17/06/2011 BBC Newsline

Hello, this is BBC Newsline. The headlines: Politicians and

business leaders made the case for lowering corporation tax, but will

the Chancellor get on board? The Belfast brick bandits and the

people left to pick up the pieces. The house was taken apart brick by

brick, it is appeared in front of our eyes.

Why has the Department of Education moved in to improve teaching at his

grammar school? The fathers whose hidden it leaks

ran up huge bills. -- farmers. And Rory McIlroy is still in the

lead and still on fire at the US Open, with shops like this amazing

eagle on the its role he finished eight shots ahead. We are live in

Maryland. The weather is so last season,

literally! Find out if June a's flame will flicker at all over the

weekend. -- Jane's. A visit to one of our top

manufacturing firms today saw the Chancellor say cutting corporation

tax here would be a good idea. That is the closest indication of his

thinking on proposals which would see Stormont taking over power from

Westminster. We caught up with him at Wrightbus

in Ballymena. They build buses for London mayor,

Boris Johnson. It was George Osborne who came to visit Wrightbus

today. He is here to see a first rate Northern Ireland company and

find out why business here, which means no tax is, we have grown the

economy. Owen Paterson, the main political parties and the Northern

Ireland business lobby will be pleased with his apparent

endorsement. We think it is a good idea worth looking at an worth

consulting upon. I am here in Northern Ireland to hear from the

politicians, business leaders, employees, about whether be think

it is a good idea. We all want to see the same thing, more jobs and

investment and the economy growing in Northern Ireland. We want

businesses to succeed and the idea of a lower corporation tax rate is

an example of what might work. just here? There are particular

reasons why the case of Northern Ireland would work. Obviously, the

land border with the Republic, which has a much lower business tax

rate. There is also a case, and Owen Paterson has made his case

powerfully, that the business sector is too small here and we

wanted to grow. We want to rebalance the Northern Irish

economy and the way to do that is to encourage businesses to come

here. The problem is the price. European losses Westminster can

give Stormont a tax break without cutting the money it pays over each

year for public services, the block grant. That could take two or 300

million out of Stormont's coffers. Local leaders are gearing up to

negotiate. How does the chance to calculate the cost? It will not be

a number that the British government or Northern Ireland

Executive comes up with. It will be an independent number and it is a

price tag. This is a tour is in part for the people of Northern

Ireland. Be they think it is worth paying the money to get a lower tax

rate for businesses with of the potential jobs and investment? Part

of the majority of the devolution is that we can have this discussion

and ask the Northern Ireland population what they think.

Corporation tax is not the only special exemption. Not everyone

uses the bath and the passenger tax costs 30 times more flying from

Belfast to New York then Dublin. That consultation is ending today.

It looks like the Chancellor is on the bandwagon. There is a

particular issue in Northern Ireland because people can fly from

Dublin. That is not such an issue in the rest of the UK, where people

do not have those choices. We wanted to listen whether there was

a particular thing we could do to help Northern Ireland. I am also

conscious of the importance of the route out of Belfast to the United

States on Continental Airlines. That is important, sending a signal

that Northern Ireland is often to North American investment. That is

another reason we are here to discuss things, not just with

politicians with the business community. The wheeze may yet come

off plans to devolve business tax, is to Stormont. The proposal could

be coming towards the end of the year.

There has been a rise in the theft of bricks from houses in Belfast,

not just from demolished homes, but houses which are still standing.

The Housing Executive says the brick bandits are putting lives at

risk when it this model houses. It is part of a lucrative trade that

has grown up around reclaimed Belfast brick.

A week can be a long time in the life of a Belfast street. On Monday

the official demolition squad moved into the Village area. That has

been flattened, but by people who took over the demolition job

themselves, sifting through the rubble and selling them on. Houses

have been targeted. I am concerned that they would confine themselves

to the houses that are demolished. I am happy enough with that. When

they go into areas that have not been demolished and start

demolishing houses and creating a danger for the people who live in

that street, that is my concern. All week, teams of young men have

been helping themselves. So many people are involved in this

activity so it shows how lucrative it is. A premium is being paid for

Belfast bricks. The brick bandits told me they get paid �100 for each

pallet as part of a lucrative trade. Jeff Wilson runs a savage business

and only buys from reputable demolition contractors. The people

that by our bricks are very varied. They buy them for something as

simple as a barbecue in their garden to may be a feature

fireplace or a garden wall, an old reclaimed brick has a unique mess

to it that you cannot copy. People have tried to copy it and it does

not work. The Housing Executive says Rick theft is an ongoing

problem. One housing association says it lost two entire house is

just off the Shankill Road. house was taken apart brick by

brick. They were packaged up and removed from the site. It is Adidas

appeared in front of our eyes. They got baby point where they were so

unsafe, the remaining shell had to be removed. We lost two houses.

Today, Housing Executive appeared to people to stay away from

demolition sites and called on those responsible for the vandalism

to stop immediately, saying they are putting lives at risk.

A school in Ballymena has become the first grammar school to fail an

inspection and be placed on what is called formal intervention.

Cambridge House 6th form was described as inadequate. Our

correspondent is in Ballymena. Why did the school feel the inspection?

We are not quite sure of the details. The inspector's report has

not been published. We do know that the inspectors came in and they

investigate the 6th form and found it was not adequate in its

resources. This is why this formal intervention process, what might be

called a remedial process, has been imposed. What does that

intervention mean for the school and pupils and staff? It means that

there will be a lot more effort put in. First of all, the school and

its board of governors and Department of Education and Library

Board, have formed a task force to plan what actions they will

undertake. There is a fund from the Department of Education which can

be used to to help schools like this improve performances. This is

not the first time this school has been criticised. Looking back to

2009, it was fined the performance in a GCSE and A-levels was worse

than other grammar schools. have a statement from the school in

response. What did it say? It said that it welcomes the report and

that it would be working with all of those bodies to try and improve

things and its main aim was to improve things for the peoples. It

is a serious situation because in the future, there could be

repercussions. It has up to 18 months to improve and it will be

monitored during that time. If it should happen in the long run at

improvements are not made, the Department of Education has four

options from merging it to another school to complete closure. It is

serious if things are not put right quickly.

Still to come... Fears over new arrangements to take care away from

elderly people. And we investigate decaying belly

mystery in the cobbles of Belfast. -- the King Billy mystery.

It may seem a long time since the big freeze but people are still

counting the cost. A County Down form has been landed with a winter

water bill that is nearly 30 times bigger than normal.

A patter runs a farm outside Warrenpoint. This is one of several

troughs that to bring water to his horse and cattle. Like other

farmers, the water he uses is needed. He will usually pay about

�100 for six months. His bill over the winter was �600. You do not

realise you have got a problem until the water bill arrives. By

that time it is too late. You have to try and trace the source of the

leakage and it can be a case of it would be cheaper to replace every

underground pipe on the farm as quick as identify a leak. A few

miles away, this former would normally pay about �50, but her

with a bill was �1450. She did not want to appear on camera. I nearly

fainted, to tell you the truth. We have never had anything like that

before. There should be an exception this year because so many

people have leaks. The last two years and this year gone past have

been severe for everybody. There should be something done for the

people involved and those in a position to look at it should look

at it. Northern Ireland Water says it is legally obliged to charge for

what ever what it goes through the media. Should customers find

themselves in difficulty paying the bill, they should talk to us and we

will be as flexible as we can. Secondly, we did give advice and we

are still giving it, pleading with customers, pleased no were your

meter and pipework is an please check it. -- please note. Farmers

watched the situation in the year where water was running out of

domestic and industrial buildings and there was no water on farms.

And now, farms are being targeted. Regardless of how the big bills

might be settled, farmers and the rest of us will be a lot more wary

of leaks next winter it and we Unison, the union which represents

health workers, has accused the Western Health Trust of dirty

business over how it is reorganising the delivery of care

packages to the elderly. To become more efficient, the Trust has asked

the independent sector to re apply for contracts which includes

operating under much tighter budgets. As a result, the BBC

understands up to 13 companies may have lost the business. Our Health

Correspondent, Marie-Louise Connolly, reports.

These women provide care to elderly people, keen to continue living in

their own homes. The packages paid for by the trust, but delivered by

the independent sector. That is charities or private companies. It

can involve delivering a meal and helping people to be at an dress.

With people living longer and demanding their care be provided at

home, the health service needs to be able to expand the service. The

problem is, it is expensive, with many of the trusts are now relying

more on the independent sector to meet demand. In the western area

that trust is attempting to make spending more efficient and has

asked for existing providers to tender again for business. The BBC

understands that as a result the number of independent providers has

been reduced from 17 to just four. But jobs are safe, around 13

companies have lost their contract. What we have to do is make sure

that the money that is made available to us is spent

appropriately and prudently. What we would say he's in the way do we

proposed a contract by the independent sector is that it

offers them guarantees and safeguards for their staff which

they can translate into better terms and conditions in terms of

guaranteed ours. Those that have been successful has said they can

give the service for �10.14 per hour per patient. We feel that

price has been fixed on what the trust can afford as to what the

true cost these. We would argue that other trusts are paying over

�12 per hour. Unison assess a cheaper service may mean tougher

times for workers. It is dirty business. It is not what we want to

see from the health service. But the people who have been successful

had gone down the roots of the lowest wage and the lack of proper

terms and conditions, which appears to be permissible in the trust

document, then we are looking at exploitation. In order to meet

targets the NHS will have to use more of the private sector, but if

money is to be saved, those providers will have to be more

competitive and accept that they must tighten their belts as well.

All this week we have been looking at the issue of sex offenders and

how to reduce the risk they pose after being released from prison.

In the final part of our series, our Home Affairs Correspondent,

Vincent Kearney, talks to people who work with offenders, and to the

victims. Working with the victims of sexual

abuse and the abusers is a job most people would rather leave to others.

This woman is a police officer and a mother of one. She has been

working with sex offenders and their victims for 10 years. This

woman is a mother of three and leads a team of Probation officers

who work with offenders. * If Jews to come into this area of work.

They do it because they believe they can make a difference. It is

one of the areas we do feel that you can make an impact and make a

difference to people's lives. are responsible for monitoring and

supervising sex offenders deemed to pose a risk of that community after

being released from prison. But means talking to be abused and the

abusers on a regular basis. assessments are very detailed and

you have to ask about someone's intimate thoughts, intimate sexual

behaviour, as well as their offending. You don't just do that

once, you do that every visit, so it is incredibly challenging on an

emotional level. We are members of the community, too. We are mothers

and fathers. A while we know that their conviction - - reconviction

rates of sex offenders is relatively low, at a human level it

still has to have an impact on us. It is inevitable that there will be

cases that you will always carry with you because they are such

human thoughts around some of the victimisation that has happened,

but you can't help but actually relate to their victim, it back to

your own circumstances. He led at the end of the Day One

and he's still leading approaching the end of the Day Two. Rory

McIlroy's US Open adventure continues. Here's Austin

O'Callaghan. He began his round with a three-

shot over the rest of the field. He has ended it with an eight-stroke

lead. Despite dropping two shots at the final hole, McIlroy is on 11-

under par after a second round of 66. Stephen Watson is in the US for

BBC Newsline. It has been at quite incredible day.

A remarkable performance by Rory Mackle Roy. Barring the first crop

shots got the tournament by him on the 18th it wasn't nearly flawless

round of golf. He leads the tournament by eight shots and

breaking records galore. It is the biggest lead at the halfway stage.

Their fingers are now crossed. Today was another touch of golfing

genius. And bounce in his step and a

confident smile as Rory McIlroy stepped on to the biggest stage.

Day two of his major challenge and he simply picked up where he left

off yesterday. On the greens he rolled in birdie putts, including

this one at the 4th. And from the fairways, he played some effortless

shots, as he extended his lead to fight after half a dozen holes

played in his second round. And then appeared, a moment of magic as

he became the quickest golfer in the history of the tournament to

reach double figures under par. At total of 10 under in just 26 holes

played after this amazing second His broad smile continued to the

end. He stretched his lead to eight with more fantastic golf. He went

on to record two more birdies at the 16th and 17th for a staggering

10 job advantage. It has been another masterclass from Rory

It was an absolute pleasure to watch. He finished his round a

short time ago and we have managed to catch up with them. People meet

even though he has got a massive lead he will not get carried away.

There are still 36 holes left to play and I know better than anyone

else of the minutes that things can turn very strange and weird things

can happen. I've got to keep focused and mentally strong.

you intimidating the rest of the field away tiger would choose to

do? I don't know about that! It is nice to see your name on top of the

leaderboard and nice to see if you have got a healthy lead. It all

starts new tomorrow again and I will treat it like the last two

days. Just go wide there and try and pick my targets Paula make good

golf swings and hopefully that will be big enough. If what about the

pressure at the weekend? I have learnt from what happened at the

Masters and that will be invaluable over these next two days.

Graham McColl has just teed off on his second round at one under par,

which is tied for 8th in the tournament. But is an amazing 10

shots behind that Rory McIlroy at the moment. The big question

everyone wants to know is, Tiger Who?

Never heard of him! Donegal Gaelic footballer Michael

Murphy has won his red card appeal following his sending off against

Cavan. He is free to play in next weekend's Ulster semi-final against

Tyrone. The first of the semi-final brings Armagh and Derry face to

face at Clones on Sunday - two counties with a bit of history.

In the 1970s preparing for this game was serious business. Just how

worried hour County Armagh about his team? They are a formidable

side. They have been holder of the provincial title for the last two

years. The answer by Gerry O'Neill shows that the balance and power

back then. Derry were the team back then for a while. For today's

footballers it represents a changed times. Nobody is expecting anything

from Derry. Even the then the county itself. This year it has

been different in that it has been quieter and people are not giving

us as much hope. It is not a bad way to go into a match. The more

recent championship clashes have by and large gone the way of County

Armagh. No matter what does it has gone in the past that has no

bearing on what will happen on Sunday. You just have to try to

give your best performance. training methods may have changed,

but the uncertainty principle that is Ulster Championship football has

not. There will be live coverage on BBC

Two from 1.45pm on Sunday. If Rory McIlroy dos when it, there

will have to call it the American Ulster Open! Now to a mystery

concerning a plaque in a Belfast street. It is hidden among cobbles

on a street in the Cathedral Quarter and on closer inspection it

doesn't even seem to be written in any recognisable language. BBC

Newsline's Will Leitch has been doing some detective work and has

discovered that the plaques are at the heart of a historical debate

about King William of Orange. There is no limit to how closely we

were looking do something, and this mystery is no exception. I am in

Gordon Street in Belfast to look into these messages on to metal

plaques set into the street cobbles. They are written in English, but

what do they say? Actually, it is simply written backwards, so I have

brought along this to see if we can read it. King William enters

Belfast here in 6093 its first defended gateway. Well, King

William did enter Belfast here in the middle of June, 6090. The

race's two questions: Who put these plaques here and are they in the

right place? Historians have been arguing for years. Some prefer to

focus on John streets with accounts of King William entering Belfast by

the North Gate in that area. But there is a problem, we know he

crossed the tidal area called this France. John Street is nowhere near

the Strand, but Gordon Street ease. We showed their plaques to an

amateur historian and he is convinced. I favour that this is

the location because there was a pamphlet released a few days after

his visit which talks about his entrance through the Strand. If you

look at the maps, there is a map and 1685 the Joseph set of gates on

the Strand, and a later map talks about the strands, its maintenance

and improvement. It strikes me he had a very direct line into Belfast

and just round the corner to where the castle is. So, who put them

here? Although we have been asking this question for about the year,

nobody knows. We have asked the Orange Order, historians, the City

Council, but tourist board, even to developers to regenerate in this

area. No one seems to know who put these plaques here were when or why.

So, if you know who wanted to commemorate King Billy's arrival

and felt the need to write it backwards, do let us know.

It has been the most awful of Their heaviest rain has now moved

away, but there has been up to 30 mm in the eastern counties, West in

the West that has been a different story with the sun shining. A few

showers are popping up in the West but in most places it looks like

will be fairly dry. The dribs and drabs of rain will clear from the

East. A gradual improvement this weekend, not completely free of

rain, but during the morning tomorrow at the cloud and rain will

sink back down into County Antrim and parts of Londonderry. There

will be sunshine and showers, and it will stay that way for much of

tomorrow afternoon. Some of the shower tomorrow could be on the

sharp side with the potential of thunder. Temperatures will be