19/02/2014 BBC Newsline

Good evening, the headlines on BBC Newsline.

Behind closed doors - emergency care nurses tell the Health Minster they

want immediate action. Eating disorders minus one woman

talks about her 30 year battle with bulimia. You never eat a piece, you

eat the whole thing. And when it is done, anything else you can get down

your stomach. Major repair work after thieves risked their lives

chopping down poles to get copper. As housing prices show their biggest

annual rise in six years, does that mean the economy is on the road to

recovery? Great news for local golf fans as

next year's Irish Open will be held at Royal County Down in Newcastle.

And heavy rain makes a return visit tonight with the risk of some

flooding - I'll have the detail where you are later in the

programme. Nurses who work in emergency care

have told the Health Minister that staffing levels are so low that

they've been left feeling battered, bruised and deflated. Just weeks

after a major incident was called at the Royal Victoria hospital, a

special summit meeting heard that the standard of care is so low that

nurses are at risk of being de-registered. In response, the

minister said until recently their voices hadn't been heard. Our Health

Correspondent Marie-Louise Connolly reports.

While the minister saw today's summit as an opportunity to

listen... Whichever way you want at the end of it. Others, however, on

the other side likened it to entering the lion's den. Now they'd

got the Minister's attention, their message was loud and clear. The

reality is, staffing levels are so dire that to release people is a

religion logistical nightmare. The timing of this so-called emergency

summit was perfect. Since January's major incident was called at the

Royal Victoria Hospital's emergency department, once again the focus has

been on staffing and quality of care. Again, about staff feeling

that they are taking on more and more of other speciality duties, for

example clerical duties, answering phones, entering Datta into

computers. When we do that, it means we are being taken away from caring

for our patients and that is why we came into nursing, to care. During a

closed session, when the media was asked to leave, nurses told the

minister that the quality of care was in such jeopardy they were at

risk of being de-registered. Despite 18 months of crisis care headlines,

Edwin Poots said until recently, this message hadn't been getting

through. Do you acknowledge that perhaps this listening exercise

should have been done a long time ago? I would say that messages, for

whatever reason, having come through to ourselves and therefore the

responses have not been as quick as they should have been. So what are

the solutions? According to local nurses who are being trained in

England, it's time NI recognises their potential. I am able to

clinically assessed, trade and diagnose Abe patient, and I am an

independent nurse prescriber who can prescribe drugs and other care for a

patient as they leave the department. If the emergency system

is to undergo massive change, according to the visitors, it's

essential that alternative arrangements in the community are

already in place. I think we have got to invest in those services

before we start reconfiguring any emergency care services and

crucially, they have got to be available seven days a week. While

nurses are demanding action, what they don't want to see happening is

a knee jerk reaction. Instead, the response should be measured to the

system is sustainable not just in the short-term, but in the long-term

as well. Last night, we brought you the story

of the two families devastated by the loss of their children from

eating disorders. One viewer got in touch to say she's been suffering

from bulimia for more than 30 years, and echoes the calls for better

medical intervention. BBC Newsline's Tara Mills went to meet her.

Glenda Greg has lived with an eating disorder all of her adult life.

Being overweight as a child called the attention of bullies at school.

That impacts in your head. The fear of being fat is phenomenal, even

now. It is just a phobia of being fat. Bully me is easier to hide than

anorexia for Soc -- bulimia. But there is nothing easy to hide about

the quantities of food involved. You do not eat a piece of something,

either whole thing. And then, frozen food, anything you can get into your

stomach. Help is available today in a way that it was not for people

like blender. The Eating Disorders Association holds classes at schools

in Belfast to prevent things starting before they begin. It is a

bad thing to criticise each other about your shape. These students

admit there is a lot of pressure to look a certain way. We get judged on

our appearance and everybody just wants to look better. Reed girls

that are very pretty, we would like to be like that, thinner, or taller,

or a nicer face. You think there is a lot of pressure? Everywhere we

look there is a lot of pressure. Just keeping a positive attitude

about yourself, it is hard whenever there is so much influence and other

pressures. Anorexia and bully me are complicated conditions that need

intensive treatment. -- lamia. Despite medical intervention it has

become a way of life for Glenda. As soon as you wake up, you do not know

what will happen. It may go well and then you may be sent off. She would

encourage others to get help and not live life the way she has.

Plenty to come before seven... New figures on house sales suggest a

gradual economic recovery is continuing.

Two soldiers in the Irish Army have been arrested after a pipe bomb was

found in an apartment in the County Donegal village of Burnfoot near

Londonderry. The Defence Forces confirmed that the army bomb

disposal team were called to the scene in Burnfoot on Monday and

dealt with a viable device. The man and a woman, who are both serving

soldiers, were arrested yesterday. The incident is believed to be

connected to an ongoing row between two groups of soldiers.

We've heard about the lucrative trade in stolen metal, but some

thieves are now risking their lives by chopping down electricity poles

to get cables which contain copper. It's happened 15 times in the last

six months. Northern Ireland Electricity says it has left homes

without power and put both the public and the criminals at risk.

Here's our north east reporter, David Maxwell.

A large engineering operation swung into gear yesterday after thieves

brought down these electricity poles in the early hours. They cut them

with bow saws and then removed the cable they carry, which contains

valuable copper. NIE say the thieves responsible for this kind of crime

are playing a risky game, because they have no way of knowing if the

cables are still live. It is going to be only a matter of time before

there is a serious injury to either a member of the public or the

thieves themselves. That could be from electrocution or something

falling on them, namely a poll or conductor. The thieves seem to be

targeting rural areas. This incident took place on the Antrim Road in

Newtownabbey, but there's been a spate of similar thefts in

Broughshane, Glenarm and some areas of mid Ulster. It can leave those

living nearby vulnerable. I have to be very careful. Having MS, I would

fall easily. I was on my own at that stage, my wife was out, and I had to

struggle in darkness. I could have had an accident. Of course in order

to make money, the thieves will have to sell the cable to scrap metal

dealers. Some believe there needs to be greater controls on that

industry. If we had a scrap metal dealers Bill in Northern Ireland,

legally, they would be obliged to record all their purchases, who it

came from, registration numbers, and by doing that, it would make it

easier for the police to perhaps track down those responsible. I

believe it will lessen the likelihood of the theft occurring in

the first place, because that would be more difficult to sell the stolen

battle. -- metal. NIE has backed calls for legislation. It says if

thieves continue this reckless activity, lives could be lost.

The mobile phone company EE says it will create 250 jobs in Northern

Ireland as it returns customer service roles from overseas call

centres. In all, the firm is planning to bring back 1,000

customer service jobs to the UK. The company says it will be operating

here within the next few months. However it's not yet clear where the

firm will be operating from, or if the jobs will be with an existing

call centre operator. The latest figures on the economy

suggest that a gradual recovery is continuing. They showed another fall

in the number of people claiming unemployment benefit and an annual

rise in house prices. It was the biggest annual rise in six years.

But as our economics and business editor John Campbell explains, it's

not completely straightforward. This woman is among those driving

the housing market. Of the number of years, she has bought houses in

Belfast to rent out. After the property disasters of the last two

years, why is she doing it now? I believe that the market can only be

going up. For me, it is a long-term opportunity. I am looking at a

10-year as as opposed to two or three years. More buyers are coming

into the market and that is moving prices. The latest figures show that

compare to the end of 2012, prices were 4% higher at the end of 2013.

However, between September and December, prices were not doing

much. They stayed static. But even that is not the whole story. If we

break the figures down, we see prices were rising in Belfast during

that he reared. This agency has recently opened a new office in the

south of the city and after years of a buyer's market, they see a change.

If property is well priced and is well presented there is activity,

and it is common that there will be two or three people at it. It is not

like it used to be. Certainly, it is becoming more common. Do not take

his word for it. This business is seeing an upturn, too. It has been

very positive. In the three months in the run-up to Christmas we have

had a 9% increase in local moving. To put that in perspective, last

week we had 26 enquiries from local moves against the same week last

year, we had five enquiries. The housing market is recovering. That

recovery is slow and uneven and four people stuck in negative equity,

there is still a very long way to go. Prices are still more than 50%

below their 2007 peak. You're watching BBC Newsline. Still

to come on the programme... Next year's Irish Open is set to

return to Northern Ireland, this time to Royal County Down.

The Alliance Party MLA Anna Lo says people who racially abused her

online are bullies and won't silence her. She was sent racist messages

after she said flags and paramilitary murals should be

removed from the route of an international cycling race. Three

stages of the Giro d'Italia will be held here in May. Chris Page has

more. It is set to be a dramatic,

thrilling, spectacular event. The Giro d'Italia is regarded as the

second most prestigious cycling race in the world after the Tour de

France. Three stages will be held here in May, but what picture of

Northern Ireland will the global TV audience get? This is one small

section of the route, the Newton had to Road in East Belfast. There are a

number of neurons along the route which don't focus on paramilitary

violence. They are about reconciliation and some parts of

Belfast's history which might help to attract tourists. But others tell

a different story. The glorification of gunmen. The Alliance party has

argued that murals like this one, and flags, should be removed from

the route. And consequently, this MLA has become the target of racist

abuse on social media sites. She says it will not stop speaking out.

They are not going to silence me, absolutely not. I have received

threats on many occasions, and they are police. -- Belize. They do not

want anyone to say anything sensible against them. It is important that

we start a debate about how we deal with those murals. All parties have

condemned the online racist attacks. The DUP say they should

stop. It is wrong. It should not be tolerated. Those who engage in it

should not be engaging in it. The party says it wants all paramilitary

murals removed, but it has criticised the Alliance Party for

bringing up the issue of flags and bureaus in those contacts. Have you

ever seen the graffiti in Italian cities? We sometimes think that

everybody else lives in towns and villages and cities that looked like

something out of Stepford Wives. All cities have their culture, their

murals, there are graffiti, everybody else is no different.

Flags admirals are some of the most complex matters in all, cute

politics. The debate is start to -- set to continue in the run-up to the

Giro d'Italia and in the meantime, the police are investigating the

racist abuse towards Anna Lo. Assembly members are facing cuts to

their pensions which could save the public purse millions. Under the

proposals, MLAs will have to contribute more of their salary

towards their pensions which will not be as generous in future. Our

political correspondent Martina Purdy has the details.

What is being recommended? Independent financial advisers have

decided taxpayers are paying too much for politicians' pensions. They

want it to come down to 24% and they are estimating it could save up to

?10 million off the bill by 2020. They want MLAs to put in more

money. They want to move on a final salary scheme to make it career

average. That has hampered with public sector workers and the panel

says the MLAs cannot escape reality. It is the general trend in

public service. They have voted this for all public servants in Northern

Ireland. The government has done this already in relation to other

legislature, particularly MPs. It is natural and normal that we should

look at this as a form of saving to the public purse. What has been the

response? I have not heard much from the MLAs so far. Most parties did

not come back to me. I think MLAs will grin and bare it. One trade

unionists seem to be relishing the prospect of MLAs sharing the pain.

Public servants will watch this with great interest. It was only a couple

of weeks ago that the Assembly shredded public worker's pensions.

At the end of the day, I suppose it is a question of equalisation of

misery all round. The panel was keen that the public had their say and

you can have your say by logging onto the independent financial

review panel's website. The consultation runs until 5pm on 8th

April. There were terse exchanges at the

OFM DFM committee this afternoon. Mike Nesbitt read out a list of

complaints about ministers and officials either cancelling meetings

or failing to produce relevant papers. He was criticised by the DUP

MLA, Jimmy Spratt. I have one issue. You can take this

as a criticism if you like, I do not care what way you take it. At the

start of the meeting, in relation to the discussion with the head of the

civil service, you read out a long list of four pages, I think it is,

and we have these papers and we are capable of reading. We do not need

the headmaster to read them out to us. I read out two pages. As far as

I'm concerned you read out most of them. It is not done in other

committees. You were obviously on your soapbox. I was reading it into

the record for the avoidance of doubt. On your soapbox. I make no

apology for so doing. We are not children round the table.

Ice cream sales or opera singer? Well, music fans across the world

are grateful that Bruno Caproni from Bangor chose opera! He has taken a

break from La Scala in Milan and the Metropolitan Opera in New York to

appear at the Grand Opera House in Belfast. It being Macbeth, some of

the make-up in the production isn't for the faint-hearted. Our arts

correspondent, Maggie Taggart went to see Bruno prepare and perform.

Bruno Caproni left Bangor in 1983 to study singing and he's now a

respected baritone who specialises in Italian opera. The central role

in Verdi's Macbeth suits him down to the ground.

His Italian family ran ice cream shops and Caproni's Dance Hall, so

he could have chosen a career in business. Instead his mother taught

him to love music. She put me on her knee and put on our brow, and she

would then translate and tell me what was happening and explain

things. -- put me on her neat and put up a wrap. Following in Bruno's

footsteps is this young man who we spotted being transformed for a gory

role in Macbeth. He's hoping to start a career as distinguished as

Bruno's. To have a company at home is a relatively new thing for us

all. It goes to show that there are Northern Irish opera singers who

want to work at home. It is nice to sing to a home crowd. This is one of

the final rehearsals before the first performance. They use this

time forgiving comments to the singers and also for tweaking the

sound and the lighting. Most of the main characters are in costume, but

the chorus is not as yet. There's a cast of 40, plus the orchestra. It's

an impressive experience for boys who normally sing hymns in St

Peter's Cathedral. I do not know what my future is going to be like

but I hope it will be something to do with MUSIC.

Is production or singing or something like that. This has

encouraged me to take a career in music because it has been such good

fun. All this effort for three performances in the Grand Opera

House. Some of you may have spotted Noel

Thompson in the chorus. You can see an extended version of the interview

on the Facebook page. The Irish Open golf tournament is

set to return to Northern Ireland in 2015. Thomas Niblock is here. Big

news, Thomas? This is yet to be confirmed, we must

stress, but the event will be staged at Royal County Down next year. It

is fantastic news. And two of the world's best have welcomed it?

Yes, Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell have played the world

famous course many times before. They're currently contesting the

World Matchplay Championship. Stephen Watson has this exclusive

report from the United States. When the Irish open was played at

Royal Portrush in 2012, it was the first time the event had been staged

in Northern Ireland in almost 60 years. The tournament broke

attendance records, becoming the first ever sold out event in the

history of the European tour. That outstanding success prompted

organisers to strike a deal to bring the Irish Open back north, and it is

my understanding agreement has been reached for Royal County Down to be

the host club in 2015. Two of Northern Ireland's major winners,

who were preparing for the World Matchplay Championship, are thrilled

the Irish Open is set to come to Newcastle. It was a huge success at

Portrush a couple of years ago and going to County Down can only be

great for the Irish Open and for golf in Ireland in general. And

Northern Ireland, obviously. It's a great golf course. Royal County Down

is one of my favourites in Ireland. There is always the internal debate,

which is the best? They are very different. County Down is an

acquired taste. You have got to play it a few times to find your way

around the blind tee shots. The more you play at the more you recognise

it for the class place it is. Royal County Down is one of the world's

top courses and has experience of hosting big events. The British

Senior Open, Mike Opened The Likes Of Jack Nicklaus And Gary Player.

Rory McIlroy was one of the amateur stars who played in the Walker cup.

It is the first time in 75 years that the Irish Open will be played

at the County Down venue. It is a good idea to alternate its each

year, in a public one year and North the next. It spreads it around and

gives people in Northern Ireland chance to see some of the best

players in the world. Irish Olsen is strong both sides of the border and

it is important that the fans get to see their favourite players north

and south. -- Irish golf is strong. Portrush in County Down is very

special. -- Portrush and County Down. The Stormont Executive founded

over ?1 million investment for Portrush. Similar investment will be

required again for a Newcastle return next year.

We featured her preparations and training in the Winter Olympics in

Sochi last night. Tonight, Jenna McCorkell faces a very anxious wait.

She has skated a clean programme today in the women's individual

competition. She is currently in 19th place with six competitors

still to go. She needs to finish in the top 24 to qualify for the final

day of competition, which is tomorrow.

We wish her well. Now, to our very own ice queen! Have

we got good weather coming? No ice tonight. We have got some wet

stuff. It has started raining in many places. Hard to believe earlier

today we had blue sky and sunshine, particularly towards the north

coast. I have the picture to prove it. It is out in the Atlantic where

the Clyde has been thickening and moving in. The swirl you see in the

corner of your screen, that is the centre of the low pressure. The rain

has been moving in in the last couple of hours. Most of it is light

at the moment, but it will get heavier with time, particularly

across the West. The heavy rain warning will come into effect later

tonight and prosper manner, Tyrone and up towards the north coast,

there could be up to 30 millimetres. -- and across Fermanagh. We are not

expecting big rainfall totals in the south-west. It will be windy at

times tonight, particularly towards the east coast. The rain is still

their first thing tomorrow morning, especially across the West, where

there will be a lot of surface water and may be localised flooding

through Fermanagh, Tyrone and the North Coast. As we come further

south, these temperatures are at eight o'clock, so do not worry about

scraping the car windscreen, but it will be damp and wet on the roads.

During the second half of the morning the rain moves away. Showers

in behind, but it will brighten up with honey gaps in between. Cold

tomorrow afternoon compared to recent days and the showers will

turn increasingly wintry with sleet and snow on the hills. They called a

field tomorrow. That will continue tomorrow night. -- a cooler field

tomorrow. There will be frost that I is around as well. Friday start off

icy. There will be showers moving through. Love Street with sunshine

around up then we are waiting on the next system. This is what we have

coming through us tonight. There is another area of low pressure coming

from the US. That comes across the Atlantic and for this coming

weekend, there will be more wet and windy weather coming our way. Both

Saturday and Sunday will bring some rain. Hopefully it will not be

raining all the time the September to creep up a little.

Some rain for the McKenna cup final tonight in Armagh. We will have the

result at 10:25pm. Keep up-to-date with news online and follow us on

Facebook and Twitter. Good night.