13/03/2014 BBC Newsline

early 1990s. That's all from the BBC News at Six. It's goodbye from me.

Good evening, the headlines on BBC Newsline: I'm live in Coleraine,

where I'll have the latest on the 300 job losses at the Driver and

Vehicle Agency. Four men are sentenced for one the

worst cases of animal cruelty seen in Northern Ireland. I'm in

Washington with the First and Deputy First Ministers as they prepare to

meet the vice president. Belfast Council adds its backing to the City

Airport's plans to increase its passenger numbers. Paddy Jackson

won't figure in Paris but starts for Ulster instead. And it's official:

Stephen Ferris is back on the Ravenhill bench. It's been a dry and

cloudy day which has made for some great photos. More of the same for

tomorrow. I'll have the full forecast just before 7:00pm.

The threat of 300 job losses at the Driver and Vehicle Agency has become

a reality. Government ministers in London have made clear their

intention to centralise services in Swansea by July. Motorists here will

then for the first time be able to tax their vehicles online. Seven

regional offices are affected but most of the job losses will be at

the DVA headquarters in Coleraine. David Maxwell is there. David, an

announcement the workers feared has now arrived.

Yes, and these jobs had been under threat for two years but it didn't

make it any easier for DVA staff when they received an e-mail this

morning containing the news no one wanted to hear. Within minutes of

arriving at work this morning, staff were told the news. By July, their

services were no longer required. It came as a blow to many. We are all

non-here and we're trying to take on board what has happened. -- we are

all number here. We don't know whether we will have a job and what

options are open, we don't know. I have three young kids. I'm the only

work in my household. It has a big impact on what the future holds for

myself and my family -- the only work. There are seven regional DVA

offices as well as the regional headquarters. They offer

face-to-face and postal services, but in a few months they will be

gone. The decision has concerned regular customers. It is just a

matter of walking over the bridge to get here, now you have to go to

Swansea. It's a long wait. The UK Government says it will improve

services allowing people to tax vehicles online and face-to-face

services, and future payments can be made by direct debit. Staff here say

drivers will be worse off. We have juiced services and functions in

Northern Ireland and the general public will suffer, but more

importantly, the Northern Ireland economy will suffer. We will lose in

excess of ?22 million out of the Northern Ireland economy for a

saving of ?12 million. The campaign to save the jobs has been a vigorous

one with all parties, unions and business leaders uniting. Staff want

to know now if they face redeployment or redundancy. Earlier

today we spoke to deliver Morley -- Oliver Morley from DVLA in London

and he gave some of the reasons for the changes. It is about providing

online services and away we haven't done before, and it's also about

making efficiency savings, of which there are significant savings for

the taxpayer. It is very important to know that we will be providing

both a new online service, the same one people have had in the rest of

the UK since 2004 but also access via the post office, the 175 of them

across Northern Ireland, at the same time. With me are two men who do not

agree it would be a good thing, first the mayor, and we have heard

about the impact on staff, but what about the impact on the town? It is

a brutal and devastating announcement and will have a

long-term effect on the economic future of the town. We are starting

to come out of one of the worst recessions in memory, and this sort

of loss of jobs, the type of jobs from our community will affect the

whole community, the whole of society here in Coleraine. Also with

me, John Ballot, and you fought an energetic campaign. You calling a

day? Certainly not. We are only beginning. We will stand shoulder to

shoulder and demonstrate the kind of message we need to get across to the

government who took this decision by leaders out of the country. The

assembly will discuss this on Tuesday, and let the battle really

begin. I know there are a lot of workers this evening going home

devastated, and if they're listening to this programme I hope they take

confidence that we will not let them down. Briefly, wouldn't you say it's

a good thing to be able to access services online and they can't do

that at the moment? Of course it's good to have the service. It would

have been nice if they had put the investment into Coleraine. The

standard of service it is high, much higher than in England. Thank you

for joining me this evening. I don't think we have heard the last of it

and it's due to be brought up at the Assembly and Westminster next week.

Four men from East Belfast have been given suspended prison sentences for

what the USPCA have described as among the worst cases of animal

cruelty they have seen. Jeremiah, Chris and Wayne Kirkwood, and their

co-accused Jamie Morrow, could have been sentenced to up to two years in

jail. This report from Chris Page features some very disturbing

pictures. Autumn 2011 and the joint US PCA and

police raid on the home of Jeremiah, Chris and Wayne Kirkwood in east

Belfast. They found a number of cages, some containing darks --

dogs, and some animals had signs that they had been involved in

fighting. The police came here after they found horrific videos on a

mobile phone belonging to another man, Jamie Morrow. We are going to

show you some of that footage, but we should warn you again that it is

very disturbing. This caged cat is probably a pet. A dog is set on it

and pulls the cat from the cage. The rest of the pictures are too

distressing to broadcast. In all, four dogs were allowed at the cat,

which remain alive for some time. A man shakes a tree to bring down a

cat, again probably a pet. When the cat hits the ground, two dogs are on

it. Again, the rest of the video is too graphic to show. The Kirkwood

family pleaded guilty to several offences and appeared before Belfast

Crown Court today. Jeremiah, highlighted here, is 43. Beside him

in the dock were his sons, Chris, 23, Wayne, who is 20, and he is

highlighted on the left of the picture. The man in the dark blue

top is 19-year-old Jamie Morrow, who admitted one charge. The judge

sentenced all four men to six months in jail but suspended the sentence

for two years and also banned the accused are keeping animals for ten

years. The police say the cruelty was dreadful. The images were

horrific, and again, our colleagues have confirmed its the worst they've

seen, and it's certainly the worst I've seen. On leaving court, Wayne

Kirkwood and Jamie Morrow was relieved, and Kirkwood even jubilant

as he jumped on the back of a friend.

An only son who killed his father and attacked his mother has been

cleared of charges of murder and attempted murder. Gregory Lamont

believed he was The Devil when he stabbed his parents John and Liz in

their home in the Carnvale area of Ballymena last January. He attacked

them after killing the family dog because he thought it had

supernatural powers. A Crown Court jury acquitted the 27-year-old

hospital worker on the grounds he was insane at the time of the

attacks. The First Minister has described as

unhelpful a claim by the former talks chairman Richard Haass that

Northern Ireland is at risk of returning to daily violence. Peter

Robinson and Martin McGuinness both said they did not believe that was

going to happen. The ministers are in Washington where they will meet

the Vice President. Mr McGuinness brushed aside speculation that

President Barack Obama may snub them and decline to be at their first

formal meeting with Vice President. Our political correspondent Martina

Purdy has this report from Washington.

Here in Washington, the flag is everywhere, symbol of unity for

Americans. But emblems remain problematic that these leaders, who

have failed to agree a deal on flags, parading and the past. But

they have challenged a claim by the former talks chairman, Richard

Haass, that this risks a return to violence. The overwhelming view in

the community of Northern Ireland is we want to make progress and never

go back to the dark days of the past, and I think it's probably

unhelpful for us to start talking in those terms. You don't want to talk

up violence, you want to talk up the prospect of stability and peace. I

am one of those who is optimistic about the future. I don't have any

sense that the situation will slip back to the past, and I have come to

that point of view primarily because of the commitment that I see amongst

all of those who are in government and those who are working within the

police to ensure that extremists do not destroy the peace we have

gained. Others in Washington say that Richard Haass's assessment is

realistic. There is a very urgent need for us to get a grip on things

in Northern Ireland, to get control of things and sort out the

continuing differences. The first and deputy first ministers had

scheduled a meeting this afternoon with end Kenny, but it says talks

tomorrow at the might house with the US by President -- Vice President

will reveal the mood of the Obama administration. What do people make

of speculation that he might snub this meeting? We met this President

eight times, and if it would be a snub him not to meet us nine times,

we are delighted to meet the vice president, who was actually the one

involved in terms of the Richard Haass process, so he will have an

idea of where that processes. We have dealt with three American

presidents, all of whom have given tremendous support to our peace

process. I have no doubt whatsoever that that will continue, so he will

either drop-in or he won't. Whatever spin is put on the talks tomorrow it

is not all high-level politics. Stormont's Road Minister Danny

Kennedy has been checking out cycle lanes with a view to making changes

back home. Let's get some direction on where those talks in Washington

are going. Martina Purdy joins me from Washington. Both ministers

playing down the suggestion of a risk of a return to violence, but do

you have any sense they are moving closer to breaking the deadlock on

flags, parades and in the past? Donna, the First Minister said on

some issues that they are tantalisingly close and progress is

being made. I have to say, however, I didn't get that sense from the

Deputy First Minister or the SDLP leader. I think the difficulty is we

are in an election cycle right now. In a few months time we have the

European and local government elections, and those conditions are

not conducive to political compromise. We expect the vice

president to tell ministers to finish the job, but when you put

that to them, they say they agree, but the question is, how do you do

it? They are meeting the vice president, but what else is on the

agenda? That meeting at the White House is tomorrow morning, and

around now they are expected to meet Enda Kenny, and they are attending

the gala where the elite of the Americans will be at the Ronald

Reagan Centre, and in the morning they are hosting a business

breakfast before going to the White House. Martina, thank you. Tony

Blair's chief negotiator during the peace process says he stands by his

claim that the DUP knew about concessions made to Sinn Fein over

IRA on the runs. In his book, Jonathan Powell said the DUP could

accept the scheme as long as Tony Blair wrote to Ian Paisley making it

clear it had been agreed under David Trimble's watch. Peter Robinson

described that as "nonsense". This is what Mr Powell had to say today.

The book was written in 2008, and I don't now want to go into new

suggestions about who knew what and when. The book stands and it was

based on my direst the papers of ten Downing St for the time we were in

government -- based on my diaries. We want to get Northern Ireland

politicians on solving the problems of the past are not trying to beat

each other over the head with them. More of that interview will be on

The View at 10:35pm tonight after Still to come on this programme:

rugby is reaching out, and here in west Belfast, it's really catching

on. A plan by George Best Belfast City

Airport to grow passenger numbers by changing its operating rules has won

the support of Belfast Council. But it wants the airport's promises on

noise control to be closely scrutinised at a public inquiry

which is due to be held later this year. Here's our business

correspondent Julian O'Neill. For ten years, the airport has been

trying to change one of the operating rules within its planning

agreement. It wants to scrap a ?2 million cap on the total number of

seats it can sell each year on departing flights -- 2 million cap.

A public consultation on the issue ended last week, and Belfast

councillors have now come out in support of the plan. In a decision

to be ratified in the next two weeks, they believe that the lifting

of this seating restriction will, in their word, add value to their local

economies. The airport argues that the move increases its financial

viability. Around 1000 people work here, and it will help attract new

routes like Franca -- Frankfurt. Areas under the flight path support

the change, but both councils raise the issue of noise ahead of a public

enquiry which is likely to take place this year. On balance, we felt

it was appropriate for the Council to respond positively. There will be

a local public enquiry later this year and that is the appropriate

forum to drill down and get that to the specifics of managing the noise.

The airport suggests replacing the seat cap with noise limits, but

residents say the noise will worsen as there is more scope with the

seats restriction gone. This has been a long, drawn-out saga and

there have been a number of judicial reviews. The council move will be a

boost to the airport but it also ensures that the noise issue will be

high on the agenda come the public enquiry.

A Stormont committee inquiry about alleged political interference in

the running of the Housing Executive was adjourned today after heated

exchanges. The committee was taking evidence from the Social Development

minister Nelson McCausland, when his DUP colleagues accused the Committee

Chair, a Sinn Fein MLA, of demonstrating bias.

Our Political Editor Mark Devenport reports.

Mr Hayes? This enquiry was triggered by a BBC Spotlight programme last

year which investigated allegations of wrongful interference in Housing

executive contracts. Not long after the hearing got underway, the

chair, Alex Muskie, asked the social leader if he had taken legal action

against the BBC. But the day you peek's Sammy Wilson intervened,

accusing him of in -- over seeding their terms of rations -- DUP's

Sammy Wilson intervened. Stick to that! Excuse me, I am chairing the

enquiry. You are not sharing it well. -- chairing it well. Trevor

Clark also joined the criticism of the chair. You brought this in on

your bias. If this carries on, I will adjourn the meeting. Gentlemen,

it is clear that some members have come here to be the human shield in

respect of the Minister. 50 minutes after the hearing began, the chair

decided he had heard enough. I hear adjourn the enquiry. The committee

will reconvene, but it's not clear when.

With a new-look stadium and a team that's hard to beat, Ulster rugby is

on the up. But it's still wants to reach out to new people in new

places, including West Belfast. Mark Simpson went to a coaching session

at a girls' school near the Falls Road. Go, go, go. Tag rugby in West

Belfast, and they take it seriously. Scrum down here, yellow ball. Run

forward, run forward, run, run, run! At this girls secondary school,

rugby lessons began in September last year. When it started there was

little interest because they had not seen a rugby ball, let alone handled

one. Up to Tuesday of this week, we can turn out two weeks at a blitz

tournament in Belfast. Ten players on each team, so the rise is

staggering, to be honest. It is a sign of changing times. It would be

new to the area. The girls have the opportunity to go to a match at

Ravenhill, as Ulster Rugby have supplied us with free tickets. They

went to the match on the Friday evening, and they really enjoyed it

and it would have been the first time they've been at a rugby match.

It's fantastic for them. There is no doubt it's good fun, especially on a

day like today. It is very new, it's very different, but the question

is, will it really catch on? The answer here is yes. I really enjoy

it. I want to take it on as a sport. It's really good because you get to

move a lot and it is start and stop in football, but in rugby you get

stuck in. I like it more than any other sport, but now I really enjoy

it. It is not the easiest sport in the world but it seems more and more

people are prepared to give it a try.

Well, for many years such outreach work has been part of the work of

the Ulster Orchestra which has just pulled off a major coup. It has

appointed a new international star as its chief conductor. He's from

Venezuela and says the chemistry he felt from the orchestra musicians

made him accept the job. Our arts correspondent Maggie Taggart met him

as he rehearsed for a preview concert. Rafael will begin the

Ulster Orchestra job in the Ulster Orchestra jobbing orchestra --

September. He has homes all over the world and has performed with many

great orchestras, but is used, hair and casual style makes him a rock

star. I do not know if I am a rock star, but we will see. I want to

have fun and make sure that people enjoy it. He had no reluctance to

commit to Northern Ireland after meeting the orchestra. There was a

nice chemistry between us and it was fun. It was a little bit magic.

Raphael was helped to worldwide fame by an organisation in Venezuela

which gives free tuition and concert tickets to encourage young children.

He is hoping to carry that on in Northern Ireland. These pupils made

their own pretend violins to take part in a concert with him.

Everything has to be for the kids, and then if I am part of that, and

once I was a kid, and I was influenced by everything, and I had

the opportunity to work with this type of music because of the system.

The children have been drilled in how to play and how to address their

famous visitor. Only if he tells you to. What are you supposed to call

him? You are supposed to call him maestro. Rafael wants to play down

the traditions in the hope of bringing classical music to a

younger audience. We saw earlier the coating that is

going on to encourage a greater interest in rugby in West Belfast.

-- coaching. Perhaps some new fans for this weekend's Six Nations game

with Ireland taking on France. Mark Sidebottom is here. And the team is

a predictable one. Pretty much as anticipated. The big

fellow is back for the big one. A win will see Joe Schmidt's side

clinch the Six Nations title. O'Mahoney comes back after

recovering from a hamstring strain sustained in the defeat to England.

As a result, Ulster's Iain Henderson is back on the bench, but Paddy

Jackson is out of the squad altogether as Ian Madigan gets the

nod as deputy to Jonny Sexton. The coach says the reason for that is

Madigan's greater versatility. We have a few guys who are just

under par little bit, without conveying too much information.

Regarding that we want to make sure we have coverage across-the-board.

Ian Madigan has played ten, 12 and 13, both in finals. To cover our

options we needed him to cover those positions. If we were to start the

game and Jonny Sexton was unavailable, he would have started.

-- Paddy would have started. So Jackson goes straight into the

Ulster starting line-up for tomorrow night's Rabo Pro 12 game against

Scarlets. But the big news ahead of that game

is the confirmation that Stephen Ferris is in the squad and will be

on the bench at Ravenhill. He trained with the squad today and

it's remarkable to think when he last played not a sod had been

turned or a stand built in the new Ravenhill.

He's been out since November 2012, but the ankle has healed.

It will be good to get him back, it will be a great boost to the rest of

the squad. The is obviously champing at the bit to get into the mix, as

well. Everyone has had to have patience to get him back to this

stage. I know that Stephen is a little bit frustrated, he wants to

be on Friday night in the Jersey bashing into people and scoring

tries. He wants to get back on the paddock and everyone involved in

Ulster Rugby wants him back there. I saw him today and he looked rather

does. The game is live on BBC Two tomorrow

from 7pm. At Cheltenham today, Annie power suffered her first ever defeat

as Barry Geraghty's horse More of That beat the Irish trained there

into the second position. Jonjo O'Neill's horse edged out the

favourite by a length for a fifth consecutive win.

The eleven-year-old Big Bucks, who had won this event every year from

2009 to 2012 was never in the contest and was retired after the

race. Earlier, AP McCoy, still nursing a back injury, claimed his

first win of the Festival when he rode 7-to-1 shot to victory in the

Novices' Chase full. In a sulky, the new British

champions beat the new British champions beat fieldbus died when

the Belfast Giants thumped the Nottingham Panthers 4-1 at the

Odyssey Stadium. Weather was pretty good today, let's

get the forecast. get the

It has been another dry and cloudy day today which has made for

fantastic photography. This was dusk last night, beautiful light. If

anything I think the light at Don Lewes Castle was even better. --

Dunluce Castle. Prize goes to this one. It is another cloudy night

tonight and the mist and fog starts to roll in. It is a mild night so we

will see lows of six or seven Celsius. Friday is cloudy, but

breezy. I don't think the River Bann will lick that still tomorrow. The

upside is that freshening western wind will clear out the mist and fog

quickly through the morning. It brings just a chance of light rain

in the West but not a bad day despite the cloud. We are going to

see temperatures into double figures, ten or 11 Celsius through

the day. The best of any brightness will come across the eastern half of

Northern Ireland. It is of course Gold Cup day at Cheltenham. If you

are lucky enough to be heading to the races you are in for a beautiful

day, 12 Celsius, the going is good to soft in places, and there is full

coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live. Test of luck if you are there. Through

Friday evening, another mild night. Temperatures down to five or six

Celsius. We have this high pressure system looking after our weather for

the last week or so. It is still the dominant force over the weekend but

does not offer us quite as much detection. By Saturday we will have

a chance of light rain working in and some decent temperatures. On

Sunday we are likely to see a little more green, not enough to ruin your

weekend at all. A lovely settled quality over the next few days, just

missing out on those blue skies. Our latest summary is at 10:25pm is you

10:25pm zero BBC One. Thank you for watching. Goodbye.

Hello, Mr Walsh, I'm Ciara's...friend.

I'm Tony, Ciara's da, and this is my life partner,