18/01/2017 BBC Newsline

That's all from the BBC News at Six, so it's goodbye from me,

The heat gets turned up on the green energy controversy as a senior civil

servant names Arlene Foster's former special advisor.

My understanding was that Andrew Crawford was the person with that

influence, but I have no direct evidence of that.

A DUP advisor admits his father-in-law has

A few days ago, he said no-one in his family had any.

A brother and sister are still critical after being hit

by a car near Randalstown - their principal says everyone

The Prime Minister says the leaving the customs but what does that mean?

Guy Martin is coming back to road racing in Northern Ireland.

And sunshine still a bit elusive, but at least it's mainly dry.

A senior civil servant says he believes a former special adviser

to Arlene Foster exerted influence in relation to the Renewable

Dr Andrew McCormick told Stormont's Public Accounts Committee

that he understood the adviser had influenced a decision

Naming the advisor as Andrew Crawford, he also told the committee

that he had no direct evidence of this.

Dr McCormick, who is a departmental permanent secretary,

also said that leaked insider information may have had

a significant impact on the ?490m overspend.

Conor Macauley watched the committee hearing.

He acknowledged it tends himself, there was huge interest in what he

had to say. There is more attention on this than back in September. He

is the senior civil servant in the Department for the economy, charged

with clearing up this mess. It emerged today that he told me DUP of

his belief that one of their special advisers was exerting pressure to

keep the scheme open, even as applications were flooding in and

officials wanted to shut it down. There was a view from others in the

party that the date originally proposed should be extended, that we

were aware of the time, where of some of those conversations through

the summer of 2015. I was never clear exactly who was involved, that

the person with the dealing with was Timothy Cairns, but he was making it

clear to us that it was not his own idea, nor the Minister's idea. That

led to an obvious question from the Public Accounts Committee, whose

idea was it? The understanding that I expressed to the Minister and to

his adviser in recent times is that Andrew Crawford had been the person

exerting that influence. He was at pains to say he had no direct

influence of that pressure. In the summer of 2015, Andrew Crawford was

Arlene Foster's spa, and his brother is a claimant. At one point in

proceedings, Arlene Foster's name came up to. Having considered all

the material, have you seen any evidence of wrongdoing by the former

First Minister? No. Mr McCormick was only getting started in a session

where he confirmed he was permitted to speak freely. He said there had

been a perfect storm of circumstances that led to the

projected over stand, a lack of understanding by officials of the

lucrative subsidy, the fact that the industry did understand, and that up

to 100 installers were spreading the word to get in. And then this

bombshell. Around the period of July, there is evidence of some

premature information being made available to the industry, and some

document appeared with me anonymously after Christmas, and

this needs further investigation. I would prefer not to say too much

about these because I don't want to prejudice the investigation, but the

consequence is very serious because this shows that there was premature

awareness of the potential for the tariff to be reduced, and the

message went within the sector, getting quick. Would that be a

suggestion that it has come from within your department? Yes. Not

from any other source? The evidence suggests there was some information

being shared prematurely with the industry from departmental

officials, yes. There were further revelations about on tax with the

police and allegations of abuse in the scheme. And a meeting with a

density Minister, and proceedings may have been recorded in the

chamber without his knowledge or consent. It seems that the drip feed

of revelations has finally turned into a torrent.

In a statement, Andrew Crawford confirmed that in the summer of 2015

he had spoken to his fellow special adviser in the Department of

enterprise, trade and investment about the R H I scheme. He said he

would have been offering informal advice and assistance to a colleague

and was not speaking behalf of the then Finance Minister Arlene Foster.

He repeated that he had not sought to keep the scheme open against the

wishes of the Deputy Minister, and had advised that changes to the

terrorists take effect from October one.

Meanwhile, Simon Hamilton's special advisor John Robinson is coming

under pressure to step aside after he confirmed that his

father-in-law is involved in the controversial RHI scheme.

Mr Robinson has insisted he has no role in his

But opposition parties at Stormont say he should not be advising

Simon Hamilton at a time when the Minister is dealing with

Our Political Correspondent Enda McClafferty reports.

John Robinson is a key player in the DUP's backroom team.

He's been advising the leadership on how best to deal with the press

Now he's making the headlines, and here's why.

The very first piece of information given to me at a mystic thing-macro

ministerial office by the DUP appointed special adviser Timothy

Cairns that you will not be allowed to reduce the tariff on this scheme

because the special adviser to the then First Minister, and John

Robinson, the director of locations to the DUP at that time, and now the

special adviser to the economy minister has such extensive interest

in the poultry industry. Both special advisors rejected those

allegations and John Robinson then sought to put the record straight,

issuing a statement. But 24 hours later he had to issue

a second statement after it emerged his father-in-law

was involved in the scheme. Again, John Robinson denied any

personal involvement. He confirmed his father-in-law

was in the scheme, saying: Some have questioned how

the information was released. The DUP won't necessarily tell you a

liar, but they won't necessarily disclose everything.

John Robinson was not up for talking today, so we didn't

get a chance to ask him if he is the right man to advise

the Minister, Simon Hamilton, about fixing a scheme

which his father-in-law is involved in.

Obviously there is a conflict of interest there, and that is

something that ought to have been disclosed at the earliest

opportunity. It does not necessarily mean that it would prevent him doing

the job well, but people ought to be aware that he has that conflict.

John Robinson, the party officer who made a career

out of helping others deal with tricky political questions,

has had to come up with some answers himself.

Joining me now is our business correspondent Julian O'Neill

and our political editor Mark Devenport.

It is very unusual to get such a senior civil servant releasing so

many bombshells, even the revelation that one of his conversations he

thinks may have been taped with his former minister. There was plenty of

grist for the various opposition parties to talk about in relation to

this. Sinn Fein talked about this being more evidence of mishandling

of the R H I scheme, the Ulster Unionists talked about a gross

misuse of power, but there were some elements within the permanent

secretary's evidence that Arlene Foster might have taken a bit of

heart from. Simon Hamilton will release the names of the RHI

beneficiaries next week. Yes, it is his intention of his to publish a

Who's Who of RHI recipients on the last sitting day of the assembly

next week. We are talking about a list of up to 1400 businesses. The

Minister and the DUP have been under political pressure to do this. All

we have had thus far is a leaking of information of the location of body

as. Dash-macro boilers. The assembly earlier this week was told it was

the Department's intention to publish the list last week that it

held off under threat of injunction. The Public Accounts Committee was

today told that legal action is ongoing, but the minister wants

openness and transparency around this. 90% of those people he wrote

to before Christmas did not consent to their names being put into the

public domain. He has got to balance that and he is now in the process of

writing to them again, mindful of the Data Protection Act, but he does

think it is in the public interest to publish. One assumes, if this

intention is carried through, along with a list of businesses we will

get information around when they applied. Was it during the

well-publicised spike we have talked about, and how much have they

received in payments? Who is going to take more comfort out of today,

Arlene Foster or Jonathan Bell? Jonathan Bell was there watching the

civil servant give his evidence. Until now he has been a voice crying

on his own that there was a special adviser involvement in relation to

this, so he will at least take comfort from the fact that Andrew

McCormick has repeated that belief, it even though Andrew Crawford has

denied what has been suggested. Arlene Foster won't like the fact

that his former special adviser has been put centre frame in this, but

she will take part from the fact that Andrew McCormick said there was

no evidence of wrongdoing on her part. She to all the adviser

officials had given her, and she was not told to close it down urgently

because at that point there was not much uptake in terms of people

signing up to take on the scheme. Thank you both.

The principal of the school attended by a brother and sister knocked down

yesterday near Randalstown, has said pupils and staff

The pair, aged 14 and 11, are in a critical condition.

Our north east reporter Sara Girvin has been to the scene.

The brother and sister were making their daily commute

home from school when they were hit by a car.

Both children are pupils at St Patrick's College in Maghera.

Their principal says it's been a difficult day for the community.

They are lovely children, they are very popular with their peer group,

well respected in the school. It is devastating news for this school

community. We are very shocked. At this time, I just want to ask

everybody to keep the children in your thoughts and prayers, as we are

doing. Every prayer count at this stage.

The children were making the half hour journey

They got off the school bus and were crossing this road

when they were struck by a white Audi A3.

The vehicle remained at the scene and both children

were taken to hospital, where they are in

Residents say they've been raising safety concerns about

People are just in shock. People are in shock, it could have been any

family. This will touch every family in the local area will stop it is a

small, tight-knit community. The Department of Infrastructure

confirmed that a local MLA It said in light of that,

the department had reviewed signage The road was closed in both

directions overnight, Police have asked

witnesses to come forward. Sara Girvin,

BBC Newsline, Randalstown. Five people have been shot

in paramilitary-style attacks in the Turf Lodge area of west

Belfast in a month. The victim of the latest shooting

last night was a 26-year-old man. Police say the number

of paramilitary style shootings in west Belfast doubled in 2016,

compared to the previous year. Over the last few weeks, under the

cover of darkness, men have bought guns onto the streets. They have

carried out a total of four attacks in Turf Lodge, injuring five people.

The latest took place in this alleyway, around 10pm last night. A

man in his 20s was shot in both legs. Police had been in the area

investigating another shooting which took place very close to hear just

last week. In that attack, a husband and wife were shot in their home. It

is understood they were trying to protect their son. The week before,

a 21-year-old man was shot in both legs. And, on 18th of December, a

16-year-old boy was shot. Police say it is too early to link these

incidents come which have all taken place within a one-mile radius, but

say violent dissident republicans are behind some of the attacks. We

have seen over the last year in west Belfast a lift in these types of

incidents, and people are killing doing it for their own very selfish

ends, trying to exercise control in the community, and try to pretend

they are a police service. They are not. A police service in West

Belfast is deeply service in Northern Ireland. No other society

in the world would accept this, and my concern is that here in Northern

Ireland there is an attitude of acceptability at times. Today, no

one wanted to speak on camera, but the police say they need people to

speak to them in order to bring this spate of gun attacks to an end.

Teachers go on a half day strike over pay.

Sinn Fein have accused the Taoiseach of having no plan for dealing

Yesterday, the Prime Minister said that Brexit will mean the UK leaves

It's the arrangement which, at the moment, allows

for tariff-free trade across the border.

So, leaving the Union could mean the return of customs checks.

Our Economics and Business Editor John Campbell is at a haulage

Both the Prime Minister and the Brexit secretary have spoken today,

seeking to reassure people that however difficult things may be

around the border, that can be sorted out in Brexit negotiations,

but businesses are understandably concerned. A director of this

company told us earlier that any move towards a hard customs border

would be a disaster. My father founded the company in 1972, and I

joined 20 years ago. We have 20 trucks, 50 trailers, and we do 20-30

export a year. There is a bigger market in the south. At the moment

it takes a truck to ours. If the Borders return, it we could spend

four or five hours at the border clearing customs, which will impact

us greatly. At the minute there is no border issues at all. You can

drive straight through. Before the early 90s when the Borders came

down, a driver had to make three stops. They had to stop with a

security agent, this could take four or five hours. The working Time

directive states a driver can only work 12 hours a day. 80% of our

trucks operate in and out of mainland Europe, said the problems

we face in the South will be tenfold compare to Europe. I would like to

board is not to be there. Free trade is crucial to us. The Prime

Minister's plans came under scrutiny today, but truth be told, we did not

learn that much more about the detail of her customs plan.

So we now have a much better idea of the Prime Minister's Brexit plan.

Out of the single market, out of the customs union, and on the hunt for

new trade deals. She said there will be a new customs deal, but when

asked about it today, there was no detail. Frictionless borders in

nation to the customs issue. An important issue for us in relation

to our racial ship with the North of Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

We are on a single page on this, we want to ensure we have the best

possible arrangement that does not lead to a borders of the past for

Northern Ireland. Trade experts suggest a new deal could be focused

on important sectors like aerospace, to ensure firms like bombarding

don't experience disruption to their supply chains. But there is no real

precedent for what Theresa May is proposing. She is adamant about no

return to borders of the past, but David Davis has conceded that we

could return to a situation where lorries are being checked at the

border. That has caused alarm among employers and trade union. Sinn Fein

says it has caught the Irish government on the hop. When you say

that you will protect this country, this country goes beyond dumb dog

into the exotic lands of Newry. And as far as the Glens of Antrim. That

is the responsibility and the jurisdiction that you hold must be

want the plan, we need the plan. When do we hear the plan? No return

to a hard border. We are going to work for that. All of the details

will not be known for quite some time because the negotiations have

not even started. The Brexit negotiations are due to begin by the

end of March. Perhaps then we'll have a clearer idea what this will

mean for the border. Tonight, John Britton has entered

the debate. He has also been a former EU ambassador, and he says

Theresa May's customs plans are simply unworkable.

A Northern Ireland spokesman, Lord Dunlop, has said "any form

of joint authority" would be incompatible with the

He was responding to a question in the House of Lords this afternoon

over whether or not the Republic would be given an enhanced role

This is an important point. I can confirm that the government remains

fully committed to the Belfast agreement, including the principle

of consent governing Northern Ireland's constitutional position.

It is on that basis that Northern Ireland is and remains a full part

of the United Kingdom, and clearly any form of joint authority would be

incompatible with the consent principle.

Thousands of teachers belonging to the Irish National Teachers

Organisation have held a half day strike over pay.

Around 800 schools across Northern Ireland

were affected, as our education correspondent

About 7,000 teachers in Northern Ireland have staged

Pickets, not parents or pupils, were at many school

The pain makes teachers feel valued, and at the moment we don't feel

valued. These INTO members in

Londonderry were also out, and angry about a pay freeze last year

and a 1% rise this year. My 1% equates to just over ?4. I

have a 12-year-old daughter. I've was to give her ?4 to go to the

cinema with her friends it would not even get her in. Some schools were

closed this morning, and in some cases schools have had to close for

the entire day. Back in Belfast, 300 teachers

held a strike rally. This is the point where we have to

stand up and say no more. We are not being walked on.

There were hard words for the education minister

What priorities are you placing on education? What priorities are you

placing on schools and children, and what priorities are you placing on

teachers? But the education boss

chairing pay talks There is no money in the education

budget to go back over previous pay negotiations. Given that we agreed

to meet again next week, I don't understand what benefit will

possibly be derived from striking today. What I do see is that

teachers will lose pay, schools will be disrupted, pupils will lose

education, and parents will have their lives disrupted and I am

disappointed about that. These teachers returned

to their classrooms at lunchtime, but with continued uncertainty over

the education budget, disputes over their pay are likely

to last much longer. One of the biggest personalities

in road racing, Guy Martin, is to return to both the NorthWest

200 and Ulster Grand Prix this year, One of the great draws in the sport,

he has not raced since suffering multiple injuries in a crash at

the Ulster Grand Prix two years ago. In the same year he was critical

of the Northwest 200 circuit. But, after announcing a new ride

with the Honda team, he's back. The last time Guy Martin raised in

Northern Ireland, this happened. It was a high-speed crash which made

him question his future in the sport. But he is returning with a

new team, and his first road racing appearance will be at the Northwest

200 in May, a race he said he did not ever want to compete in again

after his appearance in 2015. Riding round chicanes. I am bored to the

back teeth. No interest, no interest. No interest. But this is

the machine which has tempted him back. The new Honda 2017.

He will ride the Superbike at the fastest track in the world, where he

has won many times. And he will go in search of his first Northwest 200

success. The hugely popular rider will undoubtedly be a massive draw

for both events. Looking forward to it.

The Belfast boxer Michael Conlan has been speaking to

the press in New York ahead of his professional debut.

A former Olympic bronze medallist and amateur world champion,

Conlan outlined some grand ambitions as a pro.

He will fight the American Tim Ibarra on St Patrick's Day

at the iconic boxing venue Madison Square Garden.

It has been a dream for me to come here. I still feel a bit overwhelmed

being here in the garden, and for my debut to be on Saint Patrick stay

here is going to be special. The journey is a good one. I truly

believe in my ability will stop I speak with complete confidence at

all times. No matter who is in front of me, no matter what day it is, no

one is going to beat me. Ulster won't rest their Irish

international this weekend in their final European Rugby Champions Cup

tie against French side Bordeaux. The game is effectively

academic for Ulster, who can't now make the knockout

phases of the tournament. Eight defeats in the last 12 games

has certainly led to some reflection We have met as a player group, had a

view honest words together, things that we feel we have not been up to

scratch on, and what we are trying to fix in training. Like I said,

there has been a bit of honesty over last couple of weeks, and that is

the only way we can fix anything. That is something we have addressed.

In last night's Irish Premiership action Glenavon snatched a draw away

The home side took the lead with fifteen minutes to go

when Joshua McIlwaine headed in his third goal in two games.

But Glenavon equalised when player-manager Gary Hamilton,

who had come on off the bench, sent a shot that was deflected

into the net to rescue a point for the visitors who remain sixth

Ireland's men's cricket team have beaten the United Arab Emirates

by 24 runs in Dubai to reach the semi-final stage

Let's get the weather now. It is all very quiet and still and

settled. High-pressure is very much in charge. It will ensure a lot of

dry weather. We should see some bright spells developing, but there

will often be a lot of cloud, and it will become a little chilly. The

temperatures today were actually above average. Not very inspiring

whether beneath this swathe of stubborn cloud, so nice to see some

early spring colour that with a rhododendron coming into bloom. We

will hold onto those cloudy skies through this evening and into

tonight, perhaps giving the odd spot of drizzle, but most places will

avoid that. Into tomorrow, the cloud still the predominant feature, and

we still have a lot of dry weather to come. During the morning with

that low cloud, don't be surprised if you get the odd spot of drizzle.

Again, it is mainly dry. Then it is not really changing through the day.

Mainly cloudy. If you are in the West, a small chance you could see

the odd bit of brightness coming through late in the day, but it

can't began renting. At least those temperatures are above average at

eight or 9 degrees. Into Friday, it'll get off to a cloudy and misty

start, but Friday could be our best and brightest day of the next few. A

better chance of some sunshine coming through as well. Into the

weekend, we still have high in charge. It brings a drift of the

continent, which is pretty cold. The blue extends right down into Spain.

Instead of building sand castles in Alicante, the children have been

building snowmen on the beach. A trend is for damages to come down. A

lot of cloud through the weekend, but it stays mainly dry.

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