Reduced
:11:24. > :11:41.Shakespeare Company say it made a mockery of the Bible.
:11:42. > :11:44.The Reduced Shakespeare Company during rehearsals earlier today in
:11:45. > :11:49.England. The widely acclaimed touring company's play, the Bible,
:11:50. > :11:54.the complete Word God of abridged, was due to go on at a council owned
:11:55. > :12:00.theatre next week. Not any more, it has been cancelled following
:12:01. > :12:05.opposition from several DUP councillors who claimed it was
:12:06. > :12:09.mocking the Bible. We attended to come -- contact the councillors but
:12:10. > :12:14.without success. Some of their colleagues say it is blatant
:12:15. > :12:19.censorship. It is typical of the DUP, they want to see censorship of
:12:20. > :12:23.things that people want to see and we have had plenty of complaints
:12:24. > :12:27.they wanted to see it and I was one of those who had booked to see the
:12:28. > :12:30.show. The committee who look after the theatre made the decision of
:12:31. > :12:38.months ago that this should be shown will stop a small number of the DUP
:12:39. > :12:42.declare themselves as fundamental questions to get on board to have
:12:43. > :12:46.this campaign. The Ulster Unionist mayor of midge larvae says he
:12:47. > :12:49.supported the ban based on his Christian principles and he believes
:12:50. > :12:59.councillors have a right to do so. Where do you draw the line? Do we
:13:00. > :13:02.put on a live sex show? This is what is annoying most of the people on
:13:03. > :13:06.the artistic board, not so much whether the play is anti-Christian,
:13:07. > :13:14.it is the fact that they see this as censorship. The Reduced Shakespeare
:13:15. > :13:21.Company say they are disappointed about the cancellation. It feels
:13:22. > :13:27.like a political decision rather than a religious one. It feels like
:13:28. > :13:32.a political party is stirring up religious sentiment and religious
:13:33. > :13:34.sphere in the fear that we are doing something horrible. I don't think
:13:35. > :13:45.any of these people have seen the entire show. We elected you to empty
:13:46. > :13:48.our bins and make sure the leisure centres are open. We don't trust you
:13:49. > :13:51.to do anything like this because you make us the laughing stock of the
:13:52. > :13:56.world. This will have a knock-on effect financial aid, estimated to
:13:57. > :14:00.cost the council around ?2000 but those involved in the arts are more
:14:01. > :14:17.concerned about what it means for future reductions at this theatre at
:14:18. > :14:23.the mill. Could the controversial issue of
:14:24. > :14:27.fracking court transform local debate? Some suggest the outcome of
:14:28. > :14:36.the debate would be a foregone conclusion. Here is our South West
:14:37. > :14:42.reporter. Transfer fracking have been
:14:43. > :14:46.dominated by protests. Campaigners say they would welcome the chance to
:14:47. > :15:00.express their feelings at a ballot box. Two parties have the power to
:15:01. > :15:03.put a stop to this. Opponents fear the impact of fracking on health and
:15:04. > :15:08.the environment. Supporters say it would bring jobs and a secure energy
:15:09. > :15:19.supply. A referendum could provide opportunity for a balanced debate.
:15:20. > :15:26.We're not talking about the green and orange issues, so it has opened
:15:27. > :15:34.up an interesting debate. As Minister of the environment, I will
:15:35. > :15:38.not be giving the green light to fracking, in the absence of clear
:15:39. > :15:43.evidence that it is safe and does not damage peoples health and that
:15:44. > :15:51.it will not damage the countryside. As of yet, that evidence has not
:15:52. > :15:58.been produced. A referendum could cost ?100,000, so I vote is keen to
:15:59. > :16:06.have their say? I know who will win. They are trying to ban it. The
:16:07. > :16:11.council already suppose a moratorium on fracking. Whether voters will get
:16:12. > :16:18.their chance to say yes or no will be decided in the coming weeks.
:16:19. > :16:20.Interest in the Irish language is growing, with classes springing up
:16:21. > :16:24.in unionist areas. But organisations which promote it here have had their
:16:25. > :16:27.money stopped. That decision by the funding body is the result of an
:16:28. > :16:30.insistence by ministers north and south that they streamline spending.
:16:31. > :16:42.So what are the implications for the language here? Conor Macauley
:16:43. > :16:47.reports. The Irish language seems to be
:16:48. > :16:51.thriving. There has always been a lot of interest in nationalist
:16:52. > :17:03.areas, but a long shank ill and in east Belfast, they are learning it
:17:04. > :17:11.too. It is everywhere. It takes money to promote it, but last year,
:17:12. > :17:18.for groups here will be with those a lot of funding and they are deeply
:17:19. > :17:23.unhappy. There are very specific circumstances here, two attitudes
:17:24. > :17:34.towards the Irish language, and I think an opportunity has been
:17:35. > :17:37.messed. An organisation was set up to
:17:38. > :17:43.promote the language after the Good Friday agreement. It had been
:17:44. > :17:53.funding a lot of Irish line which classes, but now it has in cut to
:17:54. > :17:57.six. It is not a major concern of ours that your organisations don't
:17:58. > :18:01.have their head office in the North, but only to have the skills and
:18:02. > :18:08.expertise to address the language issues in the North. A lot of the
:18:09. > :18:14.shops round here advertise their services in Irish as well as
:18:15. > :18:21.English, and that former church up their is the beating heart. There
:18:22. > :18:26.have been a lot of plans to develop this part of the city, but at the
:18:27. > :18:32.front of those plans is one that has had its funding cut. So what happens
:18:33. > :18:44.now? Your organisation has ?16 million worth of capital projects.
:18:45. > :18:57.For example, Belfast City Council are in agreement to transfer. That
:18:58. > :19:01.says our work back inevitably. They don't have the expertise, they
:19:02. > :19:09.haven't been working on these things. It is hoped they will be an
:19:10. > :19:13.orderly transfer. But it seems in some quarters there could be a
:19:14. > :19:20.degree of resistance. Now Stephen Watson's out and about
:19:21. > :19:27.tonight and getting a bit of sport at grassroots level. He's live at
:19:28. > :19:33.Banbridge hockey club. It is junior training night here at
:19:34. > :19:39.one of the oldest and biggest hockey clubs in Ireland and one of the most
:19:40. > :19:45.vibrant. Hundreds of young people turning out here every single week.
:19:46. > :19:49.The senior men are going pretty well as well, they are flying high in the
:19:50. > :19:54.Premier league and are one of two Ulster teams left in the Irish cup,
:19:55. > :19:57.but having so many young people here playing hockey is very good news for
:19:58. > :20:03.one person in particular, and she joins me now, the new Ulster talent
:20:04. > :20:17.coach. Surely, great disease are many young people. -- it is great to
:20:18. > :20:27.see so many young people. It makes my work a pleasure and very easy. My
:20:28. > :20:43.job is to try and increase anticipation levels. --
:20:44. > :20:48.participation levels. It is very important we try and retain our best
:20:49. > :20:55.players and make sure they have the best facilities and coaching. If we
:20:56. > :21:02.can give them those things, hopefully we will retain them.
:21:03. > :21:15.Ireland is a fourth biggest hockey playing country in Europe. In
:21:16. > :21:37.schools, particularly with the girls, it is very popular. Good luck
:21:38. > :21:40.with the rest of the coaching. There are two games in the Danskebank
:21:41. > :21:44.Irish Premiership, including leaders Linfield at home to Ards looking
:21:45. > :21:47.extend their lead at the top of the table to seven points. The games at
:21:48. > :21:49.Warrenpoint and Coleraine are postponed due to waterlogged
:21:50. > :21:52.pitches. League games were scheduled tonight because tomorrow sees the
:21:53. > :21:55.League Cup Final centre stage. It's a repeat of last season's North
:21:56. > :21:58.Belfast derby. Nial Foster reports. It is for-Neville. One year on,
:21:59. > :22:12.those words still haunts Crusaders, but one year on, people and
:22:13. > :22:16.attackers to seek revenge. We've just on their tails and
:22:17. > :22:20.hopefully we will put in a better showing. Cliftonville went on to win
:22:21. > :22:31.last season, but lately they have been struggling. Out of the Irish
:22:32. > :22:44.cup. On Saturday, her season could be over. It is good for both clubs
:22:45. > :22:50.and it is good for North Belfast. The Reds won the toss, but with
:22:51. > :22:54.Crusaders coming, they will be hoping for a much closer affair than
:22:55. > :22:58.last year. Live coverage on Radio Ulster
:22:59. > :23:04.tomorrow and tonight. We'll have the action and results on our late TV
:23:05. > :23:07.bulletin at 10.35. In Gaelic football Tyrone meet Cavan in the
:23:08. > :23:11.McKenna Cup final tomorrow in Enniskillen. On the eve of that big
:23:12. > :23:15.game, one of the GAA's star players has paid a visit to a school in
:23:16. > :23:18.Northern Ireland - and warned that the demands of the modern game are
:23:19. > :23:20.leading to player burn-out. Mark Sidebottom reports.
:23:21. > :23:22.Sometimes when pupils get to meet their heroes, bacon, for just a
:23:23. > :23:31.little starstruck, and that is when the teacher steps in. We have for
:23:32. > :23:50.values, faith, family, football and family. He cautions that some
:23:51. > :23:56.players cast a long shadow. I think of it continues a grows, I would
:23:57. > :24:07.fear players' careers could be shortened. I don't know how they
:24:08. > :24:14.balance it, they are probably risking burn-out. Before he hangs
:24:15. > :24:32.his shirt up and goes up into the sunset, he gives one last rattle at
:24:33. > :24:34.Tyrone. From a soggy Banbridge, that's
:24:35. > :24:57.tonight's sport. If you are out and about tonight in
:24:58. > :25:03.time, you would need to run Perella, because the rain has
:25:04. > :25:20.cleared away. -- you won't need your arm Perella. -- umbrella. Some of
:25:21. > :25:32.the showers tomorrow may be heavy, there maybe thunder and lightning.
:25:33. > :25:38.Most low levels will only see rain. In between, there will be good
:25:39. > :25:52.spells of sunshine. If it is windy radio row, it will feel called. --
:25:53. > :26:00.it will feel cold. Pressure pushing across the Atlantic, quite windy and
:26:01. > :26:10.it will tank whitebait. It will not really hit until breakfast time on
:26:11. > :26:19.Sunday morning. If you are out and about on Sunday, prepare yourself
:26:20. > :26:31.for windy weather. We have a weather warning for strong wins for coastal
:26:32. > :26:37.areas. Further showers and spells of rain on Sunday evening.
:26:38. > :26:42.Tomorrow night is Burns Night and in appreciation of the famous Scottish
:26:43. > :26:46.bard we've put together a flavour of what you can expect from this Monday
:26:47. > :26:48.night's Special Arts Show on BBC One at 11.35. From everyone on the
:26:49. > :27:00.programme, have a very good weekend.