15/03/2016 BBC Newsline

The prison officer who died today almost two weeks after a dissident

republican bombing served the entire community,

Adrian Ismay had been recovering and had attended a passing out

ceremony for new recruits just last Friday.

The 52 year old was a father of three, and a grandfather,

- it's thought he died from a heart attack.

Our Home Affairs Correspondent Vincent Kearney reports.

Is that these cards freeze by dissident republicans who put the

bomb under the car of Adrian Ismay. Just yards from his home today,

floral tributes were placed in memory of a man who had been a

prison officer for 28 years. It was in this spot that the bomb exploded

as he drove to work 11 days ago. He was said to have escaped death

because the device dislodge when he drove over a speed RAM. The

52-year-old was released from hospital a few days later. His death

has come as a shock to his family, friends and former colleagues, just

last week the police said his injuries were not as serious as

first thought. They were described as neither life-threatening or

life-changing and he was expected to make a full recovery. It is

understood the prison officers suffered a heart attack at home this

morning and he was treated by paramedics before going to hospital

where it is believed he suffered a further seizure and died a short

time later. It has not yet been established whether his death was a

direct result of the injuries and drama he suffered in the bomb

attack. There will have to be further investigations. We should

not lose sight of the human tragedy and deep grief and sadness that has

been visited on this family, and other family, unnecessarily

traumatised and grief brought to bear upon them because of people

using violence in this way which is inexcusable. One man has already

appeared in court charged with attempted murder. The officer

leading the investigation released CCTV footage and photographs of two

cars that police believe were used by those who carried out the attack.

I am keen to hear from anyone who might have information about the

movement of these vehicles. The first one is a red Citroen C three

which I believe was used by those planting the device at around 2:20am

in the early hours of Friday March the 4th. The second vehicle is a

silver Skoda Fabio and it is my understanding and I believe that a

male was dropped off from this vehicle in the pilot Street area of

Belfast in the docks area, around 3am on the morning of Friday March

the 4th and I am appealing for anyone who saw this or who knows the

identity of this man to come forward to police. The Justice Minister

spoke of his shock at news of the death. We thought he was making a

recovery, he was in good form, he went to Hydebank Wood to see his

most recent recruits passing out last Friday and then to hear today,

the news is devastating and our thoughts are with his family. Prison

sources say that some dissident republicans in Maghaberry celebrated

the news of the death of Adrian Ismay Anton did prison officers by

smoking cigars in the exercise yard. Meanwhile the First and Deputy first

ministers discussed the death of Adrian Ismay with President Obama

in Washington a short time ago. They're in the US capitol this week

as part of an investment trip. From there our economics

and Business editor John Campbell The ministers are here to sell the

new Northern Ireland. The promotion of a forward-looking investment

location, but this morning there was a dark echo of the past and that

formed part of their discussion with the President. Obviously we

reflected on the death of Adrian Ismay today. The fact that we were

creating hope in Northern Ireland and that is what we were all about

and we talked about investment and economic development and we had

quite a long time to discuss all of those matters and we are grateful

that he gave us that amount of time. We are deeply saddened by the death

of Adrian Ismay. We are thinking of his wife and his three daughters at

this time. We emphasised to the President and all those in

authorities here in the United States that we are going to stand

together and we know that the strategy of these people who are

committed to try and plunge us back to the past is to destroy everything

we have built up collectively over the past 20 years and we will not

allow that to happen. The ministers seem determined that the purpose of

their visit would not be around and Martin McGuiness will stay here for

a dinner, while the First Minister travelled to Silicon Valley for a

meeting with potential investors. The head of the Prison Service will

be live on good morning Ulster tomorrow morning after the eight

o'clock news. The Education Minister says he's

concerned about the ongoing issues at De La Salle College in west

Belfast where today up to 50 sixth form pupils walked out in protest

at the number of teachers off sick. At least 24 teachers

were absent again today, It's understood some staff have

expressed concerns about how Our Education Correspondent

Robbie Meredith reports. An extraordinary sight in the middle

of the school day. Sixth formers leaving their own school due to what

they say are concerns about their own education. There are not enough

teachers to cover the classes and it is affecting everyone, we are

falling behind, I am studying three A-levels and I have got substitutes

and I am mindful for that and I am grateful that there is someone

teaching me, but at the same time, there is not the emotional

connection and a friendly connection there as there was with the original

features. Around 20 worried parents had gathered at the school gates. My

son is doing physical education and they are not getting to do a lot of

that at the moment. Yesterday he came home and the hall was cordoned

off and they were not allowed to go in and they had to go to study hall.

He needs the two grades to get into Queens. I am very concerned and at

one point he was talking about dropping out and I do not want him

to do that. I understand that at least 24 teachers out of a full-time

staff of 70 were absent again today. At one point to parents did go in

for a meeting with the printable. I asked if the situation could be

resolved and and she did not say yes or no. I said because this is nearly

a year and I do not feel it will be resolved any time soon. This is

still a fluid situation, I went into the school briefly but no one was

available for interview and a member of staff told me that the school was

fully functioning but given the high levels of staff absence and the

walk-out by pupils at is hard to see how there cannot be some disruption.

The pupils did later returned to school but this afternoon the union

said it would ballot its teachers for further targeted industrial

action so there is no sign that the ongoing problems will be resolved

quickly. A group protesting over the closure

of a substance abuse project in Belfast have held a rally this

evening outside its headquarters The Forum for Action

on Substance Abuse or FASA employed The group's finances

are being investigated Supporters say they will continue

to campaign for services We want to make all the other

services in the area aware that potentially there are lot of

vulnerable people and that they will need that extra help from other

services and other services have acknowledged that they are willing

to up to the plate and to play their part in supporting us and supporting

these people. The leader of Ni21, Basil McCrea has

said he is leaving politics. The MLA told the Belfast Telegraph

he would not contest the assembly election and was seeking

a new career in business The party imploded on the eve

of the elections two years ago when Mr McCrea fell out with deputy

leader John McCallister over whether the party should

define itself as unionist. Earlier this month, the assembly

standards commissioner dismissed all complaints of misconduct

brought against Mr McCrea. Almost two million pounds is to be

spent inspiring the next generation The money will provide environmental

projects that will be made available to fifteen thousand

young people here. One such project has seen Atlantic

salmon being raised in a primary school classroom and released

in a Belfast river. Our Environment Correspondent

Conor Macauley reports. On a lovely spring day, school is no

place for nature lovers, so these pupils near Lisburn have taken to

the outdoor classroom. There are a river near Belfast to release salmon

they have been baby-sitting for months. I just love watching nature

grow and watching how they survive and learning more about them. How do

they grow? We know how we grow but how do they grow? They are living in

their wild habitat. It is fascinating. While looking after

these fish the children have been learning about them, bringing their

life cycle alive. Now the day has come to say goodbye. I think the

children, having cared for and nurtured the animals, will take a

very close interest in all things to do with concentration in the future.

The water in the classroom tank is water from the river. We are not

exactly sure we think the salmon are using the chemical composition to

help guide them back to the spawning spot after a couple of years in the

Atlantic Ocean. All this is part of a new project that will see 15,000

young people in courage to develop a love of nature, the lottery money

will fund environmental schemes and the Belfast health partnership. It

is all about the Next Generation, to encourage young people to learn

about their environment, to be excited and passionate, they are the

future ambassadors, the future, they will be standing up and making the

policies and decisions and making a difference. They have been taught

about the harsh side of nature, the risks the fish will face like

predators and pollution. They know that only 3% of them will return to

spawn in a couple of years and in this case, that is just five adult

salmon. Hollywood star Liam Neeson has

lent his support to a Co Antrim hurling team in all Ireland final

in Dublin on Saint Patrick's day. Ruairi Og Cushendall will take

on Na Piarsaigh of County Limerick The big man played hurling as a boy

in his home town of Ballymena Bring the trophy home, boys. I

wonder who this will go to next! Now here's Cecilia Daly

with the weather forecast. Good evening. It has been another

lovely day and over the last couple of nights, we have had some stunning

sunsets, because we have been starved of sunshine, we are really

enjoying our sunsets. Tonight, with the clear skies, it means it will

get quite cold, particularly in the West were skies are likely to stay

clearest for longest, there will be areas of cloud and there will be

missed and fog in places as we get quite low temperatures across parts

of Fermanagh and Tyrone. Not as clear a start, Gray in places, but

it will hopefully brighten up quickly. He prepared for missed and

low cloud tomorrow, it will gradually brighten as the day goes

on, the best of the sunshine is in the West and across the Republic of

Ireland, the western counties will have the best sunshine, western

Scotland will enjoy sunny welder -- but missed and low cloud and the

rest of Scotland and low cloud and drizzle will affect Eastern counties

of England, West is best tomorrow, the best of the sunshine and the

highest temperatures will be there. We saw a couple of 14 degrees across

the country, but it will be a little bit down on today. St Patrick 's Day

will be cooler and cloudy but it will still be dry with hints of

brightness in parts of the West. The settled weather continues heading

towards the weekend with plenty of dry weather but more cloud around

and a bit cooler. Our next BBC Newsline is at six

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