16/12/2011 BBC Newsline

This is BBC Newsline. They headlines: Could the Republic's bad

debt agency be about to step into the Northern Ireland mortgage

market? The alleged IRA informer Freddie

Scappaticci may give evidence in the Smithwick Tribunal.

Storms bring down 20 miles of cables in the Sperrin Mountains.

One night of severe weather with over 80 men sites try to get this

repair. Derry's walls falling again. A

second wall collapses behind a row of houses. The fire service were

here last night and they said they are more concerned about Beth --

the next door neighbour and a because that was ready to go as

well. Bars across Northern Ireland are

packed with people out celebrating for Christmas. So why is today

called Black Eye Friday? We reveal the winner of this trophy for the

BBC Northern Ireland Sports personality of the year. And with

many weather warnings in place, just how cold will be?

Good evening. House prices have fallen in Northern Ireland by as

much as 50% from their peak four years ago. The Republic's so-called

bad and NAMA could offer a solution for potential buyers worrying about

falling prices. This proposal has been welcomed by Sammy Wilson, the

finance minister. Negative equity, where your mortgage is larger than

the value of your home, FX 40,000 households here. This scheme would

not help them, but would help -- offer comfort to nervous buyers in

this market. They call it the bad bank because

it took over all the bad property loans that choked up the Irish

banking system. Now it is about to get involved in some angel

financing. NAMA will pilot a scheme in the Republic in the new year

which will guarantee homebuyers against falling values. Over a

five-year period, if a house for through the scheme loses anything

off -- up to 20% of the value, NAMA pays the equivalent slice of the

mortgage. It is interested in doing the same in Northern Ireland.

People have a fear, understandably, that the day after they by they

will be in negative equity of Price begins to fall. We're trying to

trial a product that gives them some guarantee. Will that be

available to Northern Ireland? Let us see how it pans out here first.

The scheme can only apply to Number controlled properties. Its impact

here will be limited. Do people need to worry about falling prices

or have we hit rock bottom? market seems to be stabilising.

Looking across the second and third quarter here, prices have been

firming up. I think we're getting close to the trough. Having said

that, there is a lot of major activity that we do not know the

overall impact of. The property boom was fuelled by a mix of cheap

money and greed. Greed is gone. Fear is here. Schemes like this

might be enough to bolster confidence.

Later in the programme, we will hear about it tends to save a

listed building that has been passed on to NAMA's books.

Freddie Scappaticci may give evidence to the Dublin-based

Smithwick Tribunal which is investigating claims of garda

collusion in the murders of two senior RUC officers. This follows a

day of evidence from British agent Kevin Fulton. A dramatic day in

terms of what has been emerging. Let us turn to the suggestion that

Scappaticci may give evidence. That is right. To clarify, his name

is mentioned in evidence, which is why he has a tribunal. He claims he

was an agent. Mr Scappaticci's council wants a second lawyer

appointed. The judge said he was considerate, but attached a number

of provisos. He wanted Scappaticci to travel to Dublin to give

evidence in person. The council's reply was that they McGuinness

consideration. Howard and the former bomb-maker

Patrick Blair? Mr Blair has previously told the

tribunal that he had no part in the Omagh bombing. Today, Kevin Fulton,

the former secret agent in the IRA, spoke about how he came to the

conclusion that Patrick "Mooch" Blair was effectively also an agent.

He said after the Omagh bomb, I did target him, but was thwarted by

police. He claimed he passed information on to his handlers and

the Leeds were not followed up. He claims that Patrick "Mooch" Blair

was being protected by state agencies. The tribunal will not

hear new evidence until the New Year again.

A large oil tanker is in difficulties off the coast of

Donegal. Coastguard says the captain has reported cracks in the

deck but that there is no leak. It is carrying more than 55,000 tons

of gas oil and is halted 25 miles off Tory Island. It is heading to

Belfast for repairs. If you think you have a hard job,

think about this one. Climbing up hundreds of feet up a high on in

the countryside in sub-zero temperatures. It is happening right

now as engineers worked to repair it -- repaired cables in the

Sperrin Mountains. The tables were damaged in a storm on Tuesday night.

Repairing them is a massive undertaking.

The snow is deep in the Sperrins, but nothing compared to Wednesday

morning when engineers first got a clear look at the damage done over

6th consecutive pylons. Snow to track the cables down to the ground

and broke them. Driving up from Moneyneany, Alastair Fenton, an

engineer, gives me an idea about the job in hand. There is damage to

conduct his. Some of them are damaged to the extent we will have

to replace them entirely. The road has been gritted and cloud. It is

close to normal traffic. These wires a PR handing down onto the

road. I can turn and go back again if I have to. They have been

engineers on site since Wednesday, working all day and into the hours

of darkness. They are taken aback by the damage done in one storm.

The snow came in across the mountainside. It accumulated on the

conduct is. That added extra weight on to the conductor's which brought

them to the ground and broke them. It means a normally silent hillside

has become a hive of activity. night of severe weather with over

80 men on side trying to repair these lines. We have drafted in men

from our sister Kennedy from Letterkenny and Dundalk. Working in

these conditions is tiring and exhausting for everyone involved.

After a day of climbing, you do not need to go to the gym! Behind me,

1.5 miles of new cables are being strung between two Island's. There

are 80 men working here, and they will be here from 6am until 10pm

well into next week. The Sun has been trying to break through all

day. It offers little warmth for the men 160 ft above the hillside

this evening, clipped on to a freezing metal pylon in the pitch

dark. Still to come: A victim of the

property price slump. The campaign to save this listed

building in North Down. Live in a Belfast bar full of

Christmas parties. Why is it known as Black Eye Friday? I will have

the answer in a few minutes. The Executive is being asked for

its out -- help in Londonderry where two held -- retaining walls

have collapsed. One caused a landslide and another caused

extensive damage in Harding Street. Emergency talks were held today.

These families are looking for help. They have a courtier -- been

brought here by Derry City Council to look at what can be done to

protect their homes. Two high walls have been -- collapsed within two

days of each other. It is over two days since the landslide and the

rubble and debris. According to local residents, it is still

dangerous. The First Minister is being asked to intervene to provide

funding and support. Derry City Council officials have

made it clear they do not own the walls. In one Stormont to help.

we need here is some sophisticated engineering assistance to look at

the wall to establish the stability of the structure to -- before any

work is commenced. We really do need some assistance from central

government and we have put him that the quest today. We hope they might

get some direction. Agencies are starting to work together, but

residents are preparing for a lengthy process. It is an unusual

situation. It is a hilly city. This is something that is going to

require a lot of people to communicate with each other. The

insurance companies need to communicate with the council and

with their clients and with each other. This man has lived here for

over 30 years. He spent most of today's surveying the damage.

completely flabbergasted. It made such a difference for the wall to

be a -- completely away. I have been here 34 years. I have never

experienced anything like this before. The full extent of the

damage is still not clear. It has been revealed that thousands

of people have been sent to prison for not paying fines. A website

called The Detail found that many fines were issued for minor crimes

like riding a bike without a lights or fishing without a licence. Three

of the fines were for just �1. Legislation calls for an

alternative. I think they should be made to work in the community, and

the Department for justice in Northern Ireland has set up a pilot

scheme in Newry and that scheme is making people who default on fines

pay by working in the community. For example, they would have to go

to an old people's home and help out there.

It will be a late night in Brussels where fishing quotas are once again

up for negotiation. Michelle O'Neill is their fight in a

European Commission plan for the closure of Irish Sea cod fishing.

Our consumer Correspondent has been assessing the impact on consumers

and fishmongers. It is a busy market here for the

fishmongers. With Christmas coming up prawns are a big seller. All

those for cartels have to be served up. The biggest talking point his

cot. The European Commission is proposing a zero catch on the Irish

Sea next year. Will that leave fishermen and fishmongers with no

cot? Despite the size of this fish, cod on a plentiful here. It has

been banned since locally caught cod Cup have been available.

Shoppers do not need to be told how a scarcity has driven up prices.

The last four months we have had to bring cod from the Shetland Islands,

the Faroe Islands, Scotland, because our fishermen locally have

been catching a fish like this and that had to throw it back overboard.

They do not have a quota to land this type of fish. There are fish

like that in the Irish Sea chi mac yes. The fishermen are not allowed

to catch it. We have to go and buy from the Shetland Islands and

Aberdeen and Peter heads. Yes, you cannot get the supplies, but

transport in that is more expensive They are no shortage of prawns and

the Irish Sea, but inevitably, are boards also catch some cot. That is

why the a patient -- European Commission plan to cut our cot next

year by 19%. It is an issue for consumers, but so are the price

rises which result from restricting catches. Shoppers are hoping the

local fleet can continue to land a wide variety of fish. Herring and

mackerel. A lot about cot? I don't like cod, but there are lots of

others. I like salmon. And trout. And smoked whiting. What about cot

did? Lovely, but expensive. Many shoppers will be steaming, grilling

or frying their favourite fish. In Brussels, fisheries ministers face

a long night as they search for compromise that in the competing

demands of conservationists and fishing communities.

We heard earlier about the Republic's bad debt agency, NAMA.

It is now the owner of many properties and sites across

Northern Ireland. Among them is one of North Down's landmark buildings,

the station house at Cultra. It has been derelict for years, and one

plan to restore it to its former glory evaporated with the end of

the property boom. Now, local campaigners are calling for someone

to step in and save the listed building before it's too late. Here

is our district journalist, Claire Savage.

But when Cultra railway station was built, it was designed to be as

grand as the neighbouring houses, but it has been derelict for years.

You look at the outside, the boards are all very decorative. It is very

unique, it is a unique building. From a design point of view.

listed building is on the Belfast to Bangor railway line. I think the

concerns are read that the body might be vandalised. We should

secure the building, for now and for the future. In Northern Ireland,

we do not really do that, we do not see the value of built heritage.

Loans have been transferred to the Irish bad debt agency, NAMA. That

is an even greater concern for some. It is on the market for �450,000.

It is a piece of history. The look of the building is attractive. It

is rare to find properties with such a character on the market

today, and also, you will rarely find new-build property that this

character. North Down would love this to be restored. Even a

planning permission has been granted for a change of usage,

somewhat part of it open to the public. It is so unique as a

station. The old fire left, -- the old fireplace, they could come in

and have a copy of coffee, see the old signs and wonder after the

museum. But unless the new owner is found, it could be goodbye to this

bygone building. The race is hotting up to see who

will be the next Northern Ireland football manager. Here's Stephen

Watson. Jim Eggleton was into the, Michael

O'Neill is next. Michael O'Neill has ruled out the

possibility of joining forces with Jim Magilton to Koh manage Northern

Ireland. Both men are on the Irish Football Association's shortlist.

O'Neill, who parted company with Shamrock Rovers after last night's

Europa League defeat by Tottenham, will be interviewed for the

international job on Monday. Austin O'Callaghan reports.

The Irish words on this than any in many thanks, a message from

Shamrock Rovers supporters to this Ulsterman, who has guided the leak

of Ireland's most famous club two league titles and the group stages

of the Europa League. His players one at that -- were unable to give

him a winning send-off last night. The question now is, well O'Neill's

next job the at international level? I am in a situation where I

am not tied to a club, so it jobs become available and I can apply

for those jobs, I have enjoyed by three years here, but it is the

right time for me to move on. O'Neill's assistant at Shamrock

Rovers has been Jim Magilton, one of the names he is up against for

the Northern Ireland job. If successful, O'Neill says he is

clean for Jim Magilton to be part of his backroom team, but they can

only be one boss. We are close friends, so at the end of the day,

so we will see what happens. Those things can be discussed at a future

date. If Jim gets the job, I will be delighted for him. But and two

the Irish Football Association makes his choice, Michael O'Neill

and Jim Magilton our competitors, not team-mates.

There has been a managerial merry- go-round in local football. It is

all change in dug-outs throughout the Irish League tomorrow. There

are new manager is in charge of Carrick Rangers, Ballymena United

and Dungannon Swifts, while Gary Hamilton faces a tough baptism has

Glenavon's new boss as his side travel to league leaders Linfield.

-- new managers. The last time Gary Hamilton faced

Linfield, he had just been named Player of the month and scored both

goals in this victory. It is understandable that after

experiences like that, tomorrow's opponents will love be taking Gary

Hamilton the manager for granted. We thought about it in training

last night. You are trying to impress new managers, so it will be

very tough. Hamilton Bottoms Up out of the existing six months of his

existing contract from his own pocket. -- bought himself up. He

cannot play Glenavon until the new year but she has confidence his

squad will raise their game. As a person, a player, a manager, you

want to go to places like Windsor Park. It is a big match. A big

crowd. You want to showcase yourself as a player, you do it

there. Hamilton has already been in a winning side against Linfield

twice this season and it will be managerial debut to the Member for

the Glenavon fans. Ulster face Aironi tomorrow in

Italy in the Heineken Cup. New signing Stefan Terblanche is lucky

to be making the trip at all. The South African player's new passport

went missing. But as you can see from this picture, it is a good job

Ulster have connections at the Post Office, as Nial Foster explains.

It was hard enough getting Stefan Terblanche into the country because

a paper work, but today Ulster had problems getting him out. We got a

phone call from director of rugby in Ulster who asked us if he could

-- we could have the find a passport for one of their players,

who was flying out to Italy that afternoon and could not find his

passport, it had not arrived. We got all the staff looking for this

particular package. Pamela is the mother of Louis Stevenson and the

post of his's connections to the team do not end there. -- the Post

Office. We were able to deliver the passport this morning to Stefan

Terblanche and he came along with some of his colleagues. He was very

happy and that asked if I could have a photograph with him. I'm

very pleased. And now it is up to Ulster to

deliver a first class performers tomorrow in Italy. -- performance.

And there is live commentary on BBC Radio Ulster.

Finally tonight, we can reveal that Rory McIlroy is the winner of BBC

Sport NI's Sports Personality of the Year award for 2011. In an

amazing year, the golfer from Holywood made his major

breakthrough, winning the US Open at Congressional in June. And he

has just finished this season second only to Luke Donald on the

Money List. He is currently recovering from a virus, but he

took time today to acknowledge this We hope so, too! We will catch up

with him next week, because he and Darren Clarke are both nominated

for the main BBC Sports personality of the Year award. Darren was the

run up, but it was a very tight. I would not have liked to be the

judge. Have you had your Christmas party

yet? Yes.

Was a good? It was memorable.

Yes, it is still nine days to Christmas, but when it comes to the

festive calendar, this is a very important date. That is because it

is one of the biggest party nights of the year, when most work do's

are on. It is officially known as Black Eye Friday. Sounds ominous!

Our reporter Natasha Sayee is at a packed Belfast bar to tell us more.

I hope you can hear me. I can just about hear you. I heard you say you

are a civilised hour party, not too sure about that! If this is the

biggest party night of the year. Lots of people celebrating, since

lunchtime. It is called Black Eye Friday. Why? These explain the name.

Black Eye Friday, back in the days when men were men, the last wage,

it came out before Christmas, spend it all may be on the way home in

the pub and end up with the odd bruise or two. Friday Night Is

Black Friday, they have to work so hard, where everyone does what we

are more famous for, enjoying themselves. There has been some

confusion because we have next Friday as well, so which one is the

real Black Eye Friday? Technically, it is always the one before

Christmas. But let's not criticise it, Christmas has come early, let's

have two of them! They are two good opportunities to get out and

socialise and be a good Republican. Thanks very much indeed. A

furtively is back to the office. We cannot stay out, no rest for the

wicked. You left as I arrived last week,

Natasha! Natasha!

Now let's get a look at the weather. Forget about Black Eye Friday for

the time being, it is more like black ice Friday. We have a weather

warning enforced from the Met Office. Be aware of ice forming on

the roads overnight. Some black ice as well, in case you are driving

overnight. The showers will continue to pursue an from the West

through the night. Falling on already frozen ground. That will

introduce the real risk of ice. Temperatures between zero and minus

two degrees. It will be a crispy start to the weekend and we will

hold on to that mixed weather. Wintry showers at first, mostly

confined to the North and west. Elsewhere, a fairly TriStar. Bright

with some sunshine across Fermanagh, Armagh and County Down. -- a fairly

TriStar. They will be pitched for the South by the wind. Those winds

coming in from the chilly North West. It will feel much colder than

that. Those showers will have a mix of wintry weather, some rain, sleet

and snow. For the South east corner, he could stay dry and bright for

most of the day before the damper and greyer weather makes its way

there. Into the evening, cloud drifting further south, for the

showers to come. Once again, the Blues come on the Mac quite rapidly

overnight into Sunday. -- the map. Another frosty night, and another

weather warning is in force going into Sunday's FA icy conditions.

That will last in to Monday. Holding on to win two showers,

especially for the North coast. Elsewhere, a dry a picture. It is

not until the beginning of next week that another weather front

pushes in from the Atlantic, bringing rain. The temperatures

will be much milder, beginning to will be much milder, beginning to

see double figures by Wednesday. Are late summary is at 10.25 Andy