26/09/2016 BBC Newsline

This is BBC Newsline and these are the headlines

A worker at a firm employed by the Government

to cut tax credit payments says staff are receiving calls

from people who say they're suicidal.

The trial begins of a man and woman accused of murdering this man

More than a million pounds worth of drugs including

heroin are seized in Belfast over the weekend

For the first time the Opposition take to the floor

Car drivers are paying the price for using Belfast bus lanes. With more

than ?2 million paid in finders. And it's a proper autumnal week

with no two days the same. A whistle-blower at a Belfast call

centre has told the BBC that its staff are having to deal

with people who say The centre is run by the firm

Concentrix and is employed by the Government to reduce

tax credit payments. As our business correspondent

Julian O'Neill reports, the worker claims staff

are unprepared for what they're Concentrix has been making national

headlines over its tax credit contract with HM Revenue and

Customs. The American company's Belfast operation is at the eye of a

storm with complaints that a wrong cut payments to hundreds of

claimants. Now one of its workers has come forward, speaking on the

condition of anonymity to the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire show committee

claim staff were not trained to deal with many distressed callers. We

were dealing with people claiming they were going to commit suicide.

You have to trying keep them on the phone while the manager funds the

police to go to bed so make sure they are OK. Most people weren't

even trained on how to deal with suicide calls. They were just say,

oh, go out, have a smoke, you'll be fine. Deal with another 50 odd

calls. As many as 60 odd stuff you work on tax credit calls. As revenue

Customs use Concentrix callers to crack down on fraud and

overpayments. But the whistle-blower says often staff or acting on

incorrect information. What you think of Concentrix? It speaks

itself. They've passed things between HMC and Concentrix, but it

lies with them both. RAF Wittering except it's tough on councillors and

not to ensure the police are contacted in certain situations.

They say they are highly supportive of staff who are involved in

challenging work on behalf of Revenue and Customs. As call centre

contract is worth as much as 75 million. But it's already been

announced it will be renewed with Concentrix next year. What it means

for job numbers in Belfast is unclear, but Concentrix stores do

other work here and it says it remains committed to its Northern

Ireland operation. A court's been told that

when the police were called to a murder scene in Craigavon

they discovered blood stains, the smell of bleach and then

a body in a wheelie bin. The badly beaten remains were those

of Owen Creany from Lurgan. Accused of his murder in July 2014,

are 29-year-old Stephen Thomas Hughes from Moyraverty Court

in Craigavon and Shaunean Boyle who is 25 and from Edenderry

Park, in Banbridge. This is where Owen Creany's body was

found. Today, eight court heard his remains are callously dumped in a

green recycling bin. The court was told the 40-year-old came here in

July 2014 and never left. At the time, this was home to Stephen

Hughes who is charged with the murder. His co-accused, Shaunean

Boyle, was also living here along with two children. Opening its case,

the prosecution said the police were tipped off about the dead man. When

it went to the house, but the accused were present and the court

heard police found windows on the property were opened, there was a

mop and bucket at the back door and the smell of bleach. Inside, there

was evidence that copies had been recently cleaned and blood stains

under the stairs. The court was told that Owen Creany had most likely

been seriously assaulted at the house in the early hours of the 3rd

of July. A postmortem examination revealed he suffered serious head

and chest injuries, but it may have taken a 48 hours for him to die. The

prosecution claimed he lay injured on an upstairs so far for much of

that time. Both the defendants denied the murder charge. In police

interviews, they blamed each other for what was called the deliberate

and frenzied attack. The prosecution said I given Stephen Hughes and that

Shaunean Boyle both admit there were present during the attack, it seems

incredible that someone who is innocent would leave the victim on

the sofa for two days without seeking medical help. The jury was

told the trial is likely to last three weeks. Both defendants were

remanded back into custody. Four men arrested in Lurgan last

week in an investigation into dissident Republican activity

have been charged with targeting a former member

of the security forces. The police say a device

capable of piercing armour Three men, aged 22, 24 and 46,

will appear in Court tomorrow. A 22-year-old man was already

charged with the attempted murder of police officers

and the possession of explosives The deal at Ardoyne.

on the programme including: Reaction to agreement

on one of the most bitter A Portadown man's been in court

charged over the seizure of one and a half million pounds worth

of drugs in Belfast at the weekend. The court was told

that the police believe the 28-year-old is a member

of an It was here Neil Davidson was

arrested on Friday. He was arrested coming off a ferry at Belfast ferry

port. The car was stopped on this road by police and drugs worth

almost $1 million pounds were seized. A court heard that are

neither worth of cocaine was found, heroin worth an estimated half a

million and ?2000 of cannabis. A 28-year-old of no fixed address

appeared at Belfast Magistrates' Court today on a number of drugs

charges, including importing and possession of class a and class B

drugs. They detect it said he could connect the defendant to the

charges. He said he believed Mr Davidson was a member of an

organised crime gang based in Dublin with connections to Northern

Ireland. Opposing bail, the detective said Davidson's own safety

could be at risk if released. A defence lawyer confirmed his client

claims to have acted under duress. The defender was refused bail and

will appear again in a month. The Ulster Unionists and the SDLP

took the opportunity to tackle It may look the same as ever, but

Stormont is changing, if slowly. Without much ceremony, this was

another little bit of history. For the first time, all the business was

decided by the official Position. So what are they choose? First item,

the Nama property scandal. Local business and investors need to hear

this is a clean place to do business and invest. Any corruption either

financial or political will not be tolerated. In the previous Assembly,

before the days of official opposition, storm's finance

committee carried out its own investigation into the Nama

allegations. The process was subsequently tainted by the

revelation the chair man had been coaching one of the star witnesses.

But suggestions that the process should be revived now look likely

after this. Do we want to set up a finance committee inquiry for the

sake of doing that which will produce great efforts, but will it

result in those responsible for wrongdoing around projects be

brought to account? The other executive parties in the National

Crime Agency was also opposed to any investigation by the committee. Is

disappointing unsurprising that despite this clear advice and

request from the United Kingdom's key criminal investigative body, the

National Crime Agency, that the Ulster Unionist party has continued

to make public comment calling for the committee and the Assembly to

examine these issues immediately. That was too much for the other

opposition party. There are numerous precedents for public and criminal

enquirer is to run in parallel and suggesting otherwise could be

perceived as another foot dragging exercise. Today may have been a

significant one for the opposition, but Italy proved once again that

them the larger executive parties unite, they have the votes to get

their way. Later in the programme,

our political correspondent Stephen Walker talks to the Labour

leader Jeremy Corbyn Coming up on the programme before

7pm: A dramatic win and a big pay day for Rory McIlroy

in the United States. The most bitter parade disputes

of recent years could come to end following an agreement

between Orange Lodges and a residents' group

in the Ardoyne area of north The deal which was struck on Friday

evening also means an end to the long-running protest

at Twaddell Avenue that has cost the taxpayer millions

of pounds in policing. The deal was brokered by two

mediators: The Reverend Harold Good Maggie Taggart reports on the detail

of the deal and local reaction. Parading, protesting, policing and

sporadically, rioting. It has been the regular stuff of life over three

years at what has become the most contentious of flash points. But all

of the morning March, heading to the Orange celebrations has not been the

problem. It is the return of parade which hasn't been allowed. For three

years at this camp on Twaddell Avenue, loyalists are protested,

wanting three local lodges to propagate back. Residents on this

side welcomed the deal. Think everybody is welcome and now the

agreement has been made it gives us a bit of breathing space to get more

resolutions after the one we've achieved so far. People living on

the front lines of both communities have endorsed this resolution, so it

has to be a positive step. What has been agreed? Under the terms, three

local lodges and two bans will take part in a written parade this

weekend playing only hymns on the contentious bit. The residents

association here will not protest. The Twaddell Avenue camp will be

dismantled and protests will end. After us, the Orange lodges will

undertake a voluntary moratorium on return parades. Morning parade will

go ahead, but there will no doubt I could be no return parades unless

the orange lodges and other groups reach an agreement. People on both

sides had been affected and those who spoke publicly have similar

views. Doesn't annoy me, because as long as they don't shout slogans

that are going to offend anybody, well... When I was young, I used to

go to them with my grandmother. It'll take time, but confidence will

build again. People won't feel is afraid to move about and be more

confident. But there is not complete support for the deal. One door in a

resident's group opposes it and Saturday's parade. This goes against

the fast majority of the wishes of the people. Over 85% do not want it.

And this deal in their way has been put to local people in any sort of

conference or consultation. Another resident's group helped negotiate as

it was widely supported at a public meeting. Anybody who wanted to come

could have attended. There was about 80 people were, a good

cross-section. People from Sinn Fein and people from the SDLP. I think it

was well balanced. Both Nationalists and the Orange Order said the

success of this deal could set an important example. There's no

negativity in our mind. Our mind is positive that this is the way

forward. An agreement's been reached for the parade to go up the road and

it sets a strong templates for anybody else who wants to seek a

resolution to their particular problems. Certainly the residents

I've spoken to overwhelmingly want this situation brought to a

permanent ten, but they're nervous about how it's going to proceed and

what it will be like on Saturday and importantly, what happens next year

and the year after that and into the future. There are people on both

sides who do not agree, but am it is a compromise. It is likely to work.

It's important, because the two negotiators, the mediators were

trusted by both sides. After three and a half years under policing bill

of ?20 million, the first test of this deal will be on Saturday

morning at 8:30am. After that, residents will be hoping that what

has been described as one of the most difficult and entrenched issues

in Northern Ireland will be consigned to the history books.

With the launch of a new dissident Republican political party,

there's no suggestion of a plan to abandon violence.

Saoradh, which is Irish for Liberation, held its first

Our Home Affairs Correspondent Vincent Kearney reports.

Talks about the move have been taking place behind the scenes for a

number of years. The party was launched on Saturday when around 150

people attended its first Ard Fheis. Sinn Fein was not mentioned by name,

but it was a target of much criticism. Those who sit in pay of

the national press by claiming to champion our liberation are false

prophets who've been defeated by the system they claim uphold. Saoradh

does not affiliate itself with any dissident organisation, but it

appears to be closely aligned to the group referred to as the New IRA. A

number of high-profile Republicans associated with that group attended

the event. They included Alex McCrory from West Belfast and Colin

Duffy from Lurgan. Both are facing a variety of charges, including

attempted -- attempting to murder police officers. This man from

Belfast on the right who is due to stand trial later this year charged

with encouraging support for the IRA and another member who read a

statement on behalf of the members of the organisation in prison.

Republican prisoners wish to express their full support for Saoradh.

Dissidents may have formed a new party, but the charm and was quick

to dampen any... The other dissident Republican organisations, the

continuity RIA -- IRA are not represented by Saoradh.

The Royal Victoria Hospital is restricting new admissions

to wards following an outbreak of the Norovirus,

The Belfast Trust says there's been an increase in patients

at the hospital with the illness which it says usually

It has advised people who are experiencing flu-like

Motorists have paid more than ?2 million in fines

for driving in bus lanes in Belfast over the past 15 months.

One particular camera in the city centre has generated almost

a million pounds in fines on its own.

BBC Newsline's Mark Simpson has more.

Stick to your lane or you may have to dig deep into your pockets. More

than 50,000 finders have been issued in Belfast since last June and most

of those are the result of just three cameras. The bus lane which

catches out most car drivers runs alongside Belfast City Hall. There

it is. Donegal Square East. Almost ?1 million has been issued in

finders of their common and and and 75,000, to be exact. Velez Castle

Street, not far away, also in the city centre. More than ?700,000 in

fines have been racked up there. Great Victoria Street, also piling

up the money. More than ?440,000. And if you add it all up across

north, south, east and west Belfast community final total of ?2,729,000.

And that's only up until the end of last month. Since then, more drivers

have been caught being where they should not be. The figures were

obtained by the Belfast Telegraph and the number of people being fined

has caused concern within the retail trade. I am worried about these

headlines that it is potentially putting off shoppers who bring their

car into Belfast city centre. That's the last thing we need to see. I am

proposing that the Minister for infrastructure look at introducing

gig yellow card system and that would mean that it's someone who

inadvertently drives into a bus lane, that they don't automatically

find, they get a warning letter and if they do it again, then they get

fined. Be the minister is not convinced. I'm not sure we do have a

system that if you pay a penalty charge in the first fortnight it

halved. I think I whole penalty charge system is fair and

appropriate. The full penalty is ?90, but the message from the

authorities is follow the signs and you will never have to pay the

fines. The Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn has

said his party will consider over the next few months whether to run

candidates in Northern Ireland. Although the party has members

and registered supporters here it He also spoke to our Political

Correspondent Stephen Walker about the implications

of Brexit on the border. Labour hasn't all candidates in

Northern Ireland for a very long time and our decision taken long

before I became leader. Obviously, it will be discussed. Do you like

said that when people say that a democratic deficit, do you buy that?

There is a democratic deficit in one sense. There is a question of a

relationship with other parties in Northern Ireland as well and how

that will be affected by any decision we take and so let us have

our discussion first. About Brexit, do them because of Northern

Ireland's status and the Republic Ireland border that Northern Ireland

should have special status? Is a crucial issue, because I don't think

anybody wants a harder border between the north and south with all

the complications that brings. So there has to be a status agreed. I

am hoping, as part of the overall agreement on Brexit that we do keep

ourselves involved in the European market, we keep ourselves involved

in the European investment bank and that we ensure there is ease of

movement for people. In a way that the relationship was in Britain and

the Republic of Ireland is set for essentially from the 1949 agreement

of a Common travel area for the whole of the islands. And where

money has been lost from the EU, will you full back-up? Yes, it was

made clear in the speech this morning that we are determined to

ensure EU investment money lost will be replaced and we are also doing

our best to ensure that EU agreed programmes continue for the rest of

the time that we are members of the EU. We are setting our red lines on

negotiations which are about access to markets which are about and are

protection, consumer protection and crucially, worker's rights and

membership of the European investment bank which will be

extremely important. After all, there's a great deal of EU

investment coming to Ireland as a whole on both sides of the border.

In sport, Rory McIlroy won a dramatic Play-Off to clinch

the PGA Tour Championship in the US yesterday.

He also finished top of the overall season standings

As well as a pay-out of $11.5 five million and he looks

in perfect form for this week's Ryder Cup in Minnesota.

As if the Ryder Cup atmosphere was not built up enough, Rory has been

further energised by that incredible win and Atalanta, taking on two

Americans in a Play-Off and winning. And as the European and American

teams arrived here to do battle, that has been an emotional moment

for the world of golf as the legendary 87-year-old Arnold Palmer

passed away. The man who did so much to popularise the game, making it

the multi-million pound sport it is today. As seen last night as Rory

McIlroy one golf's richest prize. It lifted him to within one shot of

the lead. Then this shot from the bunker on the 18th then came a tie

for first place. And it put him into a three-man Play-Off with the

Americans. On the very first sudden-death, he had a putt to win.

With Chapple eliminated, Michael Roy and his opponent played on. And on

the 16th, his opponent's excellent putt when the pressure was on Rory

McIlroy to respond in order to clinch the tournament at the

Championship. And the $11.5 million that came with the twin triumph.

Ultimately I won the FedEx cup. It's up there with some of my best

performances on the golf course, regardless of the tournament. Over

the last couple of years I seem to average is my best golf when I need

it and, yeah, I've obviously never gone into the Ryder Cup with this

much excitement, coming off the back of something like this. The victory

came shortly before the news of the passing of Arnold Palmer. A man who

did so much to make golf the sport it is today. He was the player that

brought the game to the masses. It wasn't for him, we would be playing

for these obscene amounts of money we play for every week. I would be

standing here. I wouldn't be standing here having achieved or

amassed the success and cash or whatever he wants to call it, you

know, he's provided a lot of great memories for a lot of people and he

will be sadly missed. So Rory McIlroy could not have timed it

better before the Ryder Cup. He will come here later today to meet with

his team mates and captain, Darren Clarke, who will no doubt be

thrilled with his star player's pretournament boost for Europe.

Barra Best has the forecast for the next few days.

Who needs to go to Iceland when you can see the Northern lights here?

Maybe another chance to see them on Wednesday, will keep you up-to-date.

Tonight, not much chance. A lot of cloud. It will bring with it patchy,

light rain and drizzle. Low cloud and mist by tomorrow morning. Not

cold tonight, 11-12d. Tomorrow starts cloudy, patchy rain, but

through the day, mainly dry. If you are out and about, there will be

patchy rain, but behind it, it will brighten up. The cloud breaks and

there's a strong westerly wind. Inland, pretty perfect conditions

for drying washing. Sunshine winds, temperatures probably 15-16d. If

you're travelling tomorrow, is not a bad start across much of Ireland.

Plenty of dry weather and sunshine. The cloud sticks around for England

and drizzle lingers for a while. Plenty of sunshine for Wales and

Scotland, but temperatures between the mid and high teens. By the

evening, very little will change. The sun will continue to come and go

although the westerly winds will stay breezy at times and into

tomorrow night, apart from a few scattered showers, it will be

largely dry and mild. 12-13d. The milder conditions set us up for a

warmer day on Wednesday. 19, even 20 degrees, with a south-westerly wind

and rain coming in and later could bring blustery conditions with heavy

downpours. Behind that though it is cooler. As we make our way to

Thursday and Friday, temperatures fall while back and for Friday, the

highs could be just 12-13d. With no two days the same this week we have

a fairly autumnal set up. Stay tuned to the forecast.

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