23/09/2014 BBC Newsline

The First Minister and DUP leader Peter Robinson has

announced a surprise reshuffle of the party's Stormont ministers.

The Health Minister Edwin Poots, who has been under pressure

from months, has been replaced by Jim Wells and Mervyn Storey will

replace Nelson McCausland as Social Development Minister.

Now you see them, is soon you will not. This afternoon, Edwin Poots and

Nelson McCausland were on their feet in the assembly before taking the

Long walk to Peter Robinson's office. Edwin Poots is replaced by

Jim Wells as health minister. Nelson McCausland, by Reverend story. He

impressed his chair of the Stormont education committee but must now

deal with the toxic issue of welfare reform. I am under no illusion about

the enormity of this challenge and I believe if people want to see

improvement, there was to be agreement on this issue so we can

move forward to be prosperous in a way that we have been to date. As

Health Minister, Jim Wells has the hardest job of all and one that many

believe he had been overlooked for. Did you think your chance had gone?

I am not going to comment on that. I knew that Edwin would do a first

rate job. I supported entirely and he has led the bedrock for dealing

with health in difficult circumstances. Mild he replaces was

controversial. Edwin Poots was accused of allowing his Christian

views to cloud his judgement and was Quetta sized by the Lord Chief

Justice for claiming he would not get a fair hearing in court over his

band of gay men giving blood and recently claimed he would face the

sack rather than make cuts. I have no intention of making these cuts so

it goes back to the executive, that they need to add a step up to the

plate. We potentially break the budget and they find another

minister to do it or executive takes the decision that is going to

implement these cuts. Nelson McCausland was equally

controversial, found guilty by an assembly committee of deliberately

misleading them over allegations in this BBC Spotlight programme of

political interference in the running of the Housing Executive.

But that is in the past and what now for the future leadership of Peter

Robinson? I will continue to be here for as long as the party want me to

be here. How long will it be? How can I tell how long I will live. I

am here, eating three meals a day and happy in the job I am doing. I

believe we are taking the right decisions for Northern Ireland but

there are very difficult decisions that we have to take in relation to

the future of the assembly, the future of devolution and our

relationships within the UK, the spending that is available to us and

I believe with my experience that I can to the party through those

difficult times. Peter Robinson will help this puts an end to speculation

about his own future either inside or outside the party and an early

election may be coming, no time for uncertainty about where the DUP is

going and he is taking it there. There will be more reaction to that

surprise reshuffle on Stormont Today A nationalist residents group in

North Belfast says it is angered by reports that the Secretary of State

Theresa Villiers plans to establish a panel of enquiry to examine

the Ardoyne parades dispute. The panel has been requested by the

DUP after part of 12 July parade was We seem to have the British

Secretary of State willing to set up a process that could potentially

overrule at Parades Commission decision. We have seen here over a

year now of harassment led by the UVF against the residents of this

area and we would be loath to see anything that would reward such

activity through a panel of enquiry.

In a statement tonight, a spokesperson for the NIO said

the Secretary of State expected to conclude discussions with

a wide range of interested parties on the issue soon.

No decisions will be taken until those meetings have concluded.

A rapist was jailed today for 18 years and told he would not be

Darius Porcikas, with an address at Upper Edward Street in Newry,

was one of the two men charged with a range of offences from an

incident two years ago when a woman was repeatedly raped and abused.

It was here in 2011 when the ordeal began. Her then boyfriend had been

involved with Darius. The three smashed her door in and said about

her boyfriend with a cricket bat will stop they beat him unconscious

before turning their attention to her. She was brutally beaten but

this was only to be the start of her ordeal. Over the next 12 hours, she

was subjected to rape, violence and deliberate humiliation, the details

of which are too horrifying to be broadcast. The trial here at

Craigavon lasted three weeks and it took the jury just over two hours to

find Darius guilty of a total of 12 offences. During the trial, they

heard how he had committed the shocking crimes and then had gone on

the run. After a series of appeals to the public, Darius was eventually

found living here in this wooded area a matter of yards from the

college in Craigavon. He had built a temporary shelter and incredibly,

had lived here for up to one month with his pregnant girlfriend. I am

really pleased the court as reflected in the sentencing, the

severity of this. I hope this sends a message out that we will not

tolerate this in our society. Duelling Darius for 18 years, the

judge he said he would not even be considered for release until it was

felt safe to do so. His co-accused was found guilty of a single charge

of assault on the woman's boyfriend. There was a third mild present that

morning. He has never been named in court but it is believed he is back

in Lithuania. The hunt for him will continue.

At golf's Ryder Cup, Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell are

not paired together this week but in an interview for BBC Newsline,

McDowell stressed once again that there aren't any problems

It is hello to a fourth consecutive Ryder Cup for Graeme McDowell. A

player who excels when he steps into the world's golfing glare. His

relationship with Rory McIlroy is the focus for many this week. The

issue is his legal at all with his former management company which

still represents grey metal. But he is adamant that all is well on and

off the course. Our personal issues have been well documented the last

couple of years. We both have come through that and out the other side,

better friends than ever were. From the golfing point of view, the

dynamic has changed from the Big Brother role that I had maybe in

2010. Now he is the number one player in the world. We certainly

won't play every match together like we have in the past and that will

not be because of personal reasons but because the captain believes we

are better used elsewhere in the team. Four years ago, Graeme

McDowell was the hero. He once a repeat performance in Scotland. This

is where I want to be, you want to be wearing a sweater, I want to be

here in Scotland. This is going to be a tough week, it will be close

and we have got to knuckle down and play hard. As he dries to help the

European team when the Ryder Cup for the eighth time in the last ten

attempts. Last night, the autumn equinox

brought autumn rain which is good news for the gardens. More rain is

living through this evening. It clears away and behind it, not

completely dry. Some of the showers could be quite heavy before they

start to ease away towards the end of the night. It, it turns drier and

clearer. Cool in one or two spots but most places holding between

eight and 12 degrees. Tomorrow we are looking at a better day. Drier

and brighter and they could still be one to light showers around first

thing in the morning. But they will fade away as we go through the

morning. The sun of 30 come through. It is a fairly trite day -- bright

day coming up. For the rest of England and Wales, the risk of a

view heavy showers running through. It could be quite torrential in 12

places but not all parts will get them. Still some drier and brighter

spells in between. It is a fresh feeling afternoon for us as well.

Mainly dry and bright with decent spells of sunshine but temperatures

ranging from 14 in the north coast to 16 in parts of the South. Through

tomorrow night and into Thursday, the temperatures are creeping back

up, it will feel and muggy and warm out quite a lot of cloud and drizzly

rain around. Friday looks a little bit drier and brighter again.