22/03/2012 BBC Newsline

Good evening. This is BBC Newsline with Sarah Travers. The headlines

this Thursday evening: what next for the former Taoiseach after a

corruption inquiry finds he lied about his finances.

Police believe a Chinese gang are behind this cannabis factory in

County Fermanagh. Pensioners get to grips with tax allowance budget

cuts and some are angry. Leave the pensioners be. Why take it from us?

After almost 20 years at his famous to win at North West 200, one of

the bigger stars is returning to the coast this summer.

If it is rain you are after, there will be some tonight but not for

The longest and most expensive public inquiry into corruption ever

held in the Republic today found that the former Taoiseach Bertie

Ahern lied about the source of several hundred thousand pounds

lodged into bank accounts connected to him. Although the Mahon Tribunal

stopped short of accusing him of corruption, it did find that a

number of others, including a former EU Commissioner, had been

corrupt. Among its main findings Corruption affected "every level of

Irish political life and was allowed to continue unabated".

Bertie Ahern failed to truthfully explain the source of money given

to him. The Tribunal also rejected Now, the Irish government has asked

the police to look at the report. In a moment, we'll hear reaction to

today's findings from Dublin but first Jennifer O'Leary reports on

why the Tribunal focused so much on the former Taoiseach.

Even before the report's publication, the tribunal into

alleged planning corruption caused political fall-out. In September

2006, the Irish Times published information that the tribunal was

investigating payments made to Berti and her and when he was

Minister of Finance. They wanted to see if there was evidence he had

received payments from a property developer so he had to explain his

personal finances and why a bank accounts had been opened later in

his career and he was unable. Questions are asked about thousands

of pounds he got from aim businessman and the initial renting

and purchasing of his house from the same man. I also had to pay off

other bills so the money I saved was gone. It created enormous

political scandal but when the Irish Times came out with a -- an

opinion poll it found his popularity had gone up. But the

issue dominated that 2007 election campaign. I earned the money. Are

you questioning that I shouldn't be allowed to use money? I've no more

to say about it. He won the election and three months later he

went the Mahon Tribunal. There was something surreal about it. Mr

Ahern's ever done as was slightly surreal as well. His former

secretary gave evidence that suggested previous evidence he gave

was not correct. She doesn't remember something. She was a

mother of three. There was a perception at the time that he hit

behind the skirts and that really hit home. At that stage, he

realised it would be difficult to continue in office. One month later

he resigned as Taoiseach. I have never received a corrupt payment. I

have never done anything dishonourable. History will judge

Bertie Aherne's political legacy. A reminder of the three main

points: Corruption affected every level of Irish political life and

was allowed to continue unabated. Bertie Aherne failed to true fully

explain the source of money given to him and the tribunal rejected Mr

Ahern's a evidence of dig-outs. Our reporter is live in Dublin for

us. A damning report then? Yes, it has taken 15 years at a

cost of something like �250 million. The findings are clear. 11

councillor -- Helene -- councillors and others were corrupt which

includes a former EU Minister. One minister corruptly sought repayment

from the developer and used it for his personal benefit. A former

deputy leader of Fianna Foyle found he had abused his role to a

significant degree. Much of the attention focuses on the former

Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern. He gave evidence on 15 occasions and the

tribunal found that it did not believe a word of his sworn

evidence, that he had failed to truthfully account for money that

had passed through bank accounts connected to him in the late

Eighties and Nineties. As to allegations he received �80,000

from a developer, the tribunal found no conclusive evidence on

that. In many ways, this report casts a dark shadow on all

political life during that period. For those who were at a high level

in political life in the late Eighties and the Nineties, it is

not a good day. A lot of the focus today is on Fianna Foyle members,

corruption extended across other paw t -- parties to. The current

Taoiseach said he was surprised by some of the FA -- findings and he

is affording it to the Gardai. By referring the report to the DPP and

to the Garda Commission, we will have a debate on this on Tuesday,

Wednesday and Thursday and we will consider the recommendations and

Political focus is turning to the current leader. He has promised to

act without fear or favour on anyone who has abused their

position. Mr Ahern it is facing expulsion from the party and it

will be a dramatic fall from grace for the man who has been a lifelong

member of the party and who once led them to victories in three

consecutive general elections. Thank you. The police believe a

Chinese criminal gang was running a cannabis factory discovered in

County Fermanagh yesterday. Hundreds of cannabis plants were

found in a house near the village of Tempo, outside Enniskillen. One

man's been arrested. More from our district journalist, Julian Fowler.

In a rural area of County Fermanagh this house was being used as a

cannabis factory. Almost every use had been turned into a nursery to

grow the drug. The police found 800 cannabis plants worth about

�350,000. The mains electricity supply had to be disconnected

before it was safe to enter the house. It is believed tens of

thousands of pounds of electricity would have been needed to cultivate

the plants. The factories thought to have been running for several

months and police have appealed to landlords and estate agents to be

vigilant. I believe the gang has more than one house in the area and

I would appeal to anyone who sees houses rented out to check them out

because this House will take thousands of pounds to repair.

Although the property has been cleared, the owner faces a large

bill to repair all the damage Fifty new computer software jobs

are coming to Belfast as a result of an investment by a leading

American pharmacy firm. CVS Caremark has more than 7,000

pharmacies across the United States and it plans to open an IT unit for

the development of software in the city centre. The company was

offered �300,000 from Invest NI to come here while the Department of

Employment and Learning pledged �200,000. The senior vice president

of the company explained why they I have done business in Belfast

over the years and the quality of the work force coming out of

university has always been outstanding. The friendliness and

the business environment has been outstanding also. So that these

Still to come: Fears that a new single welfare payment will leave

many worse off. And Ireland's cricketers keeps alive their hopes

of qualifying for the World Pensioners' groups have reacted

angrily to Government budget plans to end their special tax allowances,

calling it a raid on their incomes. The so-called granny tax could lead

to millions of older people across the United Kingdom being around �80

per year worse off. Now a special pensioner's parliament is to be

held here in May to look at the issue.

The bright they tend to one man into his garden in East Belfast. He

was not feeling quite so sunny yesterday. My instinctive reaction

was to say that this is a Budget that is Robin Hood in reverse.

Robbing the poor to pay the rich. Pensioners were expecting a little

bit more as they got older and they will not get that now. It will be

confined to the same rates of tax as everyone else. Many people find

as they get older that things get more expensive. Previously, most

pensioners could have an income of just under �10,000 per ser before

paying tax. But the 75 sad over, it was more than 10,000. Those

allowances will go, making it the same as most other people. The plan

is to raise that General threshold to over 9,000.

Some estimates say that pictures will be on average �84 per year

worse off. We are already feeling the strain, finding it hard to make

ends meet. We have seen cuts to the likes of the winter fuel payment,

and this extra cut will make it hard to heat and eat. It is

lunchtime at this garden-centre above Belfast. Plenty of

conversation and much of it about the tax changes. I am not too

pleased, I must admit. I thought they would leave it alone. We have

got through quite a lot, one where the other. We'd the pensioners be.

The Chancellor insist that no pensioner will be worse off in cash

terms. What about feel terms, they ask? Especially when the increase

in state pension is just about matching inflation. Pensioners say,

if anyone is getting richer it is certainly not them.

What do you think? The so-called granny tax has you talking on

Facebook and the opinion is divided. A pure white to join the debate, go

to her Facebook website. It is the biggest shake-up in

social welfare in a generation. One aim is to simplify and improve a

complex system. Instead of receiving benefit payments across

the month, the planned in future is to have a single monthly payment

called Universal credit. The Government say no one will be worse

off with their welfare-to-work plans, but critics are not

convinced. Meetings like these on the benefit

shake-up are being held in small community halls around Northern

Ireland. Community leaders are beating people on what is coming

down the line. I do not call the reforms welfare reforms, I call

them welfare cuts. There is nothing that has come in, certainly in a

wrestle credit, it is supposed to simplify the benefits system and I

would be in favour of simplifying the system, but the drastic cuts

that are being put in place have not been properly thought out.

Government is still working out a lot of the detail. Few people seem

to like what they heard. I am on DLA. I am very concerned. I am

self-employed. If I become unemployed I would receive no

benefit whatsoever because, if it is under this universal benefits

scheme, that money would not come into her house. It is an attack on

the poor and most of Honourable. number of benefits will be scrapped.

A new universal benefit if we follow the Westminster model will

bring together things like housing benefit and job-seeker Allowance.

It will also be together tax credit and working tax credit. It will be

pat -- it will be capped at �26,000 per year. We need to change the

benefits system. It is dysfunctional at causing more harm

than good. People are not getting what they deserve or what they need.

That need to change and is at the core of this reform. The Government

says that no one will be worse off and millions will be benefit --

will do better under universal credit. Critics say many are

already worse off due to recent cuts. The Cinque -- this includes

the scrapping of the pregnancy bad and the cuts to housing benefit.

If this were about the simplification of benefits you

would get more to it from us. If it were about moving people from

benefit into work, he would get no argument from us. The situation is

that it is predicated on cuts. 18 billion has been removed. We have

grave concerns. One of those concerns his changes to the working

tax credits. Right now, the couple on low income with children can get

some tax relief if they work 16 hours per week. That is about to

change and they will have to work an extra eight hours. One man we

spoke to is concerned that his family could lose out if his wife

cannot get those extra hours in her current job. I have three young

girls at home, the fact of the matter is that we will take the

hats on this. My wife wants to work. The choice is this, we do except

the fact that she comes out of work while she just must accept that the

credits will be cut. We are between a rock and a hard place. Their

claims that Universal Credit could leave women and children are

vulnerable. The single payment is more likely to go to the male head

of the household. It should be paid to the carer, because the keratin

layer had responsibility for budgeting. They have responsibility

for making sure that his energies eating the food and school uniform.

Mainly, this is the woman. In some houses, this is the man. Society

has changed slightly. That is why it should be paid to the carer. To

make sure the money goes to people who are all vulnerable. There is

also concerned that low income families used to getting different

payment every few weeks might struggle to manage a monthly budget.

The executive will come under pressure to address these concerns

when it passes its own welfare bill. In last night's BBC News Line, be

deported on changes in Incapacity Benefit and the effect it could

have -- could have won some people. A woman who is fighting cancer has

been telling us how her employment support allowance was cut, and she

told us that she was told she was fit to work even though she was

still being treated for the disease. I note there are other people out

there as they are all scared to come forward. As far as I'm

concerned, I was treated badly. I was working from 17, I have paid

all my taxes and insurance, as the only other time I was set was when

I was pregnant. It is more that they are getting away with it. They

are just treating you like a second-class citizen. That is how I

feel. That I do not count, I do not matter. The agency responsible for

employment support allowance said this afternoon that it cannot

comment on individual cases, but everyone receiving this payment and

it was a work capability assessment to establish how the condition

affects their ability to work. It added that these tests have been

developed in consultation with medical experts.

The Social Development Minister Nelson McCausland will be on Sunday

Politics this week to discuss some of the issues raised on a CD and

welfare reform. That is Sunday Politics at midday on Sunday.

The Irish Cup football registration row rumbles on.

It is all turning into a bit of a shambles, and it is not the first

time that this problem has arisen during this competition. It surely

is a row which is threatening to throw the competition into disarray

yet again this year. Newry City and Linfield were to have met on

Saturday week's semi-final, but Ballinderry's United appeal against

their expulsion has led to the has borne much of the game. Ali Merah

got through, but were thrown out of the competition after an appeals

board ruled that one player, who had scored the winner, was

ineligible for the game. Other semi-final between Dungannon and

Crusaders will be resettled to 31st March.

He is one of the biggest names in world motorcycling. And he has

committed this year's International North West 200. Portable world

Superbike champion Carl Fogarty will be entertaining the fans with

parade laps of the triangle circuit. 20 years since his famous when on

the north coast. This is one of the most iconic

moments in the history of the North West 200. The baking superstar

winning the Superbike race on the north coast in the -- in 1983. Carl

Fogarty has never been back to the event since, but cannot wait to

return this May. It is one of the races that has a special place in

my heart. One of the first big race that I won and wanted to win. I had

bad luck there for many years and finally won. I am looking forward

to going back. Carl Fogarty had tried for you to win another

nylon's biggest race, the Englishman was beaten on the last

corner and even ran out of fuel will leading. That is why, as he

was on the verge of winning the world title, he told his Italian

team boss that he had to come back to the north-west for unfinished

business. I am battling for the world title. He did not know what

it was, he thought it was a short circuit race in North Island. These

topics S&N said, you're crazy, you are crazy! I said I had to win the

north-west. OK, he said, don't go again. Okay I said, I don't want to

I one now. Carl Fogarty's problem will be

remembering his way around the circuit. And he has some homework

to do. That is not calling... Visit to poor Stuart? I don't know. Port

rush to poor Stuart and Coleraine, isn't it? And the fans will love

seeing him this summer. That will be pretty quick.

The men's hockey team just missed out on a place in the Olympics,

Brian's women are just one win away from making it to London 2012. At

the qualifying tournament in Belgium this afternoon, Ireland

beat Spain 3-2. Former tennis player Alex Spears with the winning

goal. Ireland they play their final game at this Sunday with the

winners became a place in the summer's Olympic Games.

Allen's cricket players are showing impressive form, too. They are all

cause for the World Cup in Sri Lanka. They kept up their hopes for

qualifying for the 2020 tournament alive with an easy win over Canada

in Dubai earlier today. It took Ulstermen William

Porterfield and Paul Sterling just over half an hour to seal the game

and secure Allen posmac progression into the next round. A fantastic

taste by Highland to have won by 10 wickets. With that shot like this.

One an astonishing shot. Six over extra cover. Sterling at C Tiler's

fastest-ever half century in 2020 cricket of just 21 balls. --

sterling achieved. Man-of-the-match went to Trent

Johnson. His two wickets helped set up the victory as Irish border

Wayne -- Irish cause a range in Dubai. It is pretty good to win. We

put them on the back foot. We have done that the past six or seven

games. What next for Ireland at the Netherlands in tomorrow's

elimination semi-final. They could win. One of Ulster's

South African international rugby players is leaving at the end of

the season. Wannenburg is expected to join a club in France. Ulster

had hoped to keep the 30-year-old Springbok, he sent back include --

signed back in 2010 but it is believed that a new football rugby

union policy on foreign players and means they were unable to extend

his contract. He won 20 caps for South Africa and will miss the

Saturday's trip to Treviso in the total fleet TT a this.

-- Kennedy brought wealth league. The Ireland rugby captain is

returning to action after injury. He will start in the pro 12 games

this weekend. Driscoll has been out of action since the World Cup.

I always know what the ladies in the programme are always keen will

be mentioned Brian O'Driscoll. We do not have them in the studio

though. You need to work on that! And now

You need to work on that! And now the weather.

We have a bit of a her cup, a bit of good luck coming along tonight

and tomorrow morning. Once we get beyond the next 12 hours, the

weather will settle down. Certainly a big improvement. Unlike the last

two or three days when the cloud came in to spoil things a little

bit, that was not the case today. Particularly towards the north and

the west. This was the scene at Port Rush harbour. It has become

more TC since then. Blue skies to. There is cloud up went, there are

showers up went as well. The South of Ireland and part of the Irish

Sea, through rails and the south- west of England, this area of cloud

and rain is shifting northwards. We have already had elements living

north three East course of the day. It will stay dry but the cloud will

thicken up through the night. It will bring showery rain to central

and eastern areas. It will be frost-free tonight, much better

than last night's temperatures. That means it will be a cloudy and

dull start to the day tomorrow, there will be dampness and light

rain first thing. Also, parts of County Down. That rain will be

moving away fairly quickly. Even as it moves away come up we could have

shivers tucking in anywhere. The West is looking most prone at this

point. As we head towards the middle part of the day, they not be

surprised that some of those showers become heady with thunder

met them. We will move along to the afternoon and it will become more

try. Temperatures will get up to 12 or 13 degrees. We can see those

clear spells that they will come and go through tomorrow. It will be

more to will tomorrow with a touch of ground frost. Other than that we

can enjoy those Spring Gardens into the weekend.

They queue for that. Finally, a reminder of the headlines.

Eddie Republic, the map and tribunal has found that Bertie

Ahern lied about his finances. They stopped short of accusing him of

corruption. Other public figures have been indicted for wrongly

taking payments from developers. The police believe a Chinese