07/04/2016 BBC Newsline

On BBC One, we now join the BBC's news teams where you are.

The headlines this Thursday evening...

A stinging attack from an Enniskillen principal on the head

80 jobs go at a Belfast finance group and fears that 80 more

A doctor warns of the dangers of taking abortion pills bought online.

And Dublin Airport invests 320 million euros

Sprucing up our towns and villages with new pavements, new public art

and new civic facilities. Join me in Dungannon to find out how much is

being spent across Northern Ireland and if it was worth it. Golf's first

major championship of the season in the Masters is underway. Join me for

all the latest in Augusta. The outgoing head of one

of Northern Ireland's most prestigious grammar schools has

written an unprecedented statement - containing outspoken criticism

of his successor. The letter, obtained by the BBC,

was sent by the current headmaster of Portora Royal in Enniskillen

to parents of pupils. Portora is due to merge

with the Collegiate Grammar School A legal challenge to the merger cost

the school and Department Here's our South West reporter

Julian Fowler. The amalgamation of two Enniskillen

grammar schools has divided the community for more

than a decade. The dispute saw a petition

with thousands of signatures It was finally settled earlier this

year when the High Court rejected a judicial review from a Collegiate

pupil, although the judge said in reality the challenge was brought

by the school's leadership as part of their determined opposition

to close the school. Neil Morton has been headmaster

at Portora for 14 years. He had fought for the creation

of the new school - Instead Elizabeth Armstrong -

the Collegiate prinicpal - In his letter to parents,

Dr Morton criticises Ms Armstrong for her "implacable opposition"

to amalgamation which he says has He says much bitterness might have

been avoided, and new schools in Enniskillen already built,

if she had embraced He adds that fighting the legal

challenge cost the school ?35,000 and at least twice that amount

to the public purse. The Department of Education

confirmed its costs Dr Morton said sending the letter

was not a case of sour grapes. It is obviously a move which

reflects on personal disappointment but it is a professional issue. The

issue is that the person who was responsible for ten years along with

others for delaying this amalgamation and all the

consequences of that for the students in for a manner, new

buildings, new curriculum, everything was delayed because of

that. Elizabeth Armstrong said

she would prefer not The 900-pupil Enniskillen Royal

Grammar School will open in September - initially split

across two sites before a decision is made on where to build a brand

new school building. Many people hope that the bitter

legacy of the amalgamation process High-profile republican Sean Kelly

has been arrested and questioned in connection with the murder

of a man in North Kelly was convicted of the Shankill

bombing in October 1993, in which ten people died

including one of the bombers. The body of 31-year-old Conor McKee

was found by his mother at his home in Glenpark Street off the Oldpark

Road. A 21-year-old man has died

following a car crash on the main road between Ballynahinch

and Carryduff last night. 80 financial technology jobs

are to be lost in Belfast as the Euronext firm

shuts its operation in the city. Meanwhile a similar number of jobs

are under threat at the Tayto crisp Our Economics and Business Editor,

John Campbell, is here. Who are Euronext and why are they

pulling out? Euronext run a series of stock exchanges across Europe and

were part of the big New York Stock Exchange group and spun off unless

separate business. The South of expertise to those stock exchanges

but Euronext management decide they will make more sense and technical

expertise to be closer to where the main operations. I understand it is

wholly likely that it will be moved to Portugal where Euronext run the

Stock Exchange in Lisbon. The silver lining is that the people who work

in Euronext are largely highly skilled people and should find it

fairly easy to get new IT jobs in Belfast but there is a lot of demand

for those skills. What about Tayto? What is happening? The union, Unite,

they say company are planning to make up to 80 run. The company have

not entered formal talks but it is highly likely they will have to have

job losses. They say it is because they have been trading well in

recent years, despite that, things have been slowing down recently in

the last few months and year. Any profits they have made in recent

years have been invested back into the business. They say they are

likely to focus more production in their bigger factories in England,

Golden wonder crisps which they make there. They say it works more sense

to have production there. The whole tangibly factory is not under threat

but it is likely in the future that anything they do in Tandragee will

only be for the Northern Ireland market.

A doctor has warned of the dangers of taking abortion drugs

He was speaking out after a woman who used abortion pills told the BBC

she almost died after taking the medication alone in a hotel room

Our Health Correspondent Marie-Louise Connolly reports.

Without a doubt, there's more than two sides

Monday's suspended jail sentence of a young mother highlighted how it

remains one of the most emotive, complicated and legally challenging

It also triggered a massive debate about taking abortion

This woman did just that - she took the tablets

I could have died. I have never felt anything as painful and being on my

own, when you in that much pain, you should either be in hospital or have

some sort of medical professional with you. So, I felt I was making

calls I wasn't equipped to. This week has seen separate

abortion pill cases brought While that's a first,

they probably won't be the last, as according to some lawyers more

women are being vocal Their actions have caused alarm

among both lawyers and This type of medication is not a

simple treatment. Where it is prescribed, there are quite strict

guidelines about it. People should be under medical supervision. There

are dangers of side effects with this procedure that can be

infection, there could be bleeding, there can be interactions with other

medications, allergic reactions. This week, Northern Ireland's

abortion debate took a massive leap from discussing allowing abortion

in very limited circumstances The conversation has opened up now

to talking about changing the law with respect to these abortion

pills. If we did that we would effectively be liberalising the law

by great deal and we would effectively be bringing in abortion

on demand and that would cause us great concern. Women must decide

their views! Emotions are running extremely high. Late this afternoon

in Belfast, hundreds of pro-choice supporters took to the States.

Clearly this issue is a supporters took to the States.

being resolved. -- the streets. The DUP has accused

the Prime Minister of breaking the rules on spending

in the European referendum - It's setting out the Government's

case for staying in the EU. The controversial leaflets will be

sent to English voters next week, but won't be distributed

here until after next month's Here's our Political

Editor, Mark Devenport. The DUP's founder famously described

alcohol as the devil's buttermilk. However its current leader made no

excuses for touring a new Irish whiskey distillery

on the Ards Peninsula. Do you know anything about the

distillery? I know it takes a couple of years.

Arlene Foster says she's a big proponent of local food and drink,

but if the single malt is to her taste, then

the Government's latest initiative on the European Union

This leaflet will be delivered to all 27 million

households across the UK, explaining why David Cameron

believes staying in the EU is vital for protecting jobs

We have the argument and the leaflet's

We have Project fear and certainly this

We have seems to be a continuation of that

so I think it is unfair that the Prime Minister and government should

use taxpayers money to just give one side of the

Wales and here in Northern Ireland until 9 May in order to avoid

withdrawal from the EU, and it doesn't appear unduly

bothered by the Government spending cash on a pro-Remain leaflet.

No doubt over the next number of weeks, all sides of the debate will

be funded by all sorts of groups, including those who are for Brexit.

And of course there will be very powerful forces I think funding that

campaign. If you can't wait for this government leaflet drop through your

post box until next month, the text is already available online, as is

reams of other information for and against the UK leaving the European

Union. The latest move to try to break

the political deadlock in the Republic is an extraordinary

offer from Fine Gael to their old rivals Fianna Fail

to form a partnership government. It was hailed by some as a potential

end to "civil war politics" But as BBC Newsline's

Mark Simpson reports, There have been remembering the past

in Dublin in recent weeks but the past still shapes the present. The

two largest parties, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail I'll emerged out of the

civil War back in the 1920s. The division runs so deep they have

never worked in government together. But in the past 24 hours moves have

been made to try and change that. I think the Civil War is well and

truly over. A hundred years is fitting to see the parties work

together. I had a grandmother who supported Fine Gael and one who

supported Fianna Fail and they got on together just fine. The reason

Enda Kenny offered his big rivals numbers in government was the result

of the election. Yet the seeds are required for a majority in the Dail

but no party came close. The two biggest parties getting together

would cross the crucial 80 mark, but tonight Fianna Fail rejected the

idea. The best interests of the Irish people are not served by a

government made up of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. They made this

promise consistently in advance of the election that we would not go

into government with Fine Gael and we are remaining consistent and true

to that commitment that we met. There is no deal, but some believe

Civil War politics isn't what it used to be. It is a significant

moment I suppose that that is the discussion of a possibility of them

being in government together. People keep saying that the policies are so

similar, but I don't think that is really the case, the policies are

quite different. Another election remains a distinct possibility, but

moves will continue to try and avoid it.

Dublin Airport is to go-ahead with plans to build a second runway

in a project costing around ?260 million.

Its chief executive says it's good news

Here's our business correspondent Julian O'Neill.

Few airports anywhere in Europe are growing quicker than Dublin.

Three million extra passengers last year took user numbers to a record

25 million, and a second runway, to be ready by 2020,

will open up even more routes - potentially to destinations

currently unserved in Asia, Africa and South America.

Northern Ireland residents are using this airport in growing, significant

numbers, but this extraction project is about capturing a much greater

number of passengers. -- expansion project.

Dublin wants to expand as a major hub serving North America,

helped by being the Europe's only capital city airport

where passengers pre-clear US customs and immigration.

But a second runway will, potentially, bring in more tourists

and this, says the airport, is good news all round.

Tourism in Ireland is marketed and driven on an all Ireland basis. It

is doing tremendously well. Dublin growing its frequency in roots in

continental Europe is important for that, to bring people here to go

right across the island, particularly with the strong road

infrastructure, it is only an hour from here to the centre of Belfast.

Dublin's expansion comes as Northern Ireland's airports

Do you consider your growth might be to their attachment? I don't think

so. I think there is places for everybody in growth -- detriment.

Routes from Belfast and other airports in Belfast, we will get

those routes. The second runway already has

planning permission dating from 2007, but the global economic

crash upset the timetable. But now work is due

to begin next year. Many places in Northern Ireland

have been undergoing The idea is to transform town

centres and encourage more Dungannon has had a bit of a

makeover and an awful lot of that has to do with public realm of

investment. New railings, new paving, you have probably seen the

same in your home town or village. But will all of this attract more

people into the town to shop and be business? In a moment I will be

talking to some business people here in Dungannon about this

refurbishment. But first Colletta Smith looks at the figures and how

much has been spent in public realm across Northern Ireland.

Something's been happening in our towns and cities.

The streets in our town centres have had a makeover.

And it's come with a hefty price tag.

Since the recession began, more than ?150 million has been

spent on public realm works to make our towns look nicer.

The most common spending is on new trees, benches,

street lighting, perhaps a fountain, and lots

It gives it a pretty pathetic. I think could be more parking spaces

rather than foot putts. I like it the seats and the lights if they

work will look nice and light time. Every council across Northern

Ireland has been doing the same thing although some areas have seen

a lot more change than others. The smallest amount was spent in

Fermanagh and Omagh. Followed by mid-Ulster. At the other end of the

scale, Belfast, dairy and Newry spent the most public schemes. --

Derry. Ards and North Down Council put

in most - ?10.5 million of the Council's own money along

with another ?10 million I think we have started well.

Developers want to see infrastructure in a town before they

invest, it is crucial. But does it work? Was maddening uptown is

encourage people to spend more? Yes, it feels nice, if it is a green area

and buildings are painted nicely but ultimately it is not a motivator, it

doesn't influence consumer behaviour. It is only one part of

the formula. No matter how smart the path, it is still going to be a

wobbly walk out of recession. Well, here in Dungannon,

wobbly walk out of recession. Well, public realm investment scheme has

been completed. But many locals believe it just hasn't worked. They

complain about the new railings believe it just hasn't worked. They

say they have divided the Market Square, so it is very difficult now

to get from one side to the other. I've been speaking

to get from one side to the other. people to find out more. We are in

favour of public realm people to find out more. We are in

have seen that in a number people to find out more. We are in

that we trade in but the key thing people to find out more. We are in

is the planning. The planning one in Dungannon has been very difficult.

We have now a town that is simply not friendly to pedestrians. It

doesn't enable pedestrians to shop in the town, particularly Market

Square, easily. How is your business being affected by the pedestrians,

they are not coming into the Market Square and shopping elsewhere? The

town has been chock-a-block with traffic and we need something, with

more car parking spaces, more parking friendly and all the rest of

it, to put it all together. The town is suffering.

it, to put it all together. The town whole life. I know hundreds of

people who just say to me, on a regular basis, I haven't been in

Dungannon town centre for a long time, I struggle with traffic, I

can't cross the road, I don't know where I am meant to part. Until

these things are addressed the town is going to struggle.

these things are addressed the town some traders in Dungannon. Adrian

McCreesh is with me, director of business and communities in Mid

Ulster Council. Phase one has not worked according to the traders

here, what are you going to do about it? Phase one in Dungannon has been

an interesting challenge. We have just completed the liability period

for phase one. Mid Ulster Council has already commenced a review of

the phase, we are looking and taking a professional assessment of the

traffic, the parking and all the issues that our traders have

highlighted as part of phase one. If there is anything we can do to

further develop there is anything we can do to

success of phase one, we there is anything we can do to

we will not be found wanting. If the public realm investment here in

Dungannon is sorted out, so to speak, you are not guaranteed

business investment here in the town. What else needs to be done?

Public realm on its own does not suffice. We have developed a major

town centre public realm scheme across the three towns of Dungannon,

Cookstown and Magherafelt. We have enhanced that through shop front

schemes, they had ?1 million scheme in which we have received 220

applications from businesses and premises across Mid

applications from businesses and to enhance. That demonstrates the

confidence that our retail sector as in our three main towns. Thank you.

There has been a lot of debate and discussion about public investment

here in Dungannon. I am sure there is a lot of talk where you live. We

would love to hear your views on our Facebook page.

The waiting is over for golf fans - this year's Masters is underway.

Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell have teed off their opening rounds.

Clarke is one under par. McDowell is level. Jordan Spieth is the leader

at four under par. Shane Lowry is about to tee off and Rory McIlroy

starts just after seven o'clock. It is one of the greatest sporting

events in the world and Stephen Watson is at Agusta. It is sunny but

a little chilly at Augusta full stop the winds are predicted to

strengthen as the day progresses. Rory McIlroy may have found himself

on the wrong side of the draw as scoring starts to get more

difficult. He is of course chasing the elusive masters title but he

told me he is determined to make patients part of his strategy. At

this point if the week there is no reason you

this point if the week there is no go for the week is try to be as

relaxed as possible and try to enjoy it. -- my goal. To try to play as if

it is my first time again and take things in because it is such a

special place. I feel like that is the best way that I play, if I play

relaxed and play with a smile on my face, things can hopefully fall into

place for me. McIlroy is trying to join an exclusive Grand Slam club

which includes a -year-old Gary player. -- data -year-old. A

ceremonial start of this morning, he is a big McIlroy fan. I pick Rory to

win this week. It is like drawing a needle out of a haystack. There are

20 guys out there that could win the tournament. It would be wonderful if

Rory could win to join us as Grand Slam winners, only five in history,

it would be a big shot in the arm for golf. Getting into Augusta to

see the lens and and stars of the game is difficult. A Masters part is

regarded as a golden ticket. But there are some lovely local fans

here to see McIlroy try and make history including a former Oscar

rugby player. Adrian come true. -- Ulster. It was almost on May but

that list. I can afford time away. Much better than on the television.

Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, wonderful. My daughter Emma treated

me to a trip to the Masters. They are a very good daughter, it must

have cost a fortune. Absolutely, but it is my inheritance so it is money

well spent! Lets hope they get good value for money. The Masters is

under way, does destiny beckoned Rory McIlroy? We shall see.

Monaghan are Ulster under-21 football champions

And only the third time in their entire history.

Last night's hard fought victory at the Armagh Athletic Grounds ended

Tyrone's reign as the provincial and All Ireland champions.

Monaghan eventually ran out winners by 13 points to 11,

and they will now face Cork or Kerry in the All Ireland semi-final.

Finally, Ireland winger Tommy Bowe played his first match since October

today for Ulster's A team against their Munster counterparts.

That the sport. Jeff is here with the weather. If yesterday was a wild

roller-coaster ride, today has been more sedate. Some decent spells of

sunshine. The breeze that was keen yesterday has died away. That will

help the temperatures drop away sharply tonight. Steadily through

the first-half of the night at least. They will recover towards

dawn tomorrow and that is because while we start off on a note, things

will get worse, rain arriving later. This front gradually moving in

Princeton cloud first of all and then the rain pushes into the West

and is bred to all parts through the day. Tomorrow will be rather

different, it will be cold, wet, rather miserable. Top temperatures

tomorrow of between seven and nine Celsius. Really not very nice

indeed. Eventually that front is going to push off out to the east.

We will have some evening clearances to come with it. We might get the

chance of some decent sunsets for Donegal and Fermanagh. We are then

moving into a little bit of cooler air. Well Saturday is a day of

sunshine and showers, some of those showers could be a little bit wintry

in nature. Maybe some hail and snow. In the brightness it should feel

reasonably OK. Things are improving as we head into the weekend. Join me

for the late news at 10:30pm. From everyone on the team, I buy.