:00:20. > :00:27.Akram Good evening. This is BBC Newsline...
:00:27. > :00:33.Criticism of plans to axe a unit at Belfast's City possible.
:00:33. > :00:38.New evidence into the Smithwick inquiry into the murder of two RUC
:00:38. > :00:42.officers. What local parishioners think of
:00:42. > :00:48.abuse in the Catholic drugs. Designed for success - the building
:00:48. > :00:55.on a shortlist for a top award. As Ireland's Topshop jumpers battle
:00:55. > :00:59.it out in Belfast, BBC Newsline is live at the King's Hall.
:00:59. > :01:04.And warm and brighter for the weekend, I will have the weather
:01:04. > :01:07.details of where you are. But first, 70 families have had to
:01:07. > :01:14.leave their homes in north Belfast because a mortar bomb has been
:01:14. > :01:20.found there. The police described the device as significant.
:01:20. > :01:25.The focus of this police operation is here in the Ardoyne area of
:01:25. > :01:29.north Belfast. The police recovered a working mortar bomb device. They
:01:29. > :01:33.say the find was significant. We have seen police come and go from a
:01:33. > :01:39.house. They have been taking documents out in a plastic bag.
:01:39. > :01:44.They have also found a quantity of cigarettes. A man has been arrested.
:01:44. > :01:50.The army technical experts have now left, but residents say they have
:01:50. > :01:54.carried out at least one controlled explosion.
:01:54. > :01:58.A statement read, the actions carried out here at have
:01:58. > :02:01.undoubtedly thwarted the attempts of criminals to inflict death and
:02:01. > :02:06.misery on the people of north Belfast.
:02:06. > :02:10.Does Belfast need a three Accident and Emergency departments? The
:02:11. > :02:16.health minister says it does not and because of medical reasons he
:02:17. > :02:21.is proposing to close the A&E of City Hospital. That has provoked a
:02:21. > :02:25.furious reaction. If the unit does close, the Royal and Mater
:02:26. > :02:35.hospitals may have been caught up with up to 50,000 extra patients
:02:36. > :02:36.
:02:36. > :02:40.every year. -- may have to cope with.
:02:40. > :02:44.There has been discussion of closing this department. Would it
:02:44. > :02:49.be on the site of the Royal Hospital here in the west of the
:02:49. > :02:52.city? Or here, at the Mater Hospital in north Belfast? But
:02:52. > :02:58.finally, despite so many other health ministers dodging the
:02:58. > :03:04.decision, Edwin Poots has indicated it is this city's Accident and
:03:04. > :03:07.Emergency tea is earmarking for closure. For over 25 years, the
:03:07. > :03:14.hospital's tower block dominated the skyline. While the building is
:03:14. > :03:17.not closing, A&E might. Yesterday he told the Health Committee a lack
:03:17. > :03:22.of junior doctors is among the reasons why Belfast must lose one
:03:22. > :03:26.of the three casualty units. Those on the front line say officials
:03:26. > :03:29.were warned years ago. The shortage of numbers is not a
:03:29. > :03:34.new issue. I have spoken to a number of people including the
:03:34. > :03:39.minister over the previous two ears are seeing junior doctors UK-wide
:03:39. > :03:43.are in short supply. This has threatened services in the past and
:03:44. > :03:48.is doing so again. The hospital in Lisburn is also
:03:48. > :03:52.affected, with news that in August its opening hours are to be
:03:52. > :03:58.restricted. We have been to go up to see if we
:03:58. > :04:01.can recruit additional staff. There is at -- rig -- aggressive
:04:01. > :04:05.recruitment going on, so although we are clear on the changes in
:04:05. > :04:09.terms of opening hours, the final state of the opening hours at is
:04:09. > :04:14.not determined. Less than a fortnight into the job,
:04:14. > :04:20.Edwin Poots first indicated change was on the day when he told the BBC
:04:20. > :04:26.Belfast had too many A&Es. The question since then has been, where
:04:26. > :04:32.will the axe fall? Clearly the decision will have a
:04:32. > :04:36.major impact on our members. There are a lot of fears of people being
:04:36. > :04:42.displaced or relocated, or indeed made redundant.
:04:42. > :04:48.Seoul, has Belfast too many A&Es? While the public would argued no,
:04:48. > :04:54.these figures would suggest otherwise. With a population of
:04:54. > :05:00.260,700, the city has three A&E departments, but in Hull where
:05:00. > :05:06.there are almost 265,000 it is served by one A&E. In Coventry,
:05:06. > :05:10.with a population of just over 215,000, it too has won A&E
:05:10. > :05:15.department. It is ambitious and optimistic, but
:05:15. > :05:19.if he does not take that approach, who will? He has to drive that a
:05:19. > :05:23.chord with his officials, and the short answer is, the sooner he set
:05:23. > :05:27.his targets and get an operational plan, the better for achieving it.
:05:27. > :05:36.It will not be a quick matter of three months.
:05:36. > :05:42.Politically, it is always easier to close a unit could even up --
:05:43. > :05:48.closer unit, even a hospital, when it is outside his own constituency.
:05:48. > :05:52.The thousands who -- pleasing the thousands of patients who will be
:05:52. > :05:57.left extra once this closes, will not be as easy.
:05:57. > :06:00.Residents have told BBC Newsline they are dismayed at the decision.
:06:00. > :06:04.Our correspondent has been gathering reaction.
:06:04. > :06:08.From this clinic in south Belfast, it is pretty much the same distance
:06:08. > :06:13.to evoke the city hospital or the Royal Victoria, and the people we
:06:13. > :06:20.spoke to wear Clear which they preferred.
:06:20. > :06:25.I do not drive, and I can get a bus to the City of battle, but if it
:06:25. > :06:30.was the case for the Mater, I would have a horrendous journey.
:06:30. > :06:37.It puts -- puts more emphasis on the Royal Hospital, and the other
:06:37. > :06:40.hospitals will just get busier. I have never had dealings with the
:06:40. > :06:44.Mater. Sir, If the writing is on the wall
:06:44. > :06:49.for the casualty department, dead politics have anything to do with
:06:49. > :06:55.that decision? In the past, health ministers have been accused of
:06:55. > :07:00.making partisan decisions on services. In 2,000, the Sinn Fein
:07:00. > :07:04.minister opted to base our regional maternity unit at the Royal
:07:04. > :07:10.Hospital in west Belfast. Going against the Assembly's Health
:07:10. > :07:15.Committee. Earlier this year, the former health minister postponed
:07:15. > :07:21.plans for a new radiotherapy unit at the hospital in Londonderry,
:07:21. > :07:24.seeing in future he would introduce two new radiotherapy machines at
:07:24. > :07:27.Belfast City Hospital. Sinn Fein accused him of making a political
:07:27. > :07:31.decision. There is always political
:07:31. > :07:35.undercurrents, but my concern as the MP and a former GP, very
:07:35. > :07:41.familiar, in fact I worked in the old casualty department, my concern
:07:41. > :07:46.is that people have access in a time of crisis, and access has been
:07:46. > :07:50.grossly restricted with this move. Quite clearly, Edwin Poots is
:07:50. > :07:55.looking at it in a strategically, to ensure that services are
:07:55. > :08:00.reconfigured in a way that gets the best love you and service with the
:08:00. > :08:03.money available. Whatever the thinking behind the
:08:03. > :08:06.decision it is these people who will have to live with the
:08:06. > :08:10.consequences. -- get the best value.
:08:10. > :08:16.The widow of one of the murdered RUC officers at the centre of the
:08:16. > :08:20.Smithwick Tribunal has contradicted evidence by a former RUC chief
:08:20. > :08:26.constable. He told the tribunal that a superintendent of Harry
:08:26. > :08:33.Breen had been at a meeting where he was told not to cross the border.
:08:33. > :08:37.Mrs June Breen says her husband was with her all day.
:08:37. > :08:43.Let me take you back to some weeks ago, we heard from a what does the
:08:43. > :08:47.team, no name. He was the former RUC Assistant Chief Constable. He
:08:47. > :08:55.said that Harry Breen was at a meeting on 16th March, four days
:08:55. > :09:03.before an IRA ambush killed him and his colleague, Bob Buchanan. What
:09:03. > :09:08.this 18 says at that meeting Harry Breen was given an order not to
:09:08. > :09:11.cross the border. That order was disobeyed and both men died. Today,
:09:11. > :09:14.Mrs Harry Breen said in her statement that could not have been
:09:14. > :09:19.the case, her husband was not at the meeting and was with her all
:09:20. > :09:24.day. Soul, a contradiction we may find out at a later stage why this
:09:24. > :09:28.is the case. The tribunal also heard today about
:09:28. > :09:38.instructions Harry Breen had given in regard to his funeral.
:09:38. > :09:38.
:09:38. > :09:44.That is right, Harry Breen had told his wife that should he be killed,
:09:44. > :09:49.his boss, the ven RUC head Sir John Hermon, was not to attend. We did
:09:49. > :09:53.not get a reason for that today. We get an insight into the people who
:09:53. > :09:59.have to live with the consequences of things like that which happened
:09:59. > :10:03.on that day. His wife recalled it was a dark, wintry day, she was
:10:03. > :10:08.preparing dinner and the TV was on in the background. She heard the
:10:08. > :10:15.news that two men had been shot dead. She thought it was two IRA
:10:15. > :10:20.men, and she said to herself, they are some mother's son. She later
:10:20. > :10:27.found out one of those two men was in fact her husband. The purpose of
:10:27. > :10:33.the tribunal was to establish alleged -- to investigate alleged
:10:33. > :10:38.guard a collision in those deaths. And Mrs June Breen was not at the
:10:38. > :10:41.tribunal today? Yes, she had given a statement in
:10:42. > :10:46.2007 and that was read at the tribunal. She released a statement
:10:46. > :10:50.to the media afterwards, because she is recuperating after a serious
:10:50. > :10:55.medical condition. She said she was anxious to have that evidence read
:10:55. > :10:58.out at this stage in the tribunal. She is spending time outside of
:10:58. > :11:01.Northern Ireland with her son and daughter and says she is extremely
:11:01. > :11:07.appreciative of the efforts being made by all those seeking to
:11:07. > :11:10.uncover the truth. First we had the Taoiseach's
:11:10. > :11:16.unprecedented attack of the Vatican's handling of clerical
:11:16. > :11:24.abuse. Enda Kenny described Rom as dysfunctional and narcissistic. Now
:11:24. > :11:28.from within the judge, Archbishop Derek Barton -- Diarmuid Martin has
:11:28. > :11:33.said there is a cabal in the church trying to undermine child
:11:33. > :11:39.protection measures. A priest in Londonderry, Father
:11:39. > :11:49.Michael Canny, has told us he also feels the Vatican's actions are
:11:49. > :11:50.
:11:50. > :11:55.frustrating. What to parishioners The sound of choirs can still be
:11:55. > :12:00.held -- hared around the Vatican. These days, another sound -
:12:01. > :12:06.stemming -- stinging criticism. The Pope will have much to think about,
:12:06. > :12:10.the Desert had much to say. While Pope Benedict ponders, ordinary
:12:10. > :12:18.Catholics are determined to keep their feet. A long way from the
:12:18. > :12:22.powerful corridors of the Vatican's, here in St Annes there are dozens
:12:22. > :12:27.of volunteers involved in church work. Despite all the scandals and
:12:27. > :12:33.negative publicity in recent years, these people are as committed to
:12:33. > :12:37.the church as ever. Prompting the question, why?
:12:38. > :12:41.Like any right-thinking person, I am absolutely shocked by what has
:12:41. > :12:48.taken place in the church, but within the church there are a large
:12:48. > :12:53.number of priests who have continued to work strongly for the
:12:53. > :12:57.benefit of everyone. It would be unfair to tarnish them all with the
:12:58. > :13:01.one stick. The and the Church at local level is getting support
:13:02. > :13:05.among all ages. From a very young age my parents
:13:05. > :13:09.instilled in me the importance of faith and participated in the
:13:09. > :13:12.church, so that has been the foundation of my involvement. Also,
:13:13. > :13:16.the church is a great family network. Because I have been going
:13:16. > :13:21.from a young age I have grown up within it, so it has always been a
:13:21. > :13:25.part of me to be going to Mass and be actively a member.
:13:25. > :13:29.Old certainties in the Church have changed, some have walked away, but
:13:29. > :13:34.not all. As a parishioner and father, I have
:13:34. > :13:37.to be sure that my Catholic Church is the same place for my children,
:13:37. > :13:44.and I had choices to make. It was either sit in the sidelines or
:13:44. > :13:49.become involved as a lay person bringing my own expertise. I had to
:13:49. > :13:53.be assured and people had to be assured that the Catholic Church is
:13:53. > :13:57.a safe place for children. Over the coming days, the Irish
:13:57. > :14:03.Government will wait to hear from the Vatican publicly, pitting
:14:03. > :14:12.parishes like this -- but in parishes like this rebuilding the
:14:12. > :14:16.With this latest scandal, the close relationship between the church and
:14:16. > :14:19.state is being questioned as never before in the republic. A possible
:14:19. > :14:23.papal visit next year could now be in doubt. Our correspondent has
:14:23. > :14:28.been looking at whether Catholic Ireland has changed for ever.
:14:28. > :14:32.Dublin is like any other European city - a place where people of all
:14:32. > :14:40.nationalities, faiths and races next. But there is still evidence
:14:40. > :14:45.of the special position of the Catholic Church in Ireland.
:14:45. > :14:53.Every tee time before the main news, the Angelus bell is sounded. It is
:14:53. > :14:57.a traditional call to prayer for Catholics. It is this kind of
:14:57. > :15:01.interweaving of church and state that Enda Kenny seemed to signal an
:15:01. > :15:06.end to it when he took a very public swipe at the Vatican over
:15:06. > :15:12.clerical child abuse. The report excavates the dysfunction, the
:15:12. > :15:16.disconnection, the elitism, that dominates the culture of the
:15:16. > :15:19.Vatican today. There has been a long tradition of deference to the
:15:19. > :15:29.Vatican in Irish society, stretching back to the foundation
:15:29. > :15:33.
:15:33. > :15:39.of the state. The best example was the eucharistic convince -- of 1952.
:15:39. > :15:43.The Irish Air Corps flew above the ship in the shape of a cross.
:15:43. > :15:49.cardinal step ashore. The first pope to land in Ireland for over
:15:49. > :15:55.two centuries. It was the Irish Catholic nation on the march, a
:15:55. > :16:00.manifestation of this kind of conjunction between the new Irish
:16:00. > :16:03.state and the Catholic Church and the Catholic people of Ireland.
:16:03. > :16:08.streets along the route had been thronged four hours before the Pope
:16:08. > :16:11.was due. The country has changed greatly since the days of the
:16:11. > :16:17.eucharistic Congress and there is a real debate now about the further
:16:17. > :16:21.separation of church and state. There is almost a danger that
:16:21. > :16:27.behind the calls for separation of church and state There is an anti-
:16:27. > :16:32.Catholicism in the air. That would 5th encounter of reaction. We are
:16:32. > :16:40.at a difficult time but sometimes - but sometimes things have to get
:16:40. > :16:44.worse before they get better. for appetite for more change.
:16:44. > :16:47.are some very conservative Catholics out there who find it
:16:47. > :16:52.difficult to come to terms with some of the advancement that have
:16:52. > :16:57.been made. Younger people have voted with their feet in some cases
:16:57. > :17:01.and find it very difficult to be surprised by anything. In 1932, a
:17:01. > :17:06.million people attended the final mass of the eucharistic Congress.
:17:06. > :17:10.It is coming to Ireland again next year. This time, this 80,000
:17:10. > :17:16.capacity stadium has been booked and that is a measure of how much
:17:17. > :17:21.Ireland has changed in the intervening 85th you are watching
:17:21. > :17:26.BBC Newsline. Still to come: The council money
:17:26. > :17:30.helping these five people to sail around the world.
:17:30. > :17:37.I am the final day of the showjumping championships. We are
:17:37. > :17:47.live with for the world champion. Look at a building that looks so
:17:47. > :17:52.
:17:52. > :17:59.good that it to be shortlisted for the has it would five per if
:17:59. > :18:08.successful, it could win its architect �20,000. Arts
:18:08. > :18:11.Correspondent reports from Derry. Since it opened two summers ago,
:18:11. > :18:16.Culturlann Ui Chanain has been teaching Irish and traditional
:18:16. > :18:21.music and dance to the people of Derry. It was paid for mostly from
:18:21. > :18:25.public money from Northern Ireland, the Republic and the European Union.
:18:25. > :18:32.It has been shortlisted for the final six of the prestigious
:18:32. > :18:36.Stirling Prize. It takes his place along an Olympic building in London.
:18:36. > :18:43.The architect had to work on a difficult site of an order burnt
:18:43. > :18:53.out bakery. It had a very narrow entrance on the front. We realised
:18:53. > :18:58.that whatever we did had to be tackled from the inside out.
:18:58. > :19:02.Culturlann Ui Chanain has counted to 42,000 visitors who learned
:19:02. > :19:06.about Gaelic culture. And now the Royal Institute of British
:19:06. > :19:11.Architects has judged it worthy of becoming the first Northern Irish
:19:11. > :19:15.entry into the Stirling Prize. decided to come to the city centre
:19:15. > :19:20.and put up a building that would be striking and make a statement about
:19:20. > :19:24.modernity because we did not want grand Towers. This is 21st century
:19:24. > :19:30.language and we wanted a 21st century building. If it wins the
:19:30. > :19:34.prize, it would tie in nicely with Derry's 2013 title as UK City of
:19:34. > :19:38.Culture. It is important to the city of culture because it is
:19:38. > :19:42.another piece in the jigsaw of confidence building for the city.
:19:42. > :19:47.It has needed a boost for a long time. A number of things have
:19:47. > :19:52.happened now. It is a city on the up. It is transforming. We know
:19:52. > :19:56.already that Derry is a city of culture. In the two years it has
:19:56. > :20:00.been open, Culturlann Ui Chanain has become a hub for Irish speakers,
:20:00. > :20:04.dancers and musicians but also for non-Irish speakers who live and
:20:04. > :20:10.work here. It may not be the bookies choice here but they are
:20:10. > :20:13.very confident that it will win the prize in October.
:20:13. > :20:20.Today marks a special birthday for the National Balmoral Showjumping
:20:20. > :20:25.Championships. Mark is at the showground in south Belfast.
:20:26. > :20:31.It is the 25th birthday. There aren't - and there is more than
:20:31. > :20:35.�20,000 available in cash but unfortunately, this man, both
:20:35. > :20:42.former world champion will miss out. He clipped the last. Unfortunate
:20:42. > :20:46.for you. My horse jumped very well. It was a bit of a shame but I am
:20:46. > :20:53.happy enough. We can take a look at what has been going on today and
:20:53. > :20:58.over the last few days. In its 25th year, is the event riding out the
:20:58. > :21:02.recession? Yes, we have had a fantastic turn out all week. It has
:21:02. > :21:10.catered for every class, every horse and rider and we have had a
:21:10. > :21:16.good turnout. For you and for the top riders, you must be looking to
:21:16. > :21:22.Madrid at the end of August. You must want to make it to the London
:21:22. > :21:27.Olympics? Yes, that has been the strategy all year. The team manager
:21:27. > :21:32.has been trying to save the best combinations as much as he can
:21:32. > :21:37.towards the Europeans and we are confident that the horses are in
:21:37. > :21:44.good shape and we go there with a fighting chance. It as a former
:21:44. > :21:50.world champion, what would it mean to you to make it to those gains in
:21:50. > :21:57.London? We have to qualify first, but the Olympics is everybody's
:21:58. > :22:04.huge gold and to have a horse to complete their is a dream. --
:22:04. > :22:09.everybody's goal. One line of golf before we hand
:22:09. > :22:14.back. We understand that negotiations are at an advanced
:22:14. > :22:24.stage to bring a European Tour event to Royal Port Rush. It is
:22:24. > :22:25.
:22:25. > :22:30.anticipated -- an announcement is anticipated as early as tomorrow.
:22:30. > :22:34.With this week's rain it is a bit soft underfoot for the horses. More
:22:34. > :22:37.on the forecast shortly but it will be wind that is needed at the end
:22:37. > :22:43.of the month for the Round The World Clipper Race, which has some
:22:43. > :22:47.local interest. Five people have won the City of Derry Council
:22:47. > :22:50.bursary to take part but they have little sailing experience. They are
:22:50. > :22:55.up for the challenge, as our correspondent reports.
:22:55. > :22:59.It is the chance of a lifetime and a five lucky people would have to
:22:59. > :23:05.have prospected for day. There are eight separate stages and each
:23:05. > :23:12.volunteer wealth sail on one leg each. We have been out on the
:23:12. > :23:17.English Channel, going to France in force 8 gales and boats at a 45
:23:17. > :23:23.degree angle. You are trying to eat and moving about is really
:23:23. > :23:27.difficult. A lot of the crew were sick. The Round The World Clipper
:23:27. > :23:33.Race will see 10 yachts departing from Southampton on a 40,000 mile
:23:33. > :23:39.race, which will last for a year. Cruise on the local yacht, called
:23:39. > :23:44.the Derry Londonderry, can't wait. I have never even sailed before. I
:23:44. > :23:48.have never even considered it. Apparently once we do the training,
:23:48. > :23:52.we will be qualified and we can go and work on boats and people will
:23:52. > :23:58.think of us as crew and we can sail to the Caribbean and get paid to do
:23:58. > :24:04.it. I do have nerves but they are good nerves and it is more
:24:04. > :24:09.excitement than nerves. Not terror! The yachts will sail from the UK to
:24:09. > :24:15.Brazil, then on to South Africa, through Australia into China, and
:24:15. > :24:21.across to the United States before coming back to Europe. I am going
:24:21. > :24:25.right across the Pacific to Santa Cruz or San Francisco. It is the
:24:25. > :24:32.longest straight one. It is about 6,000 miles and it is a straight
:24:32. > :24:36.run. It is the coldest leg, as well. Aside from their extensive training,
:24:36. > :24:41.none of the five volunteers have had any experience on the ocean
:24:41. > :24:51.wave. One thing is for certain - it won't be as calm as it is here
:24:51. > :24:55.
:24:55. > :25:03.It has been Abbate grey to date but the cloud is now showing signs of
:25:03. > :25:10.moving. -- a bit great today. The cloud is beginning to thin, lift
:25:10. > :25:16.and break and a will continue to do so this evening. The rain that was
:25:16. > :25:24.a round earlier is now a way so a dry night to come. The clear skies
:25:24. > :25:29.will filter south. Tomorrow, a brighter start and there should be
:25:29. > :25:36.some sunshine early in the morning. A few showers to come but a lot of
:25:36. > :25:39.places will miss them and will stay dry. As the cloud builds, it will
:25:39. > :25:45.bring one or two showers. There will still be some sunshine in
:25:46. > :25:55.between. But cloudy spells around lunchtime. Temperatures a bit
:25:55. > :25:59.higher today -- than today. The winds will be fairly light.
:25:59. > :26:05.Tomorrow evening will be nice, as well, as the showers fade away and
:26:05. > :26:09.the clouds a break-up. High pressure to the north stretching
:26:09. > :26:12.down to give many central parts of Britain and Ireland are some fine
:26:12. > :26:22.weather through the weekend. Low pressure it threatens eastern areas
:26:22. > :26:25.
:26:25. > :26:33.with a lot of rain. For us and for the festival, it will get warmer
:26:33. > :26:40.and fine. And some good weather to come for the weekend. Monday starts
:26:40. > :26:44.fine, as well. We do have some warmer weather are continuing into
:26:44. > :26:54.next week but for the meantime, things are gradually getting better.
:26:54. > :26:55.
:26:55. > :27:00.If you are planning on eating a lot A reminder of the stories making
:27:00. > :27:02.the headlines: Police have discovered a mortar bomb during a
:27:02. > :27:06.search in Etna Drive in north Belfast.
:27:06. > :27:13.One man has been arrested. Health unions and some politicians
:27:13. > :27:17.have criticised a plan to close the A&E unit at Belfast City Hospital.
:27:17. > :27:22.Two more deaths are being investigated at Stepping Hill
:27:22. > :27:25.Hospital in Stockport. Police believe insulin was deliberately
:27:25. > :27:29.injected into patients' saline drips.
:27:29. > :27:35.The BBC understands Prince Andrew is to step down as the UK trade