08/03/2012 BBC Newsline

Good evening. This is BBC Newsline with Sarah Travers and Donna

Traynor. The headlines this Thursday evening: An inquiry begins

into last night's collision between a cargo ship and a ferry in Belfast

Lough. 2,500 jobs to go at AIB, but how

many at their local subsidiary First Trust?

Two men are shot within hours of an anti-violence rally in Londonderry.

The the worst things and it happened in my life had been very

my daughter and see my son get shot. A mystery over the discovery of two

bodies in a burnt out car near the border. Echoes of the '80s with a

dirty protest by dissident republican prisoners. Ulster Rugby

spring a surprise by naming a little-known New Zealander as their

new head coach. The temperature has been recovering

since yesterday, but don't be counting on a lot of sunshine.

Good evening. The captain of the cargo ship which was in a collision

with a ferry on Belfast Lough has been charged with being over the

alcohol limit. Last night's crash was a mile and a half off-shore

between Helen's Bay and Carrickfergus. As Will Leitch

reports, both skippers were breathalysed as a matter of course.

Can damage in daylight. The cargo ship moored in Belfast Harbour

before -- in front of the other ship involved. The ferry with 100

passengers and crew was approaching Belfast at the end of the voyage

from Birkenhead. The cargo ship had 2000 tonnes of stones and six crew.

Somehow the ships crashed. Donaghadee and Bangor Lifeboat

raced to the scene. You could see the damage in the darkness. We have

to do a full emergency evacuation procedures. The group performed a

life jacket demonstration so everybody was made to feel secure.

Those on board last night were glad that dramatic episode was over

quickly. There was a loud bang. You knew it was a collision of some

description. The alarms went off. A bit dramatic. They said they might

have to get into lifeboats. investigators are trying to find

out how the collision happened. The skippers of the ships were

breathalysed. The 55-year-old captain of the cargo vessel was

arrested and charged with having consumed excess alcohol. The PSNI

are involved in this. Also at the Marine Office will be investigating

into looking to enforcement issues that may be applicable. A no more

thorough investigation will be undertaken by the accident

investigation branch. This chart shows the course the cargo ship

took last night. By contrast, the root of the ferry in blue seems

relatively undisturbed. The ferry is air charter vessel run by a

northern marine management. It has been on this route for just over

two weeks. The manager and company also provides the group, apart from

the Stena Line employs the work in catering. The vessel is now a

disservice. Stena Line has confirmed that it in northern

marine management are investigating the concerns of that passenger DAX

contacted us. He took pictures of emergency doors blocked by bags and

trollies. His concern was the safe evacuation of the ship if it had

been sinking last night. Although the ferry was checked last month

and passed a safe, it was emerged that the vessel was held over

safety issues by investigators in Sweden in January this year.

It was confirmed today that 2,500 jobs are being cut at Allied Irish

Bank, that is almost 20% of the workforce. So what does it mean for

employees in its Northern Ireland subsidiary, First Trust? Our

Business and Economics Editor, Jim Fitzpatrick, is outside its Belfast

head office. Jim, tell us about the First Trust? First Trust employ

1300 people here Northern Ireland. Of the two and a half 1000 jobs

lost -- pitch and have 1000 job losses, if they are applied evenly

across the group that would equate to 260 jobs going at First Trust.

Ulster Bank, our biggest local bank and tax payer owns, it is cutting

jobs to the tune of 350. Also Northern Bank has said that it will

probably shed around 60 jobs in Northern Ireland in the coming year.

Allied international banks has to save 170 million euro out of its

annual spend. It says that equates to 2500 jobs, but we're not sure

where they will be. We end will we get those staff and the numbers?

is all down to the unions and the Irish government. The Ulster Bank

is owned by UK taxpayers, First Trust is owned by Irish taxpayers.

The Department of Finance in Dublin has to decide on the terms of

redundancy. Those negotiations which will take place over the next

couple of weeks may not progress things past things like statutory

redundancy pay and a little bit more. The Stormont executive is

being more ambitious with that strop -- job-creation targets.

The executive has nectar like to agree the programme for government

and one of the key targets in that was for foreign direct investment.

They have increased the amount on that and put in a target for

indigenous investment and extra funding for the jobs fund. They say

they will invest �1 billion during the lifetime of this it -- during

the lifetime of this executive. It is a target, let's see if they

reach it. A father who watched as his son and

nephew were shot in the legs by gunmen in Londonderry last night

says those behind the attack are nothing more than bullies.

Republican Action Against Drugs has admitted carrying out the shooting

just hours after a protest was held against the organisation. Ciaran

McFadden has been speaking to our reporter, Nicola Weir, about the

moment his 20-year-old son, also called Ciaran, was targeted close

to his home. It is very hard to explain. As a

father, do try to it -- try to protect your children. For that to

happen in a matter of minutes, it is unreal. Q and McFadden lost his

only daughter to meningitis 12 years ago. Last night he said he

got he was going to witness the murder of his only son. The two

were things I have seen in my life is very my daughter and watch my

son getting shot. It is not a nice sight. I hope nobody goes through

what I go through. A pair me there is another threat out for two other

people. They just have to stop it. Don't put those families through it.

The attack happened here in Garden Square, yards from the family home.

Those targeted are two other number of young men under threat by a

Republican Action Against drugs. The shooting was carried out just

hours after a protest against the group in it the Creggan. Amongst

the crowd was the mother of Andrew Allen, who was murdered by the

organisation last month. Cards, just complete Cal words. Breaking

up families. Everybody has had They are not republicans, they are

gangsters. People came out last night and told them to move on.

There is no room for this carry on in this community. The police

refuted any suggestion they were not doing enough to tackle drugs in

the city. They said republicans against drugs or acting like

nothing more than common criminals. The Gardai are appealing for help

in identifying two people whose bodies were found in a burnt out

car in County Louth late last night. The discovery was made in

Ravensdale Forest between Dundalk and the border. It is believed the

pair are from Dublin and there -- police are investigating links to a

gangland drug feud. The blue tanned hides the remains of the two bodies

and the burnt-out vehicle. The fire was so intense that Gardai could

not even read the number plates. The state pathologist was here with

others to carry out a forensic examination. Gardai have appealed

for information. We're at the early stages of the investigation. I am

appealing for witnesses, for anybody that was in the Ripon steel

areas -- Ravensdale area. Especially between 10 o'clock and

11 o'clock last night. If anybody saw anything suspicious, or knows

anything about this incident, or is aware of any body that is missing

at the moment. Hearses arrived to collect the remains. Post mortem

examinations are expected to be carried out later. An incident room

has been set up at Dundalk police station.

You're watching BBC Newsline, still to come on the programme: New

comfort for the terminally ill at a specialist centre in Antrim.

husband and I had fun graced for this unit and little did we think

of here just a few weeks after it opened.

In the wake of Rory McIlroy's success, another hot sporting

prospect to come out of Holywood in Sinn Fein has said dissident

republicans on a so-called dirty protest at Maghaberry Prison should

be treated as political prisoners and called on the Justice Minister

to end strip-searching. David Ford has rejected claims that he reneged

on an agreement to end routine strip searches, and says there is

no justification for the protest that has been going on since last

May. Our home affairs correspondent, The dirty protest, a tactic used by

the IRA 30 years ago. Excrement on walls. Today, a similar protest on

a smaller scale. It is being carried out by dissident

republicans. Until recently, Damien McLaughlin was one of them. He was

caught with guns and ammunition and served a couple of years in

Maghaberry Prison. Theses have been thrown under the landings. The

wings in the mornings, there is pleading going on all day. The

stairs are erect, they are rotten. Working conditions are extremely

difficult for prison officers. They have to wear protective suits, face

masks -- face masks and latex gloves. The BOSS chair is at the

heart of this dispute. The prisoners claimed the Department of

trust has reneged on an agreement to end routine strip searching and

use technology instead. They say they agreed to fall body searches

if the scanner detected any hidden items. There was going to be no

more stripping, as far as we were concerned, within the prison. All

the routine strip searches were going to be dismissed due to this

BOSS chair fools but that is not correct. It removed the need for

the body searches. But all of those prisoners can be subjected to them.

Me D8 is involved in talks also believe the protest wouldn't be

taking place if the spirit of my grip -- agreement had been entered

into. The minister says his department is examining the

possibility of technological alternatives. The spirit of the

agreement has been breached by those prisoners that have not

appeared to the agreement, and have made threats against prison

officers. Those threats have been posted on websites. The spirit of

the agreement has been added to by the Department of Justice.

investigation that -- visited the protesters yesterday. In 1980, this

man was interviewed whilst on hunger strike. He was a political

prisoner. Or we are prepared to die a, we are special prisoners. A 32

years on, does Sinn Fein regard the dissident protesters as political

prisoners? Well, there is no doubt they are prisoners as a result of a

political legacy. I think what they have to do, and we will speak to

them today, and we will say they should embrace the political

process, and we feel their presence in prison is not necessary. So, of

a political prisoners? Absolutely. The prison authorities have refused

their request to lead BBC Newsline in to Maghaberry Prison to see the

conditions. This protest does not enjoy any degree of popular support.

In fact, most people are not even aware it is taking place. The

prisoners and their families say it will continue until the policy of

routine for body searches and. The Prison Authority says that will

only happen if they find a secular alternative. -- a secure

alternative. More details have emerged about a

failed housing scheme which never delivered any of the promised 200

homes. �8 million of taxpayer money was sunk into the project. Emails

obtained by the BBC reveal concerns about the land purchase and what

should happen next. Julian O'Neill reports.

Five years ago, Helm Housing bought this side at Great George's Street

and since 2010, it has been making money by renting it to a car park

operator. But it was meant to build 200 much-needed homes. And �8

million from the public purse was used to buy the land. Emails

obtained by the BBC reveal unease with in Government circles. One

official wrote, it is untenable that we have expended �8 million on

this land. We want to avoid any criticism of inaction. Since 2010,

the Government could have got the money back with interest but,

instead, it is deliberating over a land swap. Helm Housing would get

private land at Corporation Street in return for its site being used

for rule -- road works. There are reservations about this potential

solution. Another of the emails we obtained under freedom of

information state of the land swap may not be the best idea, given the

site here is still in an area of road congestion. This has become an

�8 million problem, but what has also emerged is that before a

single penny of taxpayers' money was spent, questions were raised

about this project. The Housing Executive and Department of Finance

both raised initial doubts in 2007, questioning the location of the

site and its suitability for housing. But they went along with

the purchase. As one civil servant wrote, it had ministerial

endorsement and there was little risk attached to the acquisition.

A specialist unit to care for people with serious and fatal

illnesses has been unveiled in Antrim. The �5 million unit at

Antrim Area Hospital is jointly funded by the Northern Trust and

Macmillan Cancer Support. It has 12 ensuite rooms and additional

facilities for relatives. Our district journalist Ciara Riddell

reports on the difference it's making.

Private rooms, en suite bathrooms and secluded patios. This is the

new state of the art palliative care unit officially opened by the

Health Minister today. It is the first specialist care facility like

this to be built with money from a local trust and a charity. This is

a result of a partnership between the Northern Trust and the Action

on Smoking and Health, going back 13 years. There was a gap

identified then in palliative care beds. So, discussion started about

10 years ago. And over the years, we have been developing the idea

and raising the money. The unit, on the Antrim area hospital site, has

been used by numerous patients since opening in June. My husband

and I punt raised for this unit and little did we think we would be

requiring the services, just a few weeks after it opened. His last

weeks, he spent here. He did it -- he needed an awful lot of pain

relief, not available at home. I knew he was having 24 hour care,

what he needed, when he needed, from the most wonderful stuff in

the world. That was a great comfort to know. To care for people in an

environment like this really is lovely. It is lovely for patients

and families. The rooms are amazing. Somebody can slipover and stay with

their relatives as well. But the main thing is most patients would

say this is on a hospital site, but it doesn't feel like a main

hospital, it is a home-from-home environment. Action on Smoking and

Health fundraisers raised �2 million for the �5 million needed

to build this unit with the Northern Trust providing the rest.

It is hoped partnerships like this can be replicated elsewhere.

The new Ulster rugby coach was revealed today. And it's not a name

fans were expecting. We broke the story earlier today.

It's not a name fans will probably even have heard before. But New

Zealander Mark Anscombe comes with a formidable reputation. He's

coached in world rugby's most competitive environment for the

last 15 years. The Kiwi will replace current head coach Brian

McLaughlin at the end of the season and take up his two year post on

June 1st. Gavin Andrews reports. This is the coach Ulster are

pinning their future ambitions on. Even the man but appointed him only

recently discovered his pedigree. At the start of this process, it

wasn't a name I was familiar with. I was aware he had coached some

teams, and their successors. We interviewed him, he hit a lot of

what we were looking for, and he spent last weekend in Belfast. We

got a chance to talk to him further. And, really, confirm the fact that

he was the right man for All Star. The Kiwi comes with an impressive

CV. The 54-year-old has finished a three-year term as head coach of

Auckland, combining that role as a member of the coaching staff of the

New Zealand Under 20 team, which will have -- has won the Wall

Championship for the past four years. He has also coached an Irish

team in the early 80s. He had worked with two New Zealand players,

and Humphreys believes he can take a world-class squad to the next 11.

We believe we have got the person with the right requirements. The

rest of the coaching team, it is about moving forward. We will look

back in three years' time and see how we have moved forward.

current coach, Brian McLaughlin, has guided Ulster in -- to a second

consecutive quarter-final. So Mark Anscombe will have to bring a

winning formula. Then his new -- in his first

interview, Mark Anscombe has been speaking from Auckland about the

challenge awaiting him. It is an exciting challenge. And Ulster,

they have been developing. Who they have got a few new players coming

in. They have been strengthening the squad. The foundation is there.

There is a lot of work that needs to be done to go to the next step.

Or with me is the former Ulster captain. As a New Zealander

yourself, what would your fellow- countryman bring to the job? First

and foremost, they are looking to bring him in because he has got a

lot of technical ability, and that is a key thing they are looking to

bring on the youngsters in. They need that strong technical support

to enhance their careers and also to enhance the performance of

Ulster. He is coming in and the goals have been set high. Is he

under a serious amount of pressure from the off? Yes, Brian McLaughlin

has done a cracking job for the last couple of seasons, taking the

team into some quarter-finals in Europe. Opposite, he is trying to

take them on this year as well. He has got a big pair of boots to fill.

But from what we gather, he has got all the pedigree there. And a spade

a spade, and they could be a shake- up. Do you expect him to be a

different character from Brian McLaughlin, as the Kiwi? He will

tell you how it is exactly and he will not mince his words. He will

tell you what he thinks. It might hurt somebody's feelings, but he is

here to do his job, at the end of a Dave.

Thank you. Rory McIlroy is playing his first

competitive round of golf since becoming world number one today at

the World Golf Championship Event in Miami in Florida. No fireworks

so far. He is going along steadily. He is four shots off the lead.

Rory McIlroy isn't the only young sportsman from Holywood making the

news this week. Ireland is sending just three athletes to this

weekend's World Indoor Athletics Championships in Istanbul. And one

of them is Ben Reynolds, from North Down, who runs in the heats of the

men's 60 metres on Saturday. The 21-year-old, a full-time athlete

based in Bath, has been talking to Austin O'Callaghan.

Ben Reynolds, all wearing green in lane four, grew up in Holywood,

County Down. He was a year behind Rory McIlroy at school and came to

prominence at this year's Irish Indoor Championships. He followed

up this victory a week later by running the qualifying time for the

world indoors. I've always had that as an aim. I left it until the last

week to qualify, which is typical for me. But I tend to do well in

those situations. You just can't yourself. -- you just can't

yourself. He will be representing Ireland for the first time at a

major international event, having previously won for Great Britain.

He has his own reasons for making the switch. People will say it is

because I did not get picked. For me, it was the support and funding.

Great Britain, it is a big pond. And, unless you are gunning for

medals, you are not going to get great support. Whereas Ireland take

better care of the talent they had. The other Irish athletes in Turkey

this weekend are the former indoor Championship hurdler. Ben Reynolds

believes that if his current rate of improvement continues, he could

be their team-mate in London. It's the oldest silverware in local

Now, the weather. Temperatures have been recovering today. Temperatures

will be higher still. Compared to yesterday, many of us were

struggling to reach eight. Unfortunately, what we didn't get a

day was the sunshine we had between yesterday balls showers. That cloud

rolling through the Atlantic. It could be disappointing if you are

stuck -- wanting to spot the Arab borealis. Having said that, some

clear spells. The breeze will fill in the cloud and it will be pretty

overcast and misty with hill fog, with dampness in the air. Pockets

of drizzle running through in the breeze, particularly in the North

and West. It is mild, temperatures 8 or 9. The mild weather continues

tomorrow and it is a rather cloudy and breezy day. For southern areas,

a mainly dry day, getting rid of barely patches of resolve. Towards

the North and North West, it is staying pretty damp. It could turn

a little wetter still a cross from a man to Rome. -- Fermanagh and

Tyrone. It will be dry in the East. Another hot day. Through tomorrow

night, that Banda rain edges South, and fizzles out. It is another mild