28/04/2014 BBC Newsline

the teacher's family, the school and all the

This is BBC Newsline. The headlines this Monday evening: A judge slates

the police over their handling of the Union flag protests. Doing the

sums - how 500 new jobs add up to good news for the economy here. A

farming blow as thousands of pigs are killed in a fire. For hundreds

of years we've had strong links with Scotland - social, political and

cultural. If it becomes an independent country, what does that

mean for Northern Ireland? Join me later. We'll see how local

motorcyclist Jonathan Rea became a winner in the World Superbike

Championship. And after today's gloomy skies, the weather looks to

set to bring some tasty sunshine for Tuesday. I'll have more later in the

programme. First tonight, a judge has delivered stinging criticism of

the police over how they handled the Union flag protests. Mr Justice

Treacey said the PSNI were wrong to facilitate the illegal protests

during the first three months. He said they were also wrong to think

they didn't have the legal powers to stop them and arrest those taking

part. The Chief Constable says he'll appeal the ruling. Here's our Home

Affairs Correspondent, Vincent Kearney. Running battles erupted

after a flag protest passed the nationalist Short Strand area of

East Belfast last January. Rival factions clashed. And then loyalists

attacked the police. The PSNI said there was nothing they could legally

do to stop the protest, or others to place across Northern Ireland after

Belfast City Council voted to stop flying the Union flag everyday. For

one Short Strand residents who home was attacked, he took a judicial

review challenging that. The resident argued that the police

should not have allowed any of the protest parades took place because

they had not been notified to the PSNI, as required by law. The

officer in charge of the operation, the assistant Chief Constable, said

the PSNI did not have powers to Ban protest that had not been notified.

They judge today dismissed that. In a highly critical judgement, Justice

Seamus Treacy rejected the argument that the PSNI did not have legal

powers to stop the flag protest the past the spot during the period in

question. Granting the judicial review, he said the officer in

charge of the policing operation had Mr Rickard himself in believing he

was hampered by the law from stopping the parades and arresting

those taking part. The judge said it was evident that will curl was

labouring under amateur real misapprehension as to the proper

scope of police powers. Justice Treacey went on to say...

The judge said the PSNI's interpretation of the law had led to

a situation where the police facilitated a legal and sometimes

violent parades and the fact of undermining the public processions

act. In breach of their legal duty and in breach of the human rights of

the resident who took legal action. His solicitor gave this response.

They welcome this judgement, this individual, his home was attacked

legally, week after week, without adequate police response. He hopes

this means there will be no repeat of this in the future. The Chief

Constable said he took full responsibility for all the decisions

on policing the parades and insisted the PSNI had got it right. We will

reflect on this judgement. I have absolute respect for the judge and

if we can do things better, we will certainly do so and I will appeal

this because I am concerned and I cannot ask policing to do the

impossible or create any expectation that we can do. Sources told the BBC

that they felt were trying to enforce a letter of the law and

stopping the parades could have resulted in widespread violence. 500

new well-paid jobs are coming to Belfast. The worldwide accountancy

firm EY is creating the positions, paying wages about twice the local

average. The Executive is celebrating what it's calling a

major coup on the jobs front. With the details, here's our business

correspondent, Julian O'Neill. Major job announcements call for maximum

fanfare and Peter Robinson broke the news on a visit to EY's Belfast

operation. The new posts carry significant wages. We are talking

about an average salary of just under ?40,000 so these are high

quality jobs for Northern Ireland and a fantastic boost for the

economy here. It shows that we are very much the location of choice

within Europe for financial services. We employ some of the

brightest in the industry... EY are one of the world's big four

accountancy firms and about half of the 486 new jobs will be in

auditing. The remainder are mostly in management consultancy, helping

client firms in Great Britain build up their businesses. EY already have

a significant presence in Ireland, north and south. This announcement

will more than treble its existing Belfast workforce and such is the

scale, they will soon begin the search for new offices. ?3 million

in grant aid from Invest NI helped seal the deal. But so did last

year's international investment conference. Without Stormont's

backing, EY say the new positions could easily have gone to any of its

other 700 offices worldwide. At the investment conference, but was a big

turning point when we had the key decision to make and ultimate access

to government, which is very important, to have a political

support to build business. The jobs will be created over the next four

years and recruitment will begin in July. Good news for the economy and

a boost also for Invest NI as it continues to chase well-paid jobs in

the professional services sector. Thousands of pigs have died in a

fire on a farm outside Bessbrook in South Armagh. The police say

investigations are continuing into the cause of the fire. An assessment

of the full extent of the damage has been taking place today, as Kevin

Sharkey reports. Thousands of young pigs were homed here and it's where

several thousand of the piglets died. This is a big farm in a very

rural part of South Armagh. The alarm was raised around 6:00am on

Saturday morning and it was lunchtime before fire crews using

tens of fire-fighting units brought the scene under control. By then,

there was massive destruction and a huge animal casualty count. The Fire

Service put the figure at 800 sows and 3500 piglets. Sources close to

the farm believe fewer animals died - around 2000. Much of today was

spent assessing the damage and clearing up. This involved the

painful task of removing the burnt carcasses of piglets from the farm

and onward to a rendering place. The wider farming community offered

support. There have been big accidents here before with hay bales

and we just pulled together and getting done. Everybody helped out.

Despite the confusion about the exact number of animals lost, the

absolute ferocity of this fire can be gauged by the fact that two days

afterwards, there is still a strong scorched smell in this countryside.

Still to come on the programme this evening: We find out how you won't

need to get on your bike to get around during the Giro. In five

months Scots will have their say on independence and a yes vote could

transform the shape of the United Kingdom. As the yes and no campaigns

gain momentum, BBC Newsline looks at how a breakaway Scotland could

affect Northern Ireland. Donna is in Glasgow this evening. A month before

the referendum in September, athletes from Northern Ireland will

be among the thousands taking part in the Commonwealth Games in the

area behind me. Trade, religious and cultural links between us and

Scotland span the centuries. We've also shared sectarian tensions

reflected in the world of football. In search of yes and no voters,

Kevin Magee has been to Ibrox and Celtic Park. Rangers fans have never

been shy about showing off their political allegiance. Support for

the union in Northern Ireland must carry on display at Ibrox over the

weekend. But for many fans, maintaining the union at home is now

the main priority. As a referendum over their own position within the

UK draws closer. If you think of Scotland in terms of religious

groupings, people who say they have no affiliation, those are Protestant

people, and those of her Catholic, the league table is Catholics,

especially with Irish backgrounds, are more likely to vote yes. Then

Protestants are significantly less and then people with no commitment

at the bottom. At Ibrox, that theory is holding up. I will vote to stay

part of Britain. Obviously. I am British first and were better off

economically if we stay part of Britain as opposed to being

independent. I am part of the UK and pride to be British. I will tell

anybody that I'm British. I am Scottish but I am British. My mother

came from Northern Ireland. We're already, white and blue.

Quintessential British club. My family are voting no, we are British

through and through. And I am the same, we are voting no. That is a

you are inside Ibrox, the home of Rangers. Would you expect of the

opposite from their rivals on the other side of the city? As Celtic

Park, will the Irish identity on display translate into a yes vote

for independence? Not according to one season-ticket holder, former

Shadow Secretary of State. There isn't an exact parallel, anyone who

says that is a grin or malevolent. Irish nationalism is about leaving

the UK and joining something else, Ireland, Scottish national as is

about joining nothing else. There is no direct comparison and people here

will vote yes or no, lots of people are undecided. Among fans we find a

broader range of views. I will vote yes because I want Scotland to be an

independent country. I will vote no for the simple reason that I believe

that as a collective, we gain more from being part of the UK. We would

be better off as an independent Scotland. Looking after ourselves.

Undecided. Once we get more information, we will find out. There

are still some things I do not understand and once they get more

into what there is and is not, I will decide. I am swaying towards

no. The Scots of less than five months to make up their minds on

this historic vote on independence. Let's get a wider perspective.

Jerry, we know what union means in Northern Ireland. What does it mean

in Scotland? What we have in the UK is Unionisms, and in the West of

Scotland, it is essentially the Labour Party and a lot of that

support still clings to those old Labour values and they have

generational links across the water with Ireland and for a lot of these

people, the Union Jack is not the most comfortable of fits. That brand

of Unionism you are familiar with in Northern Ireland, that does exist,

on the odd foot of ground and you will see it at the loyal order

parades across the summer. By the no campaign, the unionist campaign,

chewing the referendum they all have common bonds with unionists in

Northern Ireland but they are not the same. Is there any understanding

or awareness here that some people in Northern Ireland are very nervous

about a break-up of the union and an independent Scotland? I'm sure they

are but that is not mainstream, some of the more maverick suggestions

about the outcome of the referendum, the partition of Scotland and the

rise of paramilitaries as a result, that comes from Northern Ireland

politicians and why they have been picked up by the media, that has

quickly disappeared. I do appreciate that Unionism in Northern Ireland

has changed in the 15 years and I have lived there, the emergence of

economic Unionism, but for most people here, Unionism in Northern

Ireland is shrill and insular and is toxic, sectarian. And it is

studiously avoided, even by unionists in this part of the world.

To the point where even the Orange Lodge is avoiding making public

statements on this referendum. If it was to march up the street

campaigning for the no vote, that is not the image that they want. If

there was an independent Scotland, what could that mean for trade and

business? Northern Ireland has a lot of connections to Scotland in terms

of business, whether it is selling into the market in Scotland or

exporting, or perhaps using the ports, and also we have seen the

construction sector from Northern Ireland becoming dependent on

winning contracts in Scotland because of the bottoming out of the

market in Northern Ireland. Increasingly we can see that link

growing in recent years so independence could mean a lot more

hurdles for those companies to do with and perhaps a different tax

system and regulations. What we could also see his Northern Ireland

companies in a better position than companies from the rest of the UK

because they are used to dealing with borders, with companies in the

Republic of Ireland and stealing across that system. What is a

prospect of a sterling zone? That is what the Scottish government holds

four, to share the pound, and let the Eurozone, of course the UK, the

three main Westminster parties, say that is no-go but in terms of the

referendum result, that is when we will find out. Thank you both very

much for joining us this evening. And we will stay in Scotland.

Tomorrow I will be in Edinburgh. Extra buses, trains and coach

services are being put on to cope with the 100,000 spectators expected

at next week's Giro d'Italia. But there will also be disruption to

normal bus services - with more than 200 miles of roads closed at various

stages. It's one of the largest public transport plans ever put in

place here, as Mark Simpson explains. It is the most extensive

public transport management plan ever put in place here. The big race

starts very close to the big cranes. This is obviously the closest

railway station. It is only about ten minutes away from Titanic

Belfast. The race will start on Friday next week. They will lay on a

special shuttle train service. From here to Titanic Quarter. What about

the general transport? There are two general points. If

anybody is attending the race, take a look at the bus schedules. But

also be aware that roads will close. All the information is on our

website. Or you can call us. It will take a lot of buses and

trains to keep everyone moving this weekend. But everything is being

done on a grand scale. From bikes to motorbikes - a local

motorcyclist was top of the world yesterday. Stephen can tell us more.

Jonathan Rea had a weekend to remember in the World Superbike

Championship. He was cracking open the champagne after a brilliant

victory at the Assen circuit in the Netherlands. Rea is trying to become

our first world motorcycling champion since the late Joey Dunlop

almost 30 years ago - and he's put himself in early season contention

after a win in some wild weather. The conditions were better for

watersports than motorcycling in Assen. But Jonathan Rea emerged from

the circuits inspection car to declare the track was safe enough to

race. And if anybody knows how to control

a motorcycle in the rain it's a rider from Northern Ireland.

Well used to this type of racing, Rea made a superb start. Jonathan

Rea now leads the race! And when his nearest challenger

slipped out of contention, Rea hit the front and never looked back.

This is his fifth win! The hardest part is waiting in the

garage. I want to thank my team for all their support in these wet

conditions. And thanks to all the spectators.

It was a disappointing weekend for Eugene Laverty who crashed out of

both superbike races. But a win and a third for Jonathan Rea meant more

silverware and champagne celebrations. And a move up to

fourth place. It was a busy weekend of GAA action.

The Leinster Hurling championship started with Antrim defeating

Westmeath by six points. In Gaelic football, Monaghan were

the only Ulster winners, defeating Donegal and it was disappointment

for Derry as they were hammered by a superb Dublin, losing by 15 points.

Another piece of silverware for Dublin. To illustrate that point,

this amazing run through the heart of the Derry defence. Hours later,

the midfielder completed the Dublin ten Kate run. The champions were

simply at a different level. As for Derry, division one next year

confirmed and a game at Croke Park it has been a season of progress but

yesterday's disappointment was impossible to hide. A lot of it

might be to do with the pressure of the occasion. But I would like to

think that over the next month before we hit the 25th of May we

will have corrected quite a few of those things that were wrong.

It was a rare when against Donegal for Monaco. The question is, can

they seriously compete? We are just concentrating on

improving. We put performances in. Croke Park is a long way away but

the team continue on the right path. In local football, Premiership

champions Cliftonville got their hands on Gibson Cup on Saturday. Its

the first time in the club's history that they've managed to win

back-to-back titles - so as you can imagine it was quite a party at

Solitude. For once, the North Belfast derby

wasn't the main event- Cliftonville edged the match 3-2 against

Crusaders. But their coronation as league champions took top billing.

It is unreal for the club. There is something special about it. This

sums it up. When you went the first time, people don't think you can do

it again. But we believed in ourselves and never gave up.

While Solitude was the scene of celebration, Mourneview Park

provided the stage for David Jeffrey's final game in charge of

Linfield. His players gave him a fitting send-off with a 5-2 win over

Glenavon, the final note in a 17 year tenure that included nine

league titles and seven Irish Cups. A difficult day. But this chapter of

my life has now closed. My book of life has more than one chapter. I do

not know where I'm going next. There were twists and turns as

Championship One drew to a conclusion. With leaders Bangor held

to a draw, Institute's win over Limavady saw them clinch the title

and with it a place in the Premiership for next season.

Mark Allen failed in his bid to make the quarterfinals of the World

Snooker championship in Sheffield. The Antrim man was knocked out today

by the World Number One Neil Robertson. The Australian won 13

frames to seven. Now the weather.

Good evening. We have received some e-mails to cheer us up. Quite cute.

Some brighter weather to come tomorrow. It will not be a dry week.

It will brighten towards the end of the week but with cold air. That

will continue into the weekend. We had cloudy skies today. The cloud is

likely to remain overnight. Some drizzle, but otherwise dry. There

may be some mist and sea fog. It will start degree and Misty

tomorrow. Eventually it will become brighter. The best of the sunshine

will be in the West. First thing, dry and mild. There may be some low

cloud making its murky. It could be foggy in places. The cloud will then

towards the West. We will see some brightness and sunshine there. Some

sunshine developing. Temperatures possibly up to 18 degrees.