:00:14. > :00:21.Good evening. This is BBC Newsline with Donna Traynor and Sarah
:00:21. > :00:25.Travers. The headlines this Thursday evening: they call-centre
:00:25. > :00:30.company shedding hundreds of jobs won a major government contract
:00:30. > :00:36.just three months ago. Families say they are disappointed
:00:36. > :00:39.by a HET report into a bombing. Why the roads Minister does not
:00:39. > :00:42.want motorists to tax their cars on line.
:00:42. > :00:45.In sport, the hottest tickets in town for Ulster-Munster go on sale
:00:45. > :00:48.and we'll hear from two Olympians who've already booked their tickets
:00:48. > :00:51.for London 2012. And, there's been a real lack of
:00:51. > :00:59.sunshine this week. Will it turn brighter in time for the weekend?
:00:59. > :01:02.The call centre and business services operator HCL, which is
:01:02. > :01:06.shedding 250 jobs here, won a multi-million pound contract from
:01:06. > :01:09.the Department of Health just three months ago.
:01:09. > :01:13.The �18 million contract, awarded in November, is to provide back-
:01:13. > :01:21.office services. Our Business and Economics editor, Jim Fitzpatrick,
:01:21. > :01:25.is at the companies premises in Belfast.
:01:25. > :01:33.They are cutting jobs locally but they are getting big business
:01:33. > :01:37.locally. How come? They are at a huge operation providing back
:01:37. > :01:43.office services and technology. They turn over about �4 billion a
:01:43. > :01:49.year. We learned on Monday that the Northern Ireland operations is
:01:49. > :01:58.cutting Iraq 255 jobs, closing the centre in Armagh and scaling back
:01:58. > :02:02.in Belfast. They are creating jobs in the south of the border. Now a
:02:02. > :02:08.subsidiary has won and �80 million contract with the Department of
:02:08. > :02:14.Health. What is the nature of that contract? They employ eight 70,000
:02:14. > :02:21.people and they want to streamline back office operations. That is
:02:21. > :02:25.where HCL Max on comes in. They have been awarded it in November.
:02:25. > :02:33.Could that work be done by operations here in Northern
:02:33. > :02:38.Ireland? You would wander because big company here in Belfast and
:02:38. > :02:45.Armagh is business process outsourcing which sounds like the
:02:45. > :02:50.kind of thing the divide man - might Department of Health has
:02:50. > :02:56.contracted. But I understand the support is there to streamline the
:02:56. > :03:00.services but it is controversial. What is there a view of the
:03:00. > :03:05.Minister? We now find local jobs are being eliminated after
:03:05. > :03:10.outsourcing. He says it is regrettable but he points at the
:03:11. > :03:16.two things are separate. However, it is embarrassing in a week way
:03:16. > :03:19.HCL, albeit a difference subsidiary, announces job losses here and it
:03:19. > :03:23.creates jobs in the Republic and we find out they have won this big
:03:23. > :03:30.contract. The Minister cannot compel them to keep employment here
:03:30. > :03:34.and he says the two things are not connected but it does not look good.
:03:34. > :03:36.Three of the families of the victims of the La Mon House Hotel
:03:36. > :03:39.bombing say they're deeply disappointed at the findings of an
:03:39. > :03:42.Historical Enquiries Team report into what happened. The HET say
:03:42. > :03:49.they did not uncover any new evidence to refer the investigation
:03:49. > :03:54.to the PSNI. 12 people died and more than 20
:03:54. > :04:04.were seriously injured when the IRA bombed the La Mon House Hotel in
:04:04. > :04:07.
:04:07. > :04:11.County Down. Feel attached to the explosions ignited. This morning,
:04:11. > :04:18.survivors of three victims expressed their disappointment at
:04:18. > :04:24.the HET report. We met with HET on various occasions and each time we
:04:24. > :04:27.were hoping for some good news. Receiving the final report, we are
:04:27. > :04:31.disappointed to find there is very little information we did not
:04:31. > :04:41.already know about before they even started and a lot of questions are
:04:41. > :04:41.
:04:41. > :04:47.left unanswered. Jim Alastair describes the inquiry as a sloppy.
:04:47. > :04:54.There is no indication in this report that if these gloves still
:04:54. > :05:01.exist, whether or not they were ever examined for DNA, if they
:05:01. > :05:03.existed then it is almost criminal neglect. If they do not exist,
:05:03. > :05:10.there needs to be a clear explanation as to why they don't
:05:10. > :05:15.exist. In response to the criticism, the Historical Enquiries Team says
:05:15. > :05:18.there review provides as full an account as possible as to what
:05:18. > :05:23.happened and how the investigation was conducted and they stress the
:05:23. > :05:26.report is not necessarily the end of the process as families will
:05:26. > :05:30.always be able to seek further clarification of concerns they may
:05:30. > :05:35.have. That is what the three families are expected to do next
:05:35. > :05:37.and they have not ruled out calling for a public inquiry into the
:05:38. > :05:41.bombing. A move to allow Northern Ireland
:05:41. > :05:43.motorists to tax their vehicles online is not getting the backing
:05:43. > :05:47.from Stormont that you would expect. The Environment Minister is
:05:47. > :05:50.concerned that if the system here is merged with the UK headquarters
:05:50. > :05:56.in Wales there's a threat to hundreds of local jobs. Here's our
:05:57. > :06:01.Consumer Affairs correspondent Martin Cassidy.
:06:01. > :06:07.At tax offices and post offices they come each day to fill in forms
:06:08. > :06:13.and queue for the privilege of paying tax. For motorists, it is a
:06:13. > :06:19.regular chore - taxing the card - and it can involve a long wait. OK,
:06:19. > :06:25.can we have a look at this one. Some motorists try to save time by
:06:25. > :06:30.posting their application to the DVLA at Coleraine where all vehicle
:06:30. > :06:36.records are compiled on computer. As you can see, the details have
:06:36. > :06:40.been checked on computer, but while there is that IT computer system in
:06:40. > :06:48.place, in Northern Ireland it is not, as yet, possible to tax your
:06:49. > :06:52.part on line. Your insurance certificate, please? It has emerged
:06:52. > :06:58.that the government is looking at what it would take to integrate the
:06:58. > :07:01.system with the one operating in Swansea. It would open up the
:07:01. > :07:07.prospect of online services to motorists here but it is a move
:07:07. > :07:14.that is being treated with caution. What would not be welcomed is the
:07:14. > :07:19.consequence of that is a loss of jobs. I made it clear today to
:07:19. > :07:25.London ministers that, whilst I want more services, I will not
:07:25. > :07:30.allow the situation to arise where there are job losses as a
:07:30. > :07:35.consequence of work in Colraine going to Swansea. As many as 130
:07:35. > :07:40.jobs would be put at risk but many motorists now want to tax their
:07:40. > :07:46.cars on line. It is not inconvenient but it would make life
:07:46. > :07:53.easier. We have two or three cars at home so what made -- would make
:07:53. > :07:57.life fantastically easier. It would be convenient. But no online
:07:57. > :08:02.service is not the only problem as you should also be able to tax your
:08:02. > :08:06.car on the phone. Local service is severely restricted because of a
:08:06. > :08:11.lack of money. Is it time for change? Despite political
:08:11. > :08:16.opposition, the government is looking to integrate the system
:08:17. > :08:21.with the one in Swansea. It could have implications for vehicle
:08:21. > :08:24.Licensing staff here as well. There's been quite a discussion on
:08:24. > :08:27.our Facebook page about taxing your car online. Most people think it
:08:27. > :08:31.would be a convenient option but there's also concern about those
:08:31. > :08:35.jobs in Coleraine. If you'd like to join in, email: We're also on
:08:35. > :08:37.Twitter and you can always email us with any issue you'd like us to
:08:37. > :08:40.investigate. Lord Bannside, the former First
:08:40. > :08:43.Minister, has been moved out of intensive care in hospital where
:08:43. > :08:46.he's being treated for heart problems. A family friend says he's
:08:46. > :08:56.making "steady progress." The former DUP leader was admitted to
:08:56. > :08:56.
:08:56. > :09:02.the Ulster hospital 12 days ago. Still to come: Find out why many of
:09:02. > :09:12.us own a house we live in but not the ground it stands on.
:09:12. > :09:14.
:09:14. > :09:19.I am with one of the most famous Sportspeople have added their
:09:19. > :09:22.backing to a sports campaign to try to prevent people committing
:09:22. > :09:26.suicide. They are tried to encourage people with trouble to
:09:26. > :09:32.seek help. Our reporter was at the launch.
:09:33. > :09:38.Lastly, 313 people in Northern Ireland took they have lost -- own
:09:38. > :09:43.lives. Consider the families and circle of friends also devastated.
:09:43. > :09:51.Sports people have come here today to encourage people of all ages to
:09:51. > :09:55.seek help. What are you hoping to achieve by coming along today?
:09:55. > :09:59.Suicide is prevalent and it is important that young people are
:09:59. > :10:06.aware that there is help out there and that any help and support they
:10:06. > :10:10.need is available. Rugby is a sport that a lot of people look up to an
:10:10. > :10:14.particularly sports stars like yourself. Yes, I think a lot of
:10:14. > :10:19.young people look up to the guys who play sports and there is a lot
:10:19. > :10:22.of pressure on sports people as well as everyone else with the
:10:22. > :10:31.current climate so the Samaritans are they to brought services which
:10:31. > :10:36.are really important. The basic idea is that boxers are looked on
:10:36. > :10:43.as tough guys but we are trying to put across the message that, if we
:10:43. > :10:47.don't talk about our troubles, it could be serious. The message he
:10:47. > :10:55.today is to try to help young people to seek help and obviously
:10:55. > :10:58.to save other families from deep Sinn Fein members on Belfast City
:10:58. > :11:02.Council are set to back plans to celebrate the Queen's Diamond
:11:02. > :11:05.Jubilee. Minutes of a committee meeting show that two Sinn Fein
:11:05. > :11:09.members said "they would be supporting" a programme of events,
:11:09. > :11:13.due to take place from 2nd to 5th June. The celebrations will include
:11:13. > :11:23.the planting of commemorative trees, a tea dance and the lighting of a
:11:23. > :11:30.beacon on Cave Hill. We are involved in a process with
:11:30. > :11:34.all of the other parties to do our best to mark important
:11:34. > :11:40.anniversaries that are coming towards this coming decade. The
:11:40. > :11:49.Queen's jubilee happens to be one of the first of those historic
:11:49. > :11:52.anniversaries. You can read more Arts groups in the Cathedral
:11:52. > :11:54.Quarter have welcomed the restoration of funding for arts and
:11:54. > :11:57.cultural events there. The Laganside Events Grant, which
:11:58. > :12:04.was funded by the Department for Social Development, was due to
:12:04. > :12:09.close in March. However, following discussions between executive
:12:09. > :12:17.ministers, �200,000 of further funding is to be made available. An
:12:17. > :12:20.additional �50,000 will also be Now, have you ever wondered why you
:12:20. > :12:24.pay ground rent every year? Sometimes the amount seem so small
:12:24. > :12:28.it may not seem worthwhile. So, where do ground rents come from
:12:28. > :12:36.and what do they mean? Our reporter Julie McCullough has been trying to
:12:36. > :12:41.get to the bottom of it. In Northern Ireland, nearly all
:12:41. > :12:46.urban land is lease hold, meaning that even though you own your home,
:12:46. > :12:51.you have to pay rent for the ground it stands on. It is different from
:12:51. > :12:57.being a freeholder because they own their land for ever. Ground rent is
:12:57. > :13:00.a feudal device going back to Norman times but in Ireland it has
:13:00. > :13:04.been around since the plantation of the 17th century when landlords
:13:04. > :13:11.were given land in the nine countries of Ulster, for example.
:13:11. > :13:16.It is a rent paid by a leaseholder to a free holder. The freeholder
:13:16. > :13:22.would own, perhaps, hundreds of thousands of acres covering towns
:13:22. > :13:27.like Belfast. This was once owned by the L of Donegal. Over the years
:13:27. > :13:33.ownership has changed hands many times and people have even bought
:13:33. > :13:38.them as investments. David Thompson at this survey has company collects
:13:38. > :13:42.40,000 of them every year. collect them for a range of people.
:13:42. > :13:47.Sometimes it is the original builders who built the houses and
:13:47. > :13:52.in other cases it is the successes or the next of kin. In other cases,
:13:52. > :13:56.it is people who have acquired ground rents. Sometimes it is
:13:56. > :14:00.charities way ground rents have been left to a charity.
:14:00. > :14:05.Practically everyone who owns a bill for -- building in Greater
:14:05. > :14:09.Belfast should be paying ground rent and if you are not, it may be
:14:09. > :14:14.the landlord has not pursued it because some ground rents can be
:14:14. > :14:18.for as little as �2 the year. In the city centre here they can run
:14:18. > :14:24.into the thousands. By law, you have to pay the ground rent. If you
:14:25. > :14:28.do not, it was caused problems when it comes to selling your house. But
:14:28. > :14:34.there is no problem buying a property that is lease hold because
:14:34. > :14:41.most of these leases last for around 1000 years. There is no
:14:41. > :14:45.question at all about marketability. The lenders will lend on leasehold
:14:45. > :14:51.title and, really, for all intents and purposes, people should not be
:14:51. > :14:57.concerned as to whether the title is leasehold or freehold. Really
:14:57. > :15:02.ought ground rent stay the same for the duration of the least. A �15
:15:02. > :15:10.feet this year was a 15 Prime feet 100 years ago but then it was worth
:15:10. > :15:20.a lot more money. A lot has now been passed preventing any new
:15:20. > :15:24.
:15:24. > :15:29.ground rents being created unless If you are a fan of Daniel
:15:29. > :15:34.O'Donnell, stay with us. Hundreds of Ulster rugby fans
:15:34. > :15:40.descended on Ravenhill today. But it was not for a match, or at least,
:15:40. > :15:43.to watch a match. Lots of people stop me today to ask
:15:43. > :15:48.what was happening, because there were so many people there you would
:15:48. > :15:52.have thought there was a match. They were queueing for tickets for
:15:52. > :15:58.the big quarter-final against Munster. The game will be played on
:15:58. > :16:03.April 5th. Many supporters will be disappointed, as more than half of
:16:03. > :16:13.Ulster's allocation of 6,400 seats has already been sold. Hundreds of
:16:13. > :16:13.
:16:14. > :16:21.people turned up today, some experience problems online.
:16:21. > :16:28.I have been here from 10:30am. We were right back over their! There
:16:28. > :16:38.is 26,000, I think it holds. They could sell that number to us if
:16:38. > :16:40.
:16:40. > :16:48.they -- if they would letters. gymnast to divide expert opinion
:16:48. > :16:58.that he would never walk again and then qualified for the Olympic
:16:58. > :16:59.
:16:59. > :17:04.Games. Kieran Behan is attending an Irish training camp in Lisburn.
:17:04. > :17:08.They have been like silage us men's 4 Kieran Behan since he qualified
:17:08. > :17:13.for the Olympics. He changed his mobile phone number to cope with
:17:13. > :17:19.the new publicity. In a sport which has struggled with the swings and
:17:19. > :17:24.roundabouts of cash restraints, getting a grant of �16,500 from the
:17:24. > :17:27.Olympic Council of Ireland has made a big difference. We were doing
:17:27. > :17:32.fund-raising every day at my gymnastics Club, doing cake sales,
:17:32. > :17:42.car washes and everything. If it was not for that, I would not be
:17:42. > :17:44.
:17:44. > :17:48.able to train as hard as I can now. For me, that is the biggest change.
:17:48. > :17:52.When you watch Kieran train, you have to remind yourself, this is
:17:52. > :17:57.the guy who suffered a non cancerous tumour on his leg which
:17:57. > :17:59.left him in a wheelchair for several months. As a teenager, he
:17:59. > :18:05.suffered head injuries during a training accident and was told he
:18:05. > :18:10.might never walk again. Today, it is clear, his colleagues and
:18:10. > :18:15.friends are keen to follow in his footsteps. It has inspired them.
:18:15. > :18:25.With competitions coming up, it has given us something to aim for,
:18:25. > :18:27.
:18:27. > :18:31.knowing that he has done its. He worked hard and got their. Before
:18:31. > :18:34.the London Olympics get here, Kieran Behan is preparing for the
:18:34. > :18:42.European Championships in France next May. It is a far cry from
:18:42. > :18:46.selling cakes and washing cars. An amazing story. Wendy Houvenaghel
:18:46. > :18:53.from Upperlands will compete in her second Olympic Games this summer.
:18:53. > :18:57.She is one of our favourites for a medal. Tonight she takes part in
:18:57. > :19:04.track cycling's World Cup. Wendy is already a world champion, but she
:19:04. > :19:07.is determined to win Olympic gold. Inside the oppressive -- impressive
:19:08. > :19:11.for a Olympic Velodrome this week, Great Britain and Northern
:19:11. > :19:16.Ireland's world-class cyclists got a chance to compete on the track
:19:16. > :19:20.where they hope to realise their dreams this summer. It is good to
:19:21. > :19:28.have the opportunity to ride on a track that is going to be used for
:19:28. > :19:33.the Olympic event. It will give me an opportunity to get used to my
:19:33. > :19:37.surroundings and a used to the track itself. There is about six
:19:37. > :19:45.months to go now, so it is a real - - realistic time frame to get
:19:45. > :19:50.focused on the events that we are targeting in August. When you Vidal
:19:50. > :19:56.-- Wendy Houvenaghel, beat silver medallist. She missed out on gold
:19:57. > :20:01.by seconds in the last Olympic Games in Beijing. Since then, she
:20:01. > :20:09.has focus on team pursuit. Last year, she was part of a successful
:20:09. > :20:15.Cup -- squat tipped to win gold this time in London. It is
:20:15. > :20:19.realistic to expect that we will do well in London. We are targeting
:20:19. > :20:25.the gold medal for sure. I do not pick any of us will be satisfied
:20:25. > :20:30.unless we get that gold medal. that level of conviction, we hope
:20:30. > :20:33.to see triumph in scenes like these in July.
:20:33. > :20:38.Manchester City face portraying the Europa League tonight as they
:20:38. > :20:42.continue to chase silverware this season. The trophy they won last
:20:42. > :20:48.season is on display tonight in Cookstown.
:20:48. > :20:53.This is one of the most famous pieces of silverware in the world,
:20:53. > :21:00.the FA Cup. It is a special guest here this evening for a gathering
:21:00. > :21:03.of Manchester City -- Manchester City supporters. How important is
:21:03. > :21:07.it for Manchester City as a club to come to Cookstown and bring the FA
:21:07. > :21:15.could hear? It is important because we have an excellent fan-base over
:21:15. > :21:22.here. We wanted to come over and celebrates and be with them. We
:21:22. > :21:31.decided to bring over our soccer schools, free schools for children
:21:31. > :21:36.over here. That is regardless whether you are a City fan or not.
:21:36. > :21:41.We thought that would be a nice touch, to get up close and personal
:21:41. > :21:51.with the FA Cup itself. secretary of the supporters' club
:21:51. > :21:52.
:21:52. > :21:55.here, how big is this for fans? This is phenomenal. Fans in
:21:55. > :22:01.Northern Ireland are so loyal, we have supported them through thick
:22:02. > :22:09.and thin. Our club was formed in 1997. The next year, Manchester
:22:09. > :22:13.City was relegated to the Third Division. The fans are so loyal.
:22:13. > :22:19.This is reward for their support. Such a long way from Manchester
:22:19. > :22:27.City for the FA Cup. Can they top the league? Yes, I've been they can.
:22:27. > :22:33.It is a three-horse race. Spurs are playing well, as I United. We have
:22:33. > :22:40.got players coming into form at the right time. It is never an easy
:22:40. > :22:44.game in the Premiership, but we have good team spirit. And you for
:22:44. > :22:51.joining us. Supporters here will have a chance to get their
:22:51. > :22:54.photograph taken with the FA Cup. Most supporters here hope that the
:22:54. > :22:57.FA Cup will be replaced by the Premier League trophy in 12 months'
:22:57. > :23:01.time. The women's football team of
:23:01. > :23:07.Northern Ireland came from behind twice against Belgium for a 2-2
:23:07. > :23:12.draw. Belgium led before the break, but substitute Catherine O'Hagan
:23:12. > :23:18.levelled early in the second half. The hosts retook the lead, but
:23:18. > :23:23.Julie Nelson equalised with biscuit. They remain -- Northern Ireland
:23:23. > :23:27.remain third in the table. Daniel O'Donnell was one of
:23:27. > :23:32.barnacle's greatest ambassadors. So much so, the county is getting a
:23:32. > :23:40.museum dedicated to him in Dungloe. The visitor centre is expected to
:23:40. > :23:47.be a big tourist attraction. We run to have a quick look.
:23:47. > :23:52.Memphis is the home of Elvis Presley's beloved Graceland mansion.
:23:52. > :23:58.Tennessee has a theme park for Dolly Parton. Now innovation work
:23:58. > :24:04.is under way in Dungloe, head of the opening of a Daniel O'Donnell
:24:04. > :24:11.museum. Daniel gave me all his stuff a few years ago and asked me
:24:11. > :24:16.to save it. He said that perhaps some day we would do a visitor
:24:16. > :24:23.centre where fans could come and have a look around.
:24:23. > :24:31.The museum would be a world first for Dungloe, but not entirely
:24:31. > :24:39.unexpected. He revealed -- Daniel O'Donnell release his first single
:24:39. > :24:43.years ago. He has a nice personal record, which we only discovered in
:24:43. > :24:51.the last few weeks. Daniel O'Donnell is the only artist in the
:24:51. > :25:01.history of the British album charts to have consecutively been in the
:25:01. > :25:08.charts for over 20 years. definitely knows what he wants and
:25:08. > :25:13.what he is about. You cannot take away from all that he has done over
:25:13. > :25:17.the years. Many hearts were broken when Daniel O'Donnell tied the knot
:25:17. > :25:22.in 2002, something the museum will not be glossing over. Despite being
:25:22. > :25:29.the subject of much parody, friends of the singer say he is able to
:25:29. > :25:36.give as good as he gets. When you are at a concert, relaxing, do you
:25:36. > :25:40.sit there in your underpants, scratching and trumping? Well, if
:25:40. > :25:43.there is something needing scratched, I do scratch it.
:25:43. > :25:48.building for decades was home to a number of banks, and from May,
:25:48. > :25:58.business people and locals in Dungloe are hoping they will be
:25:58. > :26:04.
:26:04. > :26:10.laughing all the weightier. It will be a grey end to the week,
:26:10. > :26:15.but it may brighten up in time for the weekend. This is the picture
:26:15. > :26:19.from today. It will be a similar picture this evening and overnight.
:26:19. > :26:25.No frost to worry about, with temperatures at six or seven
:26:25. > :26:31.Celsius. On Friday, it will be a dry start, especially in the East.
:26:31. > :26:34.Eventually, like today, it will become grey and damp. The rain
:26:34. > :26:44.spreading from the South West. In the afternoon, most places will
:26:44. > :26:48.have damp weather. There is a drier picture in County Down and Armagh.
:26:48. > :26:54.Temperatures tomorrow will reach ten Celsius, still mild for this
:26:54. > :26:58.time of year. It will feel colder because of the winds. As we go into
:26:58. > :27:02.the evening, it will turn drier for a while. We'll have this next
:27:02. > :27:07.weather front pushing him on Saturday morning, bringing wet
:27:07. > :27:13.weather, and behind that we will see the change. The rain will push
:27:13. > :27:17.southwards, dragging him colder air and windier conditions. For
:27:18. > :27:27.Saturday, it will be a windy day, largely dry and bright, but much
:27:28. > :27:29.
:27:29. > :27:39.colder. Get your gloves and scarves out! With strong winds, it will
:27:39. > :27:40.
:27:40. > :27:45.feel like one or two degrees Celsius. On Sunday, it is drier and
:27:45. > :27:48.brighter, but staying cold and crisp. There is rain on Monday