Parties meet Reid for briefing on RUC reform package

Northern Ireland’s pro-agreement parties have held an intensive series of talks about reform of the RUC with the Secretary of State Dr John Reid at Hillsborough Castle.

The meetings scheduled on Friday August 3 saw the Ulster Unionist Party, the Alliance Party and the SDLP meet with Dr Reid to discus the new implementation plan on police reform. Sinn Féin are scheduled to have their meeting on Saturday.

The 80-page document, which has not yet been made public, is widely expected to include wide ranging legislative proposals on extending the remit of the Police Ombudsman; ensuring the ‘lateral’ entry of Garda officers into the police service and proposals on the policing board membership.

Pro-Agreement parties received the British- Irish package of proposals aimed at breaking the deadlock on the current political impasse on Wednesday August 1. On Friday August 3 they were briefed about a new 80-page police reform document.

It is known that none of the parties left with the 80-page document. It is widely believed that the parties were only allowed to be briefed on its contents.

Northern Ireland’s political parties have now three days to accept the take-it-or-leave-it package.

Sinn Féin leaders, who met on Friday in Dundalk to discuss the package, have called for a transparent process and the revised implementation plans on reform of the RUC to be made public. They alongside the SDLP want full implementation of the Patten report on policing and want to compare the two documents and see how far, if in fact they do, digress.

Ulster Unionist member Sir Reg Empey said on Friday before he went into his party’s meeting with Dr Reid said that there had a lot of “stupid” talk about policing in recent weeks. He added: “What we want an effective and efficient police service. Any talk of disbandment of the police reserve is absolute nonsense.”

David Trimble was unable to attend the meeting with Dr Reid on Friday as he had personal business in London to attend. The Ulster Unionist delegation did not make any comment after they held their talks in Hillsborough.

Sean Neeson Alliance Party leader said they would be considering the proposals but added they had concerns about section 20 of the document which deals with offering amnesty to fugitives. (AMcE)