:00:23. > :00:29.Craven. -- good evening. The headlines: What is really going on
:00:29. > :00:34.in Antrim Area's A&E department? Councillors say they want the truth.
:00:34. > :00:38.Also on the programme: New money to entire his older teachers to take
:00:38. > :00:44.redundancy. Hopefully this announcement will be
:00:44. > :00:49.an incentive for them to think about taking a package and saving a
:00:49. > :00:55.younger teacher's job. unemployment figures show a fall,
:00:55. > :00:59.or the failure of another of retail chain puts 200 jobs at risk.
:00:59. > :01:03.What price a breath of fresh air? The National Trust is starting to
:01:03. > :01:07.charge for a walk around a popular estate.
:01:07. > :01:12.Five Ulster men and the at -- in the Ireland squad, but should they
:01:12. > :01:22.have been more in the Six Nations? It is a colder 24 hours coming up
:01:22. > :01:22.
:01:22. > :01:27.with some wintry showers tomorrow. First night, the standard of care
:01:27. > :01:32.at Antrim Area Hospital. The local council has now called on members
:01:32. > :01:37.of the public and staff to share their experiences, whether good or
:01:37. > :01:42.bad. A email linked to the BBC last week from the Health Trust
:01:42. > :01:45.highlighted the pressure staff were under to get beds for patients.
:01:45. > :01:49.That e-mail from the Director of Acute Services confirmed that
:01:49. > :01:55.people were waiting for many hours on trolleys. Our correspondent is
:01:55. > :02:01.at the hospital. The public have been very keen to
:02:01. > :02:06.share their experiences with us. One woman described how she course
:02:06. > :02:10.an elderly relative to the A&E department a few days ago. That
:02:10. > :02:14.person who suffered from cancer had to spend 11 hours waiting on a
:02:14. > :02:21.trolley. It was tightly packed with other patients who were also lining
:02:21. > :02:29.the corridors and trollies. Despite this, one person had to received a
:02:29. > :02:33.blood transfusion in these conditions. It is an appalling lack
:02:33. > :02:38.of dignity. Others described a limited amount of food and liquid
:02:38. > :02:48.being brought to patients, and the situation was an acceptable. A
:02:48. > :02:49.
:02:49. > :02:53.local GP joins me, what are your patients describing to you? They
:02:53. > :02:58.are telling me how awful it is to come here. They have to wait for
:02:58. > :03:02.hours on trolleys. Sometimes they do not even get a trolley and they
:03:02. > :03:07.are sitting on a chair for five or six hours until they get attention.
:03:07. > :03:10.There is no dignity or privacy. There are three of them in a
:03:10. > :03:14.cubicle. They cannot go to the toilet, they have to clamber over
:03:14. > :03:20.somebody else. In spite of all this, they have great praise for the
:03:20. > :03:23.staff because they are working very hard. You describe to me earlier in
:03:23. > :03:28.dark words that this would be the last place you would want to be
:03:28. > :03:33.bought to if you were ill. That is shocking coming from HET. Iron have
:03:33. > :03:38.sadness for the state of the health service in Northern Ireland.
:03:38. > :03:42.Especially here, because of the closure of the Mid-Ulster Hospital.
:03:42. > :03:46.I spoke of this some years ago and said that it was likely to happen.
:03:46. > :03:52.Because of lack of space, patients are getting poor standard of care
:03:52. > :04:02.and it is not acceptable in this day and age. Is there a shortage of
:04:02. > :04:03.
:04:03. > :04:09.doctors? No. There is a shortage of beds. The geography is poor. That
:04:09. > :04:17.means that people cannot get the care they need. It is awful to have
:04:17. > :04:21.to lie on a trolley for 12, 14 hours without any dignity. Thank
:04:21. > :04:25.you for joining us. Councillors say they want to get to the root of the
:04:25. > :04:29.problem. They're getting conflicting messages from
:04:29. > :04:34.management here. They won members of staff and the public to contact
:04:34. > :04:40.them confidentially. Their names and telephone numbers will be
:04:40. > :04:47.withheld. They want to know the truth about what is going on here.
:04:47. > :04:50.Viewers have been contacted us -- contacting us on Facebook and by e-
:04:50. > :05:00.mail. Here are some of their comments.
:05:00. > :05:00.
:05:00. > :05:42.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 42 seconds
:05:43. > :05:48.Ordered teachers are being offered extra money to entice them into
:05:48. > :05:53.voluntary redundancy. BT is being negotiated with the unions in a bid
:05:53. > :05:58.to protect younger teachers being squeezed out as budgets tighten.
:05:58. > :06:03.Teachers' unions are predicting up to 4,000 job losses over the next
:06:03. > :06:08.four years. They need to encourage voluntary redundancies, and the
:06:08. > :06:13.main target is older teachers. There is a growing number of older
:06:13. > :06:17.teachers in Northern Ireland. There are 600 who are 60 or over. The
:06:17. > :06:22.Department of Education no longer makes up the shortfall in missing
:06:22. > :06:28.pension years, and so deep end -- prospect of only retirement is less
:06:28. > :06:33.attractive. The unions hope that extra money will help overcome
:06:33. > :06:39.resistance from our older teachers. To each is aged 55 on basic salary
:06:39. > :06:44.you have worked for more than 20 years will get �57,000. Those aged
:06:44. > :06:48.60 or Iver could get �63,000. At the other end of the scale are
:06:49. > :06:53.teachers with extra responsibilities you could come
:06:53. > :06:59.away with �84,000. They will be to use some of that money to keep
:06:59. > :07:03.their full pension. �167 million has been set aside to pay for it.
:07:03. > :07:08.It favours those who come to -- are coming to the end of their
:07:08. > :07:12.educational tenure. They can take the package and leave with dignity
:07:12. > :07:16.and respect. I think this will allow for a smooth transition for
:07:16. > :07:22.teachers to leave the system and for younger teachers to remain in
:07:22. > :07:26.the system. Teachers just starting out on their
:07:26. > :07:31.careers will hope that will improve their chances of getting a job.
:07:31. > :07:37.have one or two back in that older category, and hopefully this
:07:37. > :07:41.announcement will be an incentive for them to take the package and
:07:41. > :07:46.took this saved a him the teacher's job. If unions are usually in the
:07:46. > :07:52.business of saving jobs, but in this case they are encouraging
:07:52. > :07:56.voluntary redundancies. We are encouraging older members to look
:07:56. > :08:06.favourably at the offer, because we cannot guarantee it will be
:08:06. > :08:10.available next year. Unions have also won a -- agreement to redeploy
:08:10. > :08:14.teachers to lose their jobs. Two teenagers have been arrested in
:08:14. > :08:20.connection with a recent spate of the vehicle hijackings in that --
:08:20. > :08:23.Belfast. Most of them are targeted at women drivers.
:08:23. > :08:27.The Health Minister has said there will be no further action on
:08:27. > :08:33.allegations of abuse at Lissue House in Lisburn and Forster Green
:08:33. > :08:36.Hospital in Belfast unless there is new evidence. Edwin Poots was
:08:36. > :08:42.speaking to the Health Committee over allegations of abuse at the
:08:42. > :08:48.hospitals. A woman from Comber has been
:08:48. > :08:51.questioned in relation to the murder of Phyllis to its -- Philip
:08:51. > :08:54.Strickland -- Philip Strickland. Stacey McCaughey is accused of
:08:55. > :08:59.perverting the course of justice. Another arrest was made this
:08:59. > :09:02.morning. Three teenage boys were arrested in
:09:02. > :09:07.relation to an assault in South Belfast earlier this month. It
:09:07. > :09:14.happened in the Village area when extras on a film set were attacked.
:09:14. > :09:19.You are watching BBC Newsline. Still to -- still to come: From the
:09:19. > :09:27.longest serving manager in the game to the most recent.
:09:27. > :09:34.We will hear from two men shortly. Would you pay �2 for a walk around
:09:34. > :09:39.this National Trust estate? The unemployment level has fallen
:09:39. > :09:43.again according to the official figures, yet the number of people
:09:43. > :09:47.claiming unemployment benefit continues to rise. Our Business and
:09:47. > :09:54.Economics Editor is with me. Explained was why that is.
:09:54. > :09:58.It is a conundrum. Let us look at how the figures are moving. The
:09:58. > :10:05.measure of unemployment shows that over the year it has dropped by 1%.
:10:05. > :10:09.That is significant. In fact, the rate of employment has gone up by
:10:09. > :10:14.2.5% aren't there more jobs around? No. The number of jobs has dropped
:10:14. > :10:20.by over 8,000. As you have mentioned, the claimant count has
:10:20. > :10:25.gone up. The number of people on the dole is over 60,000. Why this
:10:25. > :10:30.disparity? The measure of unemployment is going in different
:10:30. > :10:36.ways. Rather than look at the headline rate, let us look at the
:10:36. > :10:40.trend. The trend is downwards. But he does not mean more jobs. Why are
:10:40. > :10:44.we seeing this drop in unemployment? It is hard to be sure,
:10:44. > :10:48.but it could be immigration. People are leaving, or perhaps they are
:10:48. > :10:52.going back to study. Retailers facing a difficult time.
:10:52. > :10:56.Three Cocks, the chain of stores, has gone into administration in
:10:56. > :11:02.Britain and here. Yes, it is carnage on the High
:11:02. > :11:08.Street. This will have a big impact here. Peacocks have 27 stores in
:11:08. > :11:15.Northern Ireland. It will be at least 200 job losses if they cannot
:11:15. > :11:18.sustain their business and sell it. And if you are a retainer and do
:11:18. > :11:24.not have customers who have money, you are out of business.
:11:24. > :11:28.Lever's on a positive note. We have had these different
:11:28. > :11:38.measurements of our economy out today. The construction sector is
:11:38. > :11:40.
:11:40. > :11:44.up South -- for up, the first time in five years.
:11:44. > :11:47.A property developer who borrowed money from the troubled
:11:47. > :11:53.Presbyterian Mutual Society has lost an extensive land portfolio.
:11:53. > :11:59.Receivers are trying to find buyers to recover some of the money.
:11:59. > :12:06.The land portfolio includes a site here which had been earmarked for
:12:07. > :12:11.Alice -- a development. This is the first time the Presbyterian Mutual
:12:11. > :12:19.Society has moved across one of its big borrowers. The company is
:12:19. > :12:26.controlled by Samuel Moore. The mutual is being wound down. Savers
:12:26. > :12:32.were panicked into 1000 and dates in -- in 2008 by the financial
:12:32. > :12:36.crisis and withdrew their money. Much of their loan book relates to
:12:36. > :12:43.develop and land. This land and property portfolio covers more than
:12:43. > :12:48.a dozen sites stretching far and wide. It is not yet clear how much
:12:48. > :12:56.will be recouped by a sale, but since the Presbyterian Mutual
:12:56. > :13:06.Society advanced the stone, -- these loans, its value has
:13:06. > :13:06.
:13:06. > :13:15.diminished. The administrators for the Presbyterian Mutual Society
:13:15. > :13:18.Two local newspaper editors have been giving evidence to the Leveson
:13:18. > :13:21.inquiry in London. It's examining press ethics in the wake of the
:13:21. > :13:23.phone hacking scandal. The editor of the Belfast Telegraph
:13:23. > :13:26.was questioned about journalists using subterfuge to get stories
:13:26. > :13:33.while the Irish News editor was asked if he was aware of phone-
:13:33. > :13:40.hacking by journalists in Northern Ireland. Yes, I have heard on an
:13:40. > :13:45.anecdotal basis, but not something I could testify on. We have
:13:45. > :13:50.probably all now heard about it on an anecdotal basis! Particularly in
:13:50. > :13:57.Belfast, but not specifically in the Irish News and not in
:13:57. > :14:02.connection with the journalists under my jurisdiction. That would
:14:02. > :14:08.only be sanctioned by myself, and there have been two or three cases,
:14:08. > :14:12.one recent case I can think of, in which we sanctioned that, because
:14:12. > :14:15.the public interest, in my view, made it necessary.
:14:15. > :14:19.On tomorrow's BBC Newsline, we'll have a story that affects everyone
:14:20. > :14:23.who puts their bin out. New long term waste contracts could soon be
:14:23. > :14:26.signed by local councils to help them hit EU targets. But some
:14:26. > :14:33.companies claim the deals about to be done could land Northern
:14:33. > :14:37.Ireland's ratepayers with a huge bill. Even on a short-term basis,
:14:37. > :14:42.we could offer a savings from day one of around 25% on the prices
:14:42. > :14:48.that have been mooted at the moment. A saving of perhaps 20 million per
:14:48. > :14:51.year. A conservative estimate puts that about half a billion over 25
:14:51. > :14:57.years. In a moment we'll be live to Omagh
:14:57. > :15:00.to see Tyrone take on... Tyrone! But first - not everyone's entirely
:15:00. > :15:07.happy with the composition of the Ireland rugby squad for the Six
:15:07. > :15:09.Nations. Here's Gavin Andrews. All will become clear!
:15:09. > :15:12.Brian McLaughlin has expressed surprise that only five Ulster
:15:12. > :15:15.players have been included in the Ireland Six Nations squad. Ulster's
:15:15. > :15:17.Head Coach believes the team's strong showing in Europe this
:15:17. > :15:24.season might have earned more international recognition. Nikki
:15:24. > :15:27.Gregg reports. The World Cup was expected to be a
:15:27. > :15:32.swan song for some of Ireland's most seasoned campaigners. But
:15:32. > :15:36.their coach has kept faith with the bulk of the squad he did to New
:15:36. > :15:42.Zealand last autumn. There is no Brian O'Driscoll. The captain is
:15:42. > :15:48.continuing his rehabilitation from shoulder surgery. Rory Best,
:15:48. > :15:51.Stephen there is, Andrew Trimble and Tom caught by the five Old St -
:15:51. > :15:58.- Ulster players included. The Ulster coach believes they should
:15:58. > :16:03.have been more. -- they air macro it should have been more. I think
:16:03. > :16:08.it is a bit disappointing, because Chris Henry has been exceptional
:16:08. > :16:13.all season, and dance to he, in the last three of four games has shown
:16:13. > :16:19.that he is capable of playing at that level. We are disappointed
:16:19. > :16:22.they are not included in the senior squad. International ambitions are
:16:22. > :16:27.being put to the side now has Ulster prepare for their biggest
:16:27. > :16:31.game of the season. A win against Claremont on Saturday will
:16:31. > :16:35.guarantee a place in the quarter- finals of the Heineken Cup.
:16:35. > :16:39.Mathematically it There are the rich to the last eight, but the
:16:39. > :16:44.players are eager to create history with a first ever winner on French
:16:44. > :16:51.soil. It will be a tough game, they have a good forward pack, they are
:16:51. > :16:56.playing at home, I think they will -- we will have to make sure we are
:16:56. > :17:01.up for the challenge. We are looking to book a home quarter.
:17:01. > :17:05.Their current form is proving useful in recruitment forms. Roger
:17:05. > :17:09.Bolsun will return to raven Hill next season after four years at
:17:09. > :17:18.Northampton. Live coverage of the game on Radio
:17:18. > :17:21.Ulster FM on Saturday. That starts at 2pm. The semi-final line-up for
:17:21. > :17:23.Gaelic football's Power NI McKenna Cup will be known after tonight's
:17:23. > :17:25.concluding round of group matches. The pick of the games is
:17:25. > :17:28.undoubtedly Tyrone against Fermanagh in Omagh, where the
:17:28. > :17:35.managerial head-to-head is attracting as much attention as the
:17:35. > :17:42.match. Let's go live now to Mark Sidebottom at Healy Park.
:17:42. > :17:46.Thank you, as you say, it is kind of all about the managers. I will
:17:46. > :17:52.ask you first. Is it a novel occasion for you, or just another
:17:52. > :17:56.game, given that you were in the same party -- Club, he is the
:17:56. > :18:00.captain. He estimates is a bit strange for Peter to be on a
:18:00. > :18:06.different side, but when he goes into the world of in decanted
:18:06. > :18:09.management, that is likely to happen, particularly within Ulster.
:18:09. > :18:14.Here we have it, three games into the season, we are meeting each
:18:14. > :18:20.other. I was saying a few minutes ago thatNow the longest serving
:18:20. > :18:27.manager in the game, and Peter de newest. -- the newest. What advice
:18:27. > :18:32.would you in part to him? No advice at any more! He knows what he's
:18:32. > :18:37.doing. He has brought a new spark of life to the fund manager said
:18:37. > :18:45.that, that can only be good for football in this prevent. -- firm
:18:45. > :18:49.manner. We will be the same friend as we ever were after the match.
:18:49. > :18:54.Did you always think he would make his stride into management given
:18:54. > :18:58.his ability on the field of play? Without a doubt. He says it is in
:18:58. > :19:02.his blood, he doesn't end when you stop playing. That is just the way
:19:02. > :19:07.it is. He enjoys it so much about the game, he still wants to be
:19:07. > :19:13.involved, and he is not that easily found for an interview before the
:19:13. > :19:18.game, as usual! Apparently he is stuck somewhere. We will stick with
:19:18. > :19:23.you. I know it is early doors, is this about looking toward the Lika,
:19:23. > :19:29.and finding the right balance? is about all those things, it is
:19:29. > :19:34.about preparing well. We didn't start the League well last year, it
:19:34. > :19:41.cost us a chance of from promotion. So we would be faster out of the
:19:41. > :19:46.blocks this year. -- we want to be. Here he is now! He is just coming
:19:46. > :19:49.in! The producer has told me you have held up of the broadcast. A
:19:49. > :19:55.quick word on this evening's game Kabul would you be taking it easy?
:19:55. > :20:00.I am not playing! You will have to talk to those players out there. It
:20:00. > :20:08.will be a good crowd, it is a great opportunity, they will be playing
:20:08. > :20:10.good opposition. Are you feeling of awe are uncomfortable? There will
:20:10. > :20:17.be sending wrong with me if I didn't, I definitely feels
:20:17. > :20:22.different coming here, preparing to try and defeat a Tyrone team,
:20:22. > :20:28.especially with this man involved, but I am with these boys now, they
:20:28. > :20:35.are making a great effort, so I will be doing my best. Do the
:20:35. > :20:42.handshake for the cameras! He was slippery and elusive on the pitch,
:20:42. > :20:45.we just about got in there for you. Back to you in the studio, we got
:20:45. > :20:47.there! Belfast boxer Brian Magee has
:20:47. > :20:54.confirmed that he'll fight in Denmark for a WBA Interim World
:20:54. > :20:56.title on the 18th of February. With all the details - plus news of a
:20:56. > :21:01.Glentoran win and disappointment for snooker player Mark Allen.
:21:01. > :21:05.Here's Denise Watson. To wait is over. After months of
:21:05. > :21:11.sweating in the gym, Brian Magee will take to the ring in Copenhagen
:21:11. > :21:15.next month. The Belfast man sees his fight as a vital stepping stone
:21:15. > :21:22.to a major title. His opponent's nickname is hard hitting, but he is
:21:22. > :21:26.not fazed. I am a focused and driven, it is going to be the
:21:26. > :21:31.hardest four weeks of my life, probably, I am fit and strong, I
:21:31. > :21:36.hope to be on time and on target. Glentoran packed a punch in the
:21:36. > :21:41.Carling Premiership with a 3-0 victory against Ballymena.
:21:41. > :21:47.The result was exactly what they needed after their humiliating
:21:48. > :21:51.defeat to Newing 10 in the Irish Cup.
:21:51. > :21:56.Sean Ward also got onto the scoresheet, but Scott Young, who
:21:56. > :22:01.resigned as manager at the weekend was in their thoughts. It is never
:22:01. > :22:05.an easy place to come, and you are looking for a reaction from the
:22:05. > :22:11.players, I think that that we gutted. The players are dedicated
:22:11. > :22:14.bad result to Scott. Unfortunately, it is a match too late, but they
:22:14. > :22:20.wanted me to say that. It was an uncomfortable night for
:22:20. > :22:26.Mark Allen at the Masters. He looked a frustrated as Neil
:22:26. > :22:29.Robertson beat him six frames to three. He had let slip a 3-2 lead.
:22:29. > :22:35.Afterwards he said he had completely lost interest in the
:22:35. > :22:39.match and couldn't really be bothered after the interval. That
:22:39. > :22:43.is your sport tonight. How much would you pay to go for a
:22:43. > :22:46.walk? The National Trust is going to start charging for access to the
:22:46. > :22:49.grounds of Castle Coole in Enniskillen.
:22:49. > :22:57.That's led to some saying they'll go elsewhere for their fresh air
:22:57. > :23:02.and exercise. Here's our Fermanagh District Journalist Julian Fowler.
:23:02. > :23:06.This castle stands on the edge of Enniskillen. The former home of the
:23:06. > :23:12.Earls of Balmore, it is -- towards, lakes and parkland are just a few
:23:12. > :23:16.minutes' walk from the centre of town. The National Trust believes
:23:16. > :23:21.around 70,000 visits are made to the grounds here each year. Soon,
:23:21. > :23:27.anyone who isn't a member of the trust will have to pay. The reason,
:23:27. > :23:31.the property costs almost twice as much to maintain that it currently
:23:31. > :23:35.generate income. We know that many thousands of people come and walk
:23:35. > :23:43.in the park every year. What a lot of people don't realise is the cost
:23:43. > :23:49.to maintain it. It costs �270,000 a year. That is just to run the place.
:23:49. > :23:53.We run it at a 100 did �1,000 loss. Until now visitors have only been
:23:53. > :23:59.charged when arriving by car. Now from March until October, walkers
:23:59. > :24:04.will be charged �2 per adult and �1 per children over the age of five.
:24:04. > :24:09.I would be willing to pay, I know it is a good cause. When you have
:24:09. > :24:18.got family, there is other places you can go and walk for free to
:24:18. > :24:23.stop what you pay the �2? Yes. Or I would get membership. If you charge
:24:23. > :24:29.here, I think you're going to lose a lot of people walking, it is a
:24:29. > :24:33.lovely environment to walk in. think it is dreadful, I really do.
:24:33. > :24:38.Because Labour should be able to use this walk free of charge to
:24:38. > :24:42.stop -- people should be able to. The National Trust hopes this will
:24:42. > :24:49.not deter visitors and more people will take out annual memberships to
:24:49. > :24:52.help it pay for the work that it does.
:24:52. > :24:58.And the debate over this story is raging away on our Facebook page,
:24:58. > :25:08.with opinion split over whether it's a good idea or not. You can
:25:08. > :25:19.
:25:19. > :25:26.It has turned a little bit colder today, and that chill will be in
:25:26. > :25:31.the air for another 24 hours or so before things get milder again. It
:25:31. > :25:35.was a dull start, but it improves quickly, sunny spells coming
:25:35. > :25:40.through across more areas. Some cloud still floating in,
:25:40. > :25:45.threatening a few showers across the northern counties. Equally,
:25:45. > :25:49.some clearer skies, and it is better news for some of the
:25:49. > :25:56.stargazers this evening. You can catch the last of the BBC's life
:25:56. > :26:00.star-gazing programme this evening. So we hold on to the clear spells
:26:00. > :26:06.for the first part of the night, it is going to be a cold night.
:26:06. > :26:10.Temperatures can are generally down to three Celsius. That is low
:26:10. > :26:17.enough for some frost and if you icy patches. We are also likely to
:26:17. > :26:21.see a few showers in parts of the north and west. We are going to be
:26:21. > :26:26.seeing more of those showers tomorrow, a cold day coming up,
:26:26. > :26:29.with a blustery wind picking up in the afternoon. Not too strong first
:26:29. > :26:35.thing in the morning, with some glimmers of brightness in the east,
:26:35. > :26:40.but for most of us, it will cloud over. That rain will start to move
:26:41. > :26:45.away, clearing away from the east coast into the afternoon. Some of
:26:45. > :26:53.the best sunny spells could be across part of County Down and
:26:53. > :27:01.parts of County Armagh. Towards the north, the gusty wind will pick up,
:27:01. > :27:05.bringing some wintry showers. A cold day tomorrow, only around six
:27:05. > :27:10.degrees, the wind making it feel chillier. Those showers continuing
:27:10. > :27:15.to tomorrow evening. Overnight, spells of rain moved in, and they
:27:15. > :27:22.linger into Friday morning before clearing away. Still breezy and
:27:22. > :27:26.Finally, a reminder of the stories making the headlines.
:27:26. > :27:30.Concerns have been raised about standards in one of our A&E
:27:30. > :27:33.department. AGP has said it is awful to come to Antrim area
:27:33. > :27:38.hospital. More money is on offer from the
:27:38. > :27:42.Department of Education to encourage to take redundancy.
:27:42. > :27:47.Unemployment figures show a slight fall, but the failure of the retail
:27:47. > :27:51.changed Peacocks has put about 200 jobs at risk.
:27:51. > :27:54.The search of the stricken boat off the coast of Italy has been
:27:54. > :27:58.suspended as the liner her slipped deeper into the sea.