01/03/2017 BBC Newsline

A court has ruled that the Department for the Economy can

publish the names of firms getting RHI subsidy.

But it can't yet release details of individuals in the scheme.

The department says it will publish as soon

Here's our agriculture and environment correspondent,

The courts have been wrestling with the issue of naming those

receiving nondomestic RHI subsidies since mid-January.

Today Mr Justice Deeny gave his judgment.

It means the Department for the Economy can publish details

of companies getting the money, but anyone who applied

under their own name has one more shot at anonymity.

They will have to be given the chance to explain why

they should not be named under data protection legislation.

Each case will be assessed on its merits.

Mr Justice Deeny said those in receipt of renewable heat subsidy

did not have what amounted to a legally binding contract.

He also said the department had established a clear case

for publication of their details, which he said, could help address

The court heard a reference to one well-known company which had up

to seven boilers and which had earned up to ?300,000 in subsidy

Mr Justice Deeny said there may well be legitimate reasons for that

and similar installations, but they could be explained

He said eyebrows might be raised by some of the applications,

but that was not a good reason not to publish.

The court was asked for a temporary postponement of the ruling

but counsel for the department said the Minister for the Economy,

Simon Hamilton, would only have the power to publish

while he was still a minister and that would run out

This afternoon the court heard the boiler owners were not looking

for an extension of the temporary injunction, effectively lifting

the final obstacle to publication of the names of RHI companies.

Tonight the Department of the Economy said it would publish

as soon as was practical and after details had been checked.

Conor Macauley, BBC Newsline, at the High Court.

Voting in the Assembly election takes place tomorrow after

And on the final day, the former First Minister,

Peter Robinson of the DUP, entered the fray.

He urged politicians to step back, take a breath and ensure

there was sufficient space for a post-election agreement.

I heard more from our political editor, Mark Devenport.

Well, it is a fairly unusual intervention from Peter Robinson. He

has said on his Facebook message has avoided giving a running commentary

on political events but he is concerned about the continued

existence of the Stormont institutions which is our grade has

retirement. You get the impression of the elder statesman looking down

on an impartial manner. He calls on the politicians to step back, take a

breath and ensure there is space for an agreement to be reached once the

voting is over and done with. Other parts are fairly partisan and he's

looking forward to a high Unionist turnout. He says he believes that

the argument that the people should have their say is bogus and instead

there should have been an inquiry and cost-cutting measures in

relation to the RHI scheme. He also said he cannot help feeling that had

Martin McGuinness been in good health the breakdown would have been

avoided. Instead he argues for what he calls more belligerent elements

in Sinn Fein have seized the opportunity. Gerry Adams has been

campaigning today as well. He has been in the West. I saw him posing

with candidates along the river there. Some are making jokes that

there could be some crocodiles in the! Not likely. Let alone any cold

winter! He wrote on his blog that he rejects this notion that there is

one element of Sinn Fein and that Martin McGuinness would have done

things that are met. He said that Martin McGuinness resigned because

he was making a stand in favour of good governance. He points out in

the last election DUP said that if you do not vote for them Martin

McGuinness would become First Minister. Shock, horror, Mark --

Gerry Adams says. Michelle O'Neill, new to the job, the DUP decided that

I, Gerry Adams, would make the perfect bogeyman for this one. The

Ulster Unionist Danny Kennedy has cause to complain. He has said that

the election leaflets have been put out with his name on it. But an

Ulster Unionist letter heading. Essentially attacking the DUP in

certain areas and strongly criticising his DUP opponent William

Warren. You might think, what is a problem, why should he be concerned?

But Danny Kennedy in contrast to what is party leader said about

giving his number two to the other party, he said they should transfer

votes any pro-Union way towards William Irwin and editing that he

feels there is foul play with someone trying to open a crack

between the two unionists there. What about the other Stormont

parties? We have continued campaigning and I am sure they are

hot on the street as we speak. I have seen what they are doing on

social media. Claire Hanna is pushing the line at the party has

proved that this is a choice between direct rule and devolution. She has

said that the SDLP is willing to join a coalition along with the

Ulster Unionist, the Greens and the Alliance. It would not solve all the

problems but it could save devolution. I like this one from

Naomi Long who was getting praise on social media for her performance in

the leaders debate last night. Some said she was the only politician

talking sense. On Twitter someone said although she gets cross at

times and Naomi Long came back telling you that she would call that

passionate. That was Mark Devenport speaking to me earlier.

Northern Ireland's air ambulance service will be

operational in 10-12 weeks, the Department of

It will operate with a doctor and paramedic on board,

and work will be stepped up to establish a helipad

Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK not to have an operational

The new service will take off from the Maze site near Lisburn

within three months and operate seven days a week in daylight hours.

And despite initial concerns, when it takes to the skies it

The quicker you get the specialist treatment

To have a doctor-led service is even better.

We will provide one of the best Hems services in Europe.

There will be another helicopter at St Angelo Airport in Enniskillen

to provide cover when the primary one is not available.

The air ambulance will cost around ?2 million per year,

It might have taken years to set up but once airborne it will reach

medical emergencies throughout Northern Ireland

The issue of whether there should be an Irish language

act has been divisive during the election campaign.

Nationalists and other parties want an act,

Our education correspondent Robbie Meredith has been finding out.

One of only two post-primary Irish-medium schools

in Northern Ireland and the only one outside Belfast.

My mother and father speak Irish and we all speak Irish together.

Here we do every subject and it is no different

The school opened, controversially, in 2015, with only 16 pupils.

Since then that number has trebled and it is expected

The Irish language is spoken in the mountains and there is,

maybe the seat was lying dormant for a while and the Irish medium

of education and community sector has enabled that seat to grow again.

At the school and some other areas the language is already obvious

but what differences in practice might a language act make?

It could be used in court, at Assembly debates

And a commissioner would be put in place to make sure the use

Those proposals and others were detailed in this government

But how much it might cost to implement the act

Another class, this time in South Belfast.

Lifelong learning students here come from different backgrounds

and do not see why a language act should be controversial.

It is not something we have the opportunity to learn

at school but I have always had an interest in language in general.

It would not necessarily force people to use Irish.

And it would potentially not politicise the language

Enshrining it to protect the language, the Welsh has got theirs.

A fluent Irish speaker is a Protestant and Unionist.

A very important move for me would be the appointment of an Irish

Language Commissioner, or indeed a Languages Commissioner

for Northern Ireland, who could take a look

at the overarching question surrounding Irish...

At one time Protestants ensured the language survived,

I think the Irish language should be taken out of the political arena

because in Northern Ireland it is a sectarian arena.

The Presbyterian Church has done more to preserve

and protect the Irish language that the Catholic Church ever did.

In the 17th century the Presbyterian Church translated

the Bible into Irish but the Catholic Church never

The Irish speakers I have spoken with did not want the language to be

a political football but when it comes to a language act,

the challenge is still to get all the politicians in harmony.

Modern life is a busy thing, and a church in County Galway

decided to meet parishioners halfway today to help them avail

of the traditional blessing on Ash Wednesday.

Motorists were able to mark the start of lent by using

a drive-thru service at St Patrick's Church

The idea of the new slant on the tradition came

about after the local pastoral council looked at ways of making

We put it out first of all just for the people of the parish and once

more people got to know about it people from neighbouring parishes

came as well. Nurses and teachers, whatever, just passing by. Very

handy for me this morning, I am just heading to work. Great job, very

handy for the working man. You do not have to dress up or anything.

GAA, and the MacRory Cup final on St.

Patrick's Day will be between Magherafelt school St.

Mary's tonight won their semi-final replay against St.

A look ahead to a story we'll have tomorrow,

and the Food Standards Agency has warned about the dangers of eating

the meat of deer which has been illegally shot.

Police patrols are being stepped up in County Tyrone

The agency says the way carcasses are handled by poaching gangs

That story is coming up tomorrow on Good Morning Ulster

on Radio Ulster, and on BBC Newsline at half-past six.