:00:13. > :00:23.Good evening. This is BBC Newsline with Donna Traynor and Noel
:00:23. > :00:24.
:00:24. > :00:29.Thompson. The headlines this Tuesday evening: the multi-million-
:00:29. > :00:35.pound contract row. On the trail of the prostitution
:00:35. > :00:38.trade operating in broad daylight in Belfast city centre. Racist
:00:38. > :00:45.bullying in the classroom - schools are accused of not doing enough to
:00:45. > :00:48.stop it. Our series of rare archive films continues. And it may have
:00:48. > :00:54.brightened after the wet start, but don't be putting the umbrellas away
:00:54. > :00:57.The row between the Housing Executive and the Housing Minister
:00:57. > :01:00.over the cancellation of a muti- million pound maintenance contact
:01:00. > :01:05.deepened today and is threatening to spill over into a meeting of
:01:05. > :01:07.Stormont Executive later in the week. The Housing Executive has
:01:07. > :01:14.described the minister Nelson McCausland's actions as
:01:14. > :01:16."incomprehernsible". The Minister has alleged there is a pattern of
:01:16. > :01:19.overcharging in the public housing body which he wants investigated.
:01:19. > :01:24.We will be hearing shortly from the former DSD Minster Alex Attwood,
:01:24. > :01:34.who was in office when a contract was ended. But first this from our
:01:34. > :01:36.
:01:36. > :01:39.business correspondent Kevin Magee. Then get this how the staff of this
:01:39. > :01:44.company greeted the news that the multi-million pound contract had
:01:44. > :01:49.been pulled. The Housing Executive said it had made the decision after
:01:49. > :01:59.uncovering clear evidence of significant overcharging, something
:01:59. > :01:59.
:01:59. > :02:06.the company no-one denies. The -- something the company denies. Red
:02:06. > :02:10.sky then went into administration. The Housing Minister says there is
:02:10. > :02:15.clear evidence around issues of double charging for work involving
:02:15. > :02:18.more than one contractor, and he has ordered an investigation.
:02:18. > :02:28.seems that when you turn over stones, you never know what you
:02:28. > :02:30.
:02:30. > :02:38.will find. An internal Menno -- memo described the contract as
:02:38. > :02:42.incomprehensible. Could also talked-about conversations taking
:02:42. > :02:52.place with the former senior management of the company. The memo
:02:52. > :03:03.
:03:03. > :03:13.The Housing Executive paper also said it believes former senior
:03:13. > :03:23.
:03:23. > :03:33.management at the Red Sky could get Jim Alastair said that there was
:03:33. > :03:46.
:03:46. > :03:51.It is thought the entire issue could be raised for discussion at
:03:51. > :03:55.this week's meeting of the Stormont Executive.
:03:55. > :03:58.We did ask the minister Nelson McCausland to come on the programme,
:03:58. > :04:01.but he was not available. Alex Attwood of the SDLP was the
:04:01. > :04:04.Minister in charge of social development when the Housing
:04:04. > :04:13.Executive cancelled its contact with Red Sky in April. He says he's
:04:13. > :04:17.taken aback by Nelson McCausland's decisions. Why? I believe the
:04:17. > :04:22.housing Executive had an extensive, exhaustive inquiry into the affairs
:04:22. > :04:27.of red sky, and as minister, I was entirely satisfied with the cause
:04:27. > :04:31.of action that terminating the contract was the right thing to do.
:04:31. > :04:35.But it wasn't the only contractor or where questions were raised.
:04:35. > :04:41.This is why the minister wants a new independent forensic
:04:41. > :04:46.investigation. It is for Nelson McCausland to explain why two years
:04:46. > :04:51.of investigation led to termination, and turned on its head after two
:04:51. > :04:55.months. What is his evidence for so doing? If he does have concerns
:04:55. > :05:02.about other contractors, and I did, there was never any occasion when
:05:02. > :05:12.the scale and the magnitude of the claims and allegations against A
:05:12. > :05:13.
:05:13. > :05:21.red Sky work made against others. After alleged meetings involving
:05:21. > :05:26.DUP officials and ministers and members, the contract that red sky
:05:26. > :05:30.have not challenge the termination of was reinstated. What are you
:05:30. > :05:35.referring? I am asking Nelson McCausland where is the evidence
:05:35. > :05:38.that leads to his conclusion that a Contractor around whom there are
:05:38. > :05:45.serious allegations of overcharging and lack of performance should be
:05:45. > :05:50.reinstated. How does that serve the tenant's interest? Is it not a
:05:50. > :05:55.responsible act by the Minister to not create a vacuum, and as you
:05:55. > :06:02.said, continued to repair houses, to have his independent forensic
:06:02. > :06:06.examination? He clearly thinks that there are still queries over some
:06:06. > :06:13.of the contractors. There was another independent investigation
:06:13. > :06:17.that led to termination. The Housing Executive should consider
:06:17. > :06:22.his viewpoint, but that did not contradict the fact that there is a
:06:22. > :06:31.pool of evidence of overcharging and lack of performance at A red
:06:32. > :06:35.sky, and that doesn't mean that they should now be reinstated. I
:06:35. > :06:42.think that Nelson McCausland and other ministers need to consider
:06:42. > :06:46.very quickly and more appropriate response to the situation. So you
:06:47. > :06:52.will raise this at the next Executive meeting? I have kept my
:06:52. > :06:56.counsel, and have tried and a number of occasions to meet of
:06:56. > :07:00.Nelson McCausland. This has come to nothing. Consequently, I advised
:07:00. > :07:09.the First Minister this afternoon that I want this raised at annual
:07:09. > :07:16.business on Thursday's Executive meeting. -- any other business. A
:07:16. > :07:23.lot of other issues could be raised that I have not raised to date. The
:07:23. > :07:28.DUP need to save what is going on and do just as change their course.
:07:28. > :07:33.The minister has made his decision. He was a new investigation. You are
:07:33. > :07:38.looking for under a rule that and disregarded? I was a very robust
:07:38. > :07:43.Minister. I initiated a number and encouraged a number of inquiries in
:07:43. > :07:49.the housing Executive in order to ensure that the tenons were served,
:07:49. > :07:53.the public was protected. I agree with any minister who says to any
:07:53. > :07:59.party, you must perform better. I agree with Nelson McCausland in
:07:59. > :08:01.that regard. What I do not agree is that you can turn on your head two
:08:01. > :08:09.years of a rented -- forensic investigation that led sq to
:08:09. > :08:19.conclusions that even Red Sky have not challenged. This course is
:08:19. > :08:26.
:08:26. > :08:31.folly at its mildest. Radio Ulster's Talkback programme
:08:32. > :08:36.has decided to try to find out how much it would take to set up an
:08:36. > :08:42.appointment with a prosecutor, following our article last night on
:08:42. > :08:46.this subject. It didn't take long, did it? What I euphemistically
:08:46. > :08:50.known as escort websites, we found one called Belfast escorts, and we
:08:50. > :08:55.saw a list of names, numbers and photographs of girls advertising
:08:55. > :09:00.their services. We tried a couple of numbers, but eventually I got
:09:00. > :09:04.through to a girl who called herself Natasha. I asked if I could
:09:04. > :09:09.make an appointment at lunchtime, and she told me where she was, said
:09:09. > :09:16.if I went to Queen's Bridge, that she would then tell me, if I called
:09:16. > :09:21.her, of where to go next. So we set off, and I rang her and she gave me
:09:21. > :09:26.further directions, about five minutes' walk from Queen's Bridge.
:09:26. > :09:31.We won't identify exactly where the apartment was, but I walked towards
:09:31. > :09:36.there. When I got there, she gave me achy coach for the gate to her
:09:36. > :09:41.apartment block, which are punched in. It was reasonably modern,
:09:41. > :09:45.reasonably close to the centre of the city. When I got to the front
:09:45. > :09:49.door of the communal building, I opened the door, they did here a
:09:49. > :09:54.baby crying, which suggests there are perhaps families living in that
:09:54. > :10:00.block. I rang her again and asked to which number apartment she lived
:10:00. > :10:04.in, and she said No. 36. I went to the door, and indeed there was
:10:04. > :10:09.Natasha, not the same girl on the website, but from the greeting that
:10:09. > :10:13.she gave to me, without doubt, the girl who I had been speaking to on
:10:13. > :10:18.the phone. At that point, I intimated that I had just received
:10:18. > :10:27.a phone call, and I made my excuses and left. When I left the apartment
:10:27. > :10:31.block, I left Mark -- looked at my phone. The time was 1237, 37
:10:31. > :10:41.minutes after we had set ourselves this challenge to find a prostitute
:10:41. > :10:44.
:10:44. > :10:47.in Belfast, I had met with one face-to-face.
:10:47. > :10:51.A 21-year-old man has been jailed for four years for throwing a
:10:51. > :10:54.petrol bomb at police during a riot in north Belfast on July 12th last
:10:54. > :10:57.year. Hugh Martin from Jamaica Road in the city pleaded guilty to the
:10:57. > :11:00.charge. His defence lawyer Declan Quinn asked for him not to be
:11:00. > :11:03.jailed, claiming that Martin had been "sucked in" to the violence.
:11:03. > :11:06.Judge Tom Burgess said he had to jail Mr Martin because of the
:11:06. > :11:08.serious nature of the offence and the fact that he'd launched a
:11:08. > :11:10.potentially lethal weapon at police. Ten other people were also
:11:10. > :11:14.sentenced today for their part in the riots.
:11:14. > :11:16.The DUP MP Ian Paisley says he's written to the Attorney General to
:11:16. > :11:19.ask if a Spanish student jailed yesterday for attempted grievous
:11:19. > :11:22.bodily harm can be retried on a more serious charge. 29-year-old
:11:22. > :11:25.Rodger Costa, who admitted dropping a concrete block on a policewoman's
:11:25. > :11:28.head in rioting in Ardoyne last year, was jailed for four years. Mr
:11:28. > :11:30.Paisley says he's outraged that the Public Prosecution Service went for
:11:30. > :11:32.a lesser charge. Racist bullying in our schools is
:11:32. > :11:35.said to be replacing sectarianism. The Northern Ireland Council for
:11:35. > :11:38.Ethnic Minorities questioned children who are are Asian, black,
:11:38. > :11:41.mixed race or of Eastern European origin. It found that more than
:11:41. > :11:51.half of them are being bullied, and that many schools aren't able to
:11:51. > :11:54.
:11:55. > :11:59.deal with it. This report from 10-year-old Pauline and her mum are
:11:59. > :12:07.well settled and a new home. But when they arrived from Poland two
:12:07. > :12:15.years ago, she was badly bullied. They were saying bad words to me.
:12:15. > :12:20.They were trying to bully me. They were saying, go back to your own
:12:20. > :12:26.country, and things like that. do you think they were picking a
:12:26. > :12:31.new? Because I am from a different country. I belong to Poland, and I
:12:31. > :12:38.am a different person. Sooner than name-calling turns to violence, and
:12:38. > :12:44.their home was attacked. Her mum said that was the last straw.
:12:44. > :12:53.was really sad, and I wanted to go back to my country. I have no
:12:53. > :12:57.family, no friends, everything is new. It was really bad time for us.
:12:57. > :13:00.Pauline says her school was not at fault, and she was helped by
:13:00. > :13:05.teachers, but the report says not all victims can rely on support
:13:05. > :13:10.from the school. Many have responded very effectively and
:13:10. > :13:13.treat racist bullying very seriously. Unfortunately others are
:13:13. > :13:18.either unable to deal with racist bullying, or not quite sure how to
:13:18. > :13:22.go about it, and in some cases, schools are unwilling to even
:13:22. > :13:26.acknowledge that there is a problem, never mind confronted. So what
:13:27. > :13:30.needs to be done to tackle the issue? The Department need to look
:13:30. > :13:33.at the specific issues. They need to look at good practice, but the
:13:33. > :13:38.trainee and the information in for teachers, and I also need to have
:13:38. > :13:41.some kind of monitoring system to start with so they can see how
:13:41. > :13:45.prevalent the problem is, and they can look at ways of tackling that
:13:45. > :13:48.problem. The Department of Education says it has no plans to
:13:48. > :13:53.create specific guidance on racist bullying because it is working to
:13:54. > :13:57.prevent bullying in all its forms. Paulina is now happy in school, the
:13:57. > :14:06.bullying has stopped and she has this advice for other children are
:14:06. > :14:16.going for it. I would say, tell the people and they might help you, and
:14:16. > :14:19.
:14:19. > :14:25.tell the teachers. And tell your Still to come on the programme: why
:14:25. > :14:34.was Winston Churchill at Queen's University? Politicians will be
:14:34. > :14:37.replaced with the public as storeman throws open its doors. The
:14:37. > :14:40.vice chancellor of the University of Ulster has urged the Stormont
:14:40. > :14:43.Executive to approve the expansion of the Magee Campus in Londonderry.
:14:43. > :14:45.Richard Barnett was speaking at the summer graduation at the Millennium
:14:45. > :14:48.Forum in Derry. He warned of the catastrophic consequences for
:14:48. > :14:56.Northern Ireland if universities continue to be underfunded. He said
:14:56. > :15:00.the cap on student numbers should be lifted.
:15:01. > :15:06.The central message is the case for the expansion of education in
:15:06. > :15:11.Ireland it is stronger today than it has ever been. It is strongest
:15:11. > :15:14.in Derry. The reason for that is we have a relatively small higher
:15:14. > :15:18.education sector here. We have got away with that because so many of
:15:19. > :15:25.our people have gone to Scotland to study. We know now that these there
:15:25. > :15:28.will be up to �9,000. Many people will not be able to afford. They
:15:28. > :15:32.will want to study close to home, but clearly there is a cap on the
:15:32. > :15:38.number of places here. It is important we give those people the
:15:38. > :15:41.opportunity to study here. Now for the second part of our series
:15:41. > :15:44.looking at the British Pathe film archive. Northern Ireland has
:15:44. > :15:47.plenty of famous visitors these days, but only decades ago, few
:15:47. > :15:49.VIPs made the trip to our shores. Pathe cameras did, though, capture
:15:49. > :15:59.some remarkable moments featuring two of the best-known figures of
:15:59. > :16:03.
:16:03. > :16:10.Winston Churchill may have been best known for his brave war
:16:10. > :16:13.leadership, but he could mess about with students as well. This is
:16:13. > :16:23.Queen's university rag week in 1926. Churchill was Chancellor of the
:16:23. > :16:31.Exchequer. He was presented with hat. In the spirit of rag week, he
:16:31. > :16:41.newly cut off someone's beard. He went through Belfast on a horse. --
:16:41. > :16:49.Churchill kept up his links with Northern Ireland throughout his
:16:50. > :16:57.life. He was given the highest order by two of the bigger cities.
:16:57. > :17:07.It is a great pleasure. I am delighted to become a Freeman of
:17:07. > :17:15.Belfast and Londonderry. It is all the greater because of the
:17:15. > :17:21.distinguished company who have come over here to give it to me. From
:17:21. > :17:26.one great wartime leader to another. Mrs Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of
:17:26. > :17:36.Franklin Roosevelt. She visited in 1942. Most of her trip was spent in
:17:36. > :17:40.Derry. It was an important American naval base at the time. She was the
:17:40. > :17:47.woman who created the modern image of the First Lady. There would have
:17:47. > :17:51.been at tremendous sense of being cared for her as part of the
:17:51. > :17:56.American personnel here were concerned. It is doubtful if many
:17:56. > :18:01.of them would have recognise there, because there was no television.
:18:01. > :18:05.is believed that these are the only moving pictures of her visit. Her
:18:05. > :18:11.priority was meeting American servicemen, but she did what on the
:18:11. > :18:16.Derry walls. She also dropped into this Red Cross Hospital in Belfast.
:18:16. > :18:21.She has a diary description of coming to Belfast, she got a
:18:21. > :18:26.hospital was a very grim place, very shoeless. She was sorry she
:18:26. > :18:33.did not have time to visit all wards, because American GIs would
:18:33. > :18:38.have relished a visit. Eleanor Roosevelt and Winston Churchill
:18:38. > :18:43.were right standings these people. This really seen footage shows that
:18:43. > :18:48.while they were making their mark on global history, they left an
:18:48. > :18:51.imprint on local history. Stormont is throwing open its doors, to the
:18:51. > :18:54.public, that is, not politicians. The tourist industry has welcomed
:18:54. > :19:03.new hourly guided tours, which should see visitor numbers to the
:19:03. > :19:13.house on the hill soar. The benches were more sparse than
:19:13. > :19:13.
:19:13. > :19:23.usual, and the speaker was being ignored. The public are queuing up
:19:23. > :19:28.to take place of absent politicians. This is Martin McGuinness up there.
:19:28. > :19:33.Until now, you had to be a special guest to tour the buildings, but
:19:33. > :19:38.from this week, you turn up on the hour and away you go. This building
:19:38. > :19:42.is more like a leisure centre or a library than a court house, in the
:19:42. > :19:47.sense that we are not here to keep you out, we want you to come over
:19:47. > :19:53.the door as citizens and engage. We want to remove the mystery of
:19:53. > :20:01.decision-making, politics, public life. The tourist industry is
:20:01. > :20:04.impressed. It was a closed shop of four, and we have a lot of people
:20:04. > :20:10.staying from Europe and America are who want to see this part of
:20:10. > :20:14.history. It was very difficult to do so before. You would not suggest
:20:14. > :20:20.that as a place to go before, whereas now it is definitely one of
:20:20. > :20:24.the top attractions. It is very pleasant and open for everybody for
:20:24. > :20:31.public viewing. This building is really nice. Her it was very
:20:31. > :20:35.amazing, and a very interesting. I learned about the political
:20:35. > :20:43.situation in Northern Ireland. Westminster could learn a lot from
:20:43. > :20:50.this. It is a lot more open. We do not have that in the UK. The guides
:20:50. > :20:56.cannot answer every question. not know. The tour has continued
:20:56. > :21:04.through the summer. They will even continue when the politicians are
:21:04. > :21:14.back, I'll be at less frequently. It is three, which is cheaper than
:21:14. > :21:17.
:21:17. > :21:22.Westminster. -- it is free. Ireland's cricketers were glad the
:21:22. > :21:29.sunshine daymare, because rain delayed the start of the second
:21:29. > :21:32.Intercontinental Cup game between Ireland and Namibia. Play
:21:32. > :21:35.eventually got under way after lunch, reduced to 38 overs per side.
:21:35. > :21:39.Namibia won the toss, batted first and some very big hitting by their
:21:39. > :21:45.tail got them up to a total of 175 all out. John Monie took three
:21:45. > :21:50.wickets for 31 runs. Moments ago, they reach that the target with
:21:50. > :21:52.just two wickets lost. Donegal manager Jim McGuinness has
:21:52. > :21:55.expressed his disappointment with his own county board for not
:21:55. > :21:57.postponing club fixtures in the run-up to the Ulster final against
:21:58. > :22:00.Derry. McGuinness will now be without defender Leo McLoone for
:22:01. > :22:08.the final after the player fractured his eye socket in a club
:22:08. > :22:13.match on Sunday. Obviously in an Ulster final you
:22:13. > :22:19.want your top players available to you, and he has worked very hard to
:22:19. > :22:25.get back into the fray, and it is very unfortunate. It is unfortunate
:22:25. > :22:30.for him more than anybody. He misses out now, and for us, we have
:22:30. > :22:33.to move on and prepare as best as we can for the final. American
:22:33. > :22:36.football is by far and away the biggest sport in the United States,
:22:36. > :22:39.and it is starting to gain popularity here across the Atlantic.
:22:39. > :22:42.Northern Ireland currently has three amateur sides, and all of
:22:42. > :22:52.them are currently trying to battle through to the big showpiece final
:22:52. > :22:57.
:22:57. > :23:02.It is not your average changing room. It is not your average strep.
:23:02. > :23:12.That is because this is the home to one of only three American football
:23:12. > :23:15.
:23:15. > :23:21.teams locally. In Northern Ireland there is three teams. We also have
:23:21. > :23:30.another seven teams down in Dublin. They play in the league as well. At
:23:30. > :23:34.the end of it, we have a full season, and a final. The American
:23:34. > :23:39.equivalent is known throughout the world at the Superbowl, but on our
:23:39. > :23:48.doorstep we have the Shamrock Bowl. It is the Shamrock Bowl. The same
:23:48. > :23:57.sort of premise. It is the end of the season game in Dublin. It is a
:23:57. > :24:03.big deal for us. We have two games here and then the play-offs. The
:24:03. > :24:06.last game of the play-offs is the Shamrock Bowl. Whether the reach
:24:06. > :24:11.the coveted shamrock or not, there is one side of the sport which
:24:11. > :24:15.keeps bringing the players back. once you get involved in the
:24:15. > :24:25.contact, they enjoy the physical game, the logistics of it, there is
:24:25. > :24:28.
:24:28. > :24:36.a lot more work strategy than soccer. It is more physical.
:24:36. > :24:43.American football could be the sport for you. Some ski area
:24:43. > :24:46.looking for people there. -- scary looking. Ireland's Special Olympics
:24:46. > :24:49.squad have return from a very successful summer games in Athens.
:24:49. > :24:52.The team landed back today in Dublin airport with a total medal
:24:52. > :24:54.haul of 107. 41 of those medals were won by Northern Irish athletes,
:24:54. > :25:02.including the youngest gold medallist, 12 year-old Fergal
:25:02. > :25:07.Gregory, swimmer from Crossmaglen. Absolutely amazing. Brilliant
:25:07. > :25:17.atmosphere here. Everybody cheered them on. Just brilliant, I am so
:25:17. > :25:20.
:25:20. > :25:22.proud of him. I am so glad to have him warm. Very good Northern
:25:22. > :25:25.Ireland's netball team lost 75-33 to Australia today at the world
:25:25. > :25:28.championships in Singapore, but win tomorrow against Samoa and they are
:25:28. > :25:32.in the quarter-finals. Finally, the new US Open champion Rory McIlroy
:25:32. > :25:35.is the European Tour's golfer of the month for June. He now heads to
:25:35. > :25:43.Sandwich for the Open Championship, but former world number one Tiger
:25:43. > :25:47.Woods confirmed today he will not be there due to a leg injury.
:25:48. > :25:54.We will bring you all the big interviews with in Rory McIlroy and
:25:54. > :26:01.Darren Clarke. If you mess that the documentary last night, it was a
:26:01. > :26:07.good watch and you can catch it on good watch and you can catch it on
:26:07. > :26:12.the website. Now the latest on the weather. All good things come to
:26:12. > :26:15.end, and that is what has happened in the last 24 hours. There is more
:26:15. > :26:22.unsettled weather heading our way as we go through the rest of the
:26:22. > :26:26.week. At least it has been better than the first have, when we had
:26:26. > :26:33.the weather front pushing very and giving us a great man cloudy start.
:26:33. > :26:38.We will have sharp showers edging their way in. For central and
:26:38. > :26:44.eastern areas it will be dry. Some brightness around but you cannot
:26:44. > :26:48.last that -- count on that last into the night. The showers will be
:26:48. > :26:56.popping up. They will become persistent rather than heavy. There
:26:56. > :27:00.will be the order moderate burst here and they are. Tomorrow is a
:27:00. > :27:08.mixture of bright spells and showers. First thing in the morning
:27:08. > :27:15.we are looking at more cloud and sunshine. Here will be drier than
:27:15. > :27:25.it will be further north. Even when it does, there are more showers to
:27:25. > :27:25.
:27:25. > :27:28.come. Probably staying quite cloudy. The further side you goal, it is
:27:28. > :27:33.where we will see the brightest spells, but also potentially the
:27:33. > :27:40.heaviest showers. With lighter win tomorrow, it could be quite slow
:27:40. > :27:45.moving and prolonged. Gaps in between, but the breeze is likely
:27:45. > :27:49.north-westerly tomorrow. It will be a fresher feeling today. The low-