14/01/2017 BBC Newsline

An organisation representing 100 renewable heating businesses say

a plan to cut costs associated with the RHI scheme at Stormont

The Renewable Heat Association for Northern Ireland is also

The Economy Minister Simon Hamilton has produced amended legislation

which would reduce tariffs paid to about 1800 people

who got into the RHI scheme before November 2015.

Mr Hamilton's plan requires a vote by MLA's in the Assembly on Monday.

But there is an acceptance that any move to reduce tariffs

And an organisation which represents businesses

who signed up to the scheme is promising just that.

It will tomorrow send out a letter to all 108 MLAs

We want a reasonable solution to this as soon as possible. We want to

see audits and technical audits, business audits. If anybody feels

those audits and is found to be acting fraudulently, throw them out

of the scheme and prosecute them but don't the people who are operating

the scheme properly. But an expert in contract law

says amendments passed There would be no difficulty at all

if they could prove that people were extracting payments from the

Department for trade and investment without actually complying with the

scheme. No difficulty about that. It is where the Assembly tries to take

away people's vested rights that they have a problem. They can do so,

provided they act proportionately. The DUP have been asked for a

statement but have declined to comment.

So far the legislation hasn't yet been approved by the Sinn Fein

Finance Minister Mairtin O Muilleoir.

It's understood officials in his department are assessing

Questions are being asked about a Stormont grant scheme

Communities Minister Paul Givan announced last year that ?500,000

Yesterday Mr Givan revealed that nearly two million

Pictured outside an Orange hall last October, the ministerial seal

of approval for funding improvements to community halls.

?500,000 was to be used to improve halls that were in disrepair or had

been damaged in attacks or anti-social behaviour.

In a news release issued on Friday, the money allocated

One orange whole set to benefit to the tune of ?24,000 is this one just

outside Ballyclare. We have been in touch with deputy district Master

William strange and he says it is not just a bit of a whole but also

the local community. That ?24,000 will be spent on a new kitchen,

heating system, installation and new toilet facilities.

Questions are being asked about who else is set

The Irish News reports that a full list of successful applications

has not been released to them, despite requests.

It started out as ?500,000 and has now turned into ?2 million. I think

that feeds into the narrative that the DUP on one hand seemed to be

only interested in governing for one half of the community and on the

other hand the myth of them being the guardians of the public purse

has just been exploded between this and RHI and many other things.

At Christmas the Communities Minister Paul Givan cut funds

to a scheme offering Irish language scholarships to young people.

Last week he overturned that decision, claiming the original

A man from Liverpool has appeared in court charged in connection

with the discovery of ?300,000 of herbal cannabis in Ballymena.

The drugs were found in a lorry on the Moorfields Road last year.

A detective told Ballymena Court she believed James Kennedy was part

of a gang which was bringing drugs into Northern Ireland

The West Belfast Sinn Fein MLA Pat Sheehan has called for threats

to be lifted against a member of the family of a couple

It's believed the man and woman were shot in the legs

in their Turf Lodge home as they were attempting

Mr Sheehan said it piled insult on top of injury for those

On to the wintry weather outlook for the rest

Good news for those who don't like the snow and ice,

There will be a thought of snow in milder this weekend.

There will be a thought of snow in many levels. A lot of the snowmen

down as well. Milder by morning but it will be quite grey and damp on

Sunday. Some dry weather initially tonight before the cloud thickens to

bring outbreaks of rain and drizzle. The breeze picking up. Temperatures

probably at their lowest this side of midnight because tomorrow will be

much milder. Temperatures in double figures but also rather grey and

dumb. You might need the waterproofs. A few dry gaps tomorrow

morning I'm particularly over Belfast and the south-east. Lots of

around. Some dry weather further south. The cold and icy weather

lingers for a while over central and eastern parts of Britain with the

done snow in places for this mild and damp weather presenter and the

West. With dead bodies of cloud. Some mist and low cloud over the

hills which will make it look. With time we should seek rain easing off.

It will dry up next week is a new area of high pressure builds. It

originates from Eastern Europe which means that eventually we will see

colder air. It will take a while. Prior next week. Probably a lot of

cloud around. Initially quite mild but as the week goes on it will get

a bit chilly again. Have a great weekend. We will be back tomorrow

evening at 6:20pm. You can keep up-to-date with local news on Radio

Ulster or online. From all of us here enjoy the evening.