:00:08. > :00:11.The Prime Minister Theresa May has had a telephone call
:00:12. > :00:13.with the Taoiseach Enda Kenny this evening about the
:00:14. > :00:16.It has also emerged that the Secretary of
:00:17. > :00:19.State James Brokenshire is to hold meetings with the main parties and
:00:20. > :00:24.the Justice Minister Claire Sugden over the next 24 hours.
:00:25. > :00:26.Earlier, the DUP leader Arlene Foster said if
:00:27. > :00:32.But she said she also remains open to discussions with the parties
:00:33. > :00:35.to see if a way forward can be found.
:00:36. > :00:37.Going to the polls though looks increasingly likely
:00:38. > :00:38.following yesterday's resignation of Martin McGuinness
:00:39. > :00:45.Our Political Correspondent Gareth Gordon reports.
:00:46. > :00:53.More dark clouds than rays of light, but all
:00:54. > :00:58.Not these ones stacked in the great Hall,
:00:59. > :01:01.but the ones which we knew had a place in the assembly chamber
:01:02. > :01:09.I have no doubt that if the election proceeds, it will be a
:01:10. > :01:20.It will be a very difficult election and with Sinn
:01:21. > :01:22.Fein indicating that they're not going back, there are
:01:23. > :01:24.those of us who will also want to look at
:01:25. > :01:25.the construction of the
:01:26. > :01:27.institutions to see what we can do better,
:01:28. > :01:29.because I think that there is
:01:30. > :01:31.no doubt, if you look back at our documents
:01:32. > :01:33.always said mandatory coalition as a first
:01:34. > :01:35.step towards moving to voluntary coalition
:01:36. > :01:38.and so we will want to look those issues as well
:01:39. > :01:42.after an election, if it takes place.
:01:43. > :01:46.So, undoubtedly, we're in for a period of direct rule.
:01:47. > :01:48.24 hours after her partner in Government told
:01:49. > :01:56.her he was leaving, Arlene Foster sprung a surprise.
:01:57. > :01:58.A public inquiry into the heating scandal could be
:01:59. > :02:02.We're very keen that it is set up for all the reasons I have
:02:03. > :02:06.The fact that from a political point of view I think it
:02:07. > :02:10.is needed to restore the confidence in the institutions and also for me
:02:11. > :02:12.personally to be able to regain my integrity, which has
:02:13. > :02:14.been constantly maligned over this past number of
:02:15. > :02:17.weeks and months, so it's important that we get this inquiry up and
:02:18. > :02:19.running as quickly as possible and I hope
:02:20. > :02:20.it'll be in place before the
:02:21. > :02:28.Martin McGuinness thanked well-wishers.
:02:29. > :02:31.Whether his health issues will allow him to even run an
:02:32. > :02:38.election is not clear but others are ready.
:02:39. > :02:43.We've had two max uprising elections, Brexit and then the
:02:44. > :02:47.I think we have unprecedented anger about this
:02:48. > :02:51.scandal where there are so many unknowns that there is all to play
:02:52. > :02:55.for if we go to an election and we will go on very confidently.
:02:56. > :02:57.What should be happening now is the Secretary of State
:02:58. > :02:59.and the Irish Foreign Minister should be convening
:03:00. > :03:02.talks with all five parties, not just with the two that have caused
:03:03. > :03:04.the problems of last 14 months, to see what
:03:05. > :03:08.structures before we have the election campaign.
:03:09. > :03:16.The next steps are as uncertain as Stormont's future.
:03:17. > :03:19.Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams has rejected a DUP claim that there could be
:03:20. > :03:21.a long period of direct rule if there's no agreement
:03:22. > :03:37.BBC Newsline's Tara Mills has been talking to the Sinn Fein president.
:03:38. > :03:39.So, you see, if you're against half a
:03:40. > :03:42.billion of money being flushed down the drain or possibly into
:03:43. > :03:43.someone's pocket, if you are against that,
:03:44. > :03:48.equality, if you value the progress that has been made, and unionist
:03:49. > :03:51.leaders have played a role in that process, if you want that to
:03:52. > :03:53.continue, then come out and vote and vote
:03:54. > :03:54.accordingly to make sure that
:03:55. > :03:56.the institutions that are put in place will be sustainable
:03:57. > :03:58.and will be based upon fairness, decency,
:03:59. > :04:04.But what you've done means the money is going
:04:05. > :04:07.to go down the drain until the election process
:04:08. > :04:09.is completed and it also means that there can't be a
:04:10. > :04:14.short-term inquiry as the one you had suggested.
:04:15. > :04:17.That could take years, so you have undoubtedly got
:04:18. > :04:19.what she wanted or what you set out to get.
:04:20. > :04:23.And that's why Martin felt that his position was untenable.
:04:24. > :04:34.What are the other consequences of Martin McGuinness resigning is that
:04:35. > :04:37.there is no voice, there is no nationalist voice in the Brexit
:04:38. > :04:39.negotiations because you don't have a voice
:04:40. > :04:40.at Westminster, so we are
:04:41. > :04:43.You have detached electorate away from the Brexit
:04:44. > :04:50.We published a document strategy on Brexit, we have argued
:04:51. > :04:53.for the North to be treated with a special designated status...
:04:54. > :04:55.If you're not there, how can you hope...
:04:56. > :04:57.We couldn't get that done anyway because the DUP are for
:04:58. > :05:00.Brexit and against the majority vote which says that the people want to
:05:01. > :05:07.The fallout from not having a functioning Executive could be far
:05:08. > :05:11.Sara Neill has been speaking to some groups who believe
:05:12. > :05:16.For many nationalists, the straw that broke
:05:17. > :05:22.withdrawal of funding to the Irish language scheme.
:05:23. > :05:25.It targeted the most marginalised with in the
:05:26. > :05:29.community, people who couldn't afford to send their children,
:05:30. > :05:33.people who couldn't attend to themselves.
:05:34. > :05:38.You're talking about pennies in terms of the overall budget and it
:05:39. > :05:40.was seen as crass and as an outrageous attack.
:05:41. > :05:47.The findings of the oracle institution of query
:05:48. > :05:50.allegedly made public later this month but without a solid
:05:51. > :05:52.Government, victims say they are the real losers,
:05:53. > :05:58.a sentiment echoed by those affected by the Troubles.
:05:59. > :06:01.We just don't want to believe that as
:06:02. > :06:03.soon as Sir Anthony's report was ready and
:06:04. > :06:04.delivered on Friday, that
:06:05. > :06:07.the collapse of the Government and the collapse of our dreams and hopes
:06:08. > :06:13.and desires that this was going to be our day.
:06:14. > :06:15.I think the losers in this process are the people, either
:06:16. > :06:19.citizens and in particular, those citizens that were so badly affected
:06:20. > :06:23.by the Troubles and lost loved ones, lost limbs and they were having some
:06:24. > :06:28.sort of hopes raised by the Stormont Agreement
:06:29. > :06:33.We were assured it would be a fresh start
:06:34. > :06:34.and now the whole thing is
:06:35. > :06:39.In business, we know that markets hate uncertainty
:06:40. > :06:42.and it is feared that this political instability could cast a shadow over
:06:43. > :06:46.economic growth and later a slowdown in the construction industry.
:06:47. > :06:49.The industry was already in a very fragile position, beginning to make
:06:50. > :06:52.a recovery after ten long years and that just adds further
:06:53. > :06:56.uncertainty to an industry that quite frankly
:06:57. > :06:59.can play a very important role in economic growth,
:07:00. > :07:08.I've never seen a time when we need strong leadership more
:07:09. > :07:11.than we do now in advance of Article 50 being triggered in March.
:07:12. > :07:13.We need to have that Northern Ireland voice
:07:14. > :07:15.out there, we had very unique circumstances that the rest of the
:07:16. > :07:19.UK do not face and who is going to be talking for us at those
:07:20. > :07:23.In the second week of January, little more than 24 hours
:07:24. > :07:29.after Martin McGuinness stepped down, it's still not clear what lies
:07:30. > :07:31.in store for the people of Northern Ireland
:07:32. > :07:33.and if there is an election, what change that could bring.
:07:34. > :07:37.What is clear is that the events of yesterday at Stormont will be felt
:07:38. > :07:45.Other news now, and a nine-year-old boy's in a critical condition
:07:46. > :07:47.after being knocked down by a car in Liscolman near
:07:48. > :07:54.A man in his seventies has been arrested.
:07:55. > :07:58.One other story tonight, a County Antrim husband and wife
:07:59. > :08:01.have admitted helping the murderers of a Randalstown businessman
:08:02. > :08:05.Wing Fu Cheung, also known as Nelson Cheung,
:08:06. > :08:07.was stabbed to death near Randalstown in 2015.
:08:08. > :08:10.Gary and Lisa Thompson had previously denied
:08:11. > :08:12.all charges against them, but entered new guilty pleas
:08:13. > :08:18.Four people have now been convicted in connection with the killing.
:08:19. > :08:34.Good evening. Temperatures today have been up to 10-11 . Go to those
:08:35. > :08:39.values in half an ad on the wind and that is what it will be like
:08:40. > :08:44.tomorrow. A wind warning will come into effect later tonight. It will
:08:45. > :08:47.drag in showers, most frequently in the North West. In the south-east,
:08:48. > :08:52.temperatures could get low enough for ice and by morning, gales or on
:08:53. > :08:56.the north coast. Tomorrow, we can expect a windy day everywhere which
:08:57. > :09:00.will make it feel much colder. Those winds could be quite damaging in
:09:01. > :09:04.places. There will also be some dry weather, bright with a ransom is a
:09:05. > :09:14.mostly rain showers falling through the cause of the day. Snow showers
:09:15. > :09:16.over the Scottish mountains, severe gales across much of Scotland as
:09:17. > :09:18.well as north-east England. Further south across Britain and in the
:09:19. > :09:21.Republic of Ireland, there will be sunshine and a view showers in the
:09:22. > :09:25.West. A cold, windy day with some sunshine but also rain tomorrow.
:09:26. > :09:30.Tomorrow night, however, those showers will turn increasingly
:09:31. > :09:33.wintry and we can expect snow and ice on Thursday and Friday.
:09:34. > :09:38.Particularly in the north and west and over the hills. There will be
:09:39. > :09:40.snow in particular. Don't be surprised that if by Thursday there
:09:41. > :09:41.is a bit of snow just about anywhere.
:09:42. > :09:44.Our next BBC Newsline is at 6.25am in the morning
:09:45. > :09:49.You can also keep updated with News Online.