Ahern concerns over RUC reform Bill

The Taoiseach expressed concern about aspects of the British government's Police (Northern Ireland) Bill to implement the Patten proposals for RUC reform.

Mr Ahern said the Government had done an analysis of the Bill overnight and had concerns about the provisions relating to the structures of accountability on the part of the policing board and the ombudsman, particularly their power to initiate inquiries, as was envisaged very clearly in the Patten report.

"We also have concerns about the membership of the policing boards and the district policing partnerships. They should be representative of the broadest possible cross-section of the community, as detailed by Patten.

"In respect of the human rights aspects, we are also concerned about the content and scope of the application of the oath.

"These are the main areas. We would have a number of other questions and concerns about the legislation, which we documented. But as I have said, I do think they can be satisfactorily dealt with."

Mr Ahern said since the Bill had been published on Tuesday afternoon, the Government had received an 11-page list of concerns from the SDLP and a three-page list from Sinn Fein.

He told the Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, his understanding was that the IRA arms to be inspected would be in dumps. "Some of these dumps will be inspected . . . a number, as it said in the IRA statement, will be secured and inspected on an ongoing basis."

The two independent inspectors, in conjunction with Gen John de Chastelain and his commission, would work out the operations of this. "The ongoing work of how that moves from secure dumps to, hopefully, their destruction on another day, unspecified, would also be regularly monitored in the remit extended to Gen de Chastelain."

Asked by Mr Bruton what would happen to arms in dumps not to be inspected, the Taoiseach said they had seen from the IRA statement that it was their contention that these could continue to be under their management. Hopefully, over time, these dumps could be extended to the remit of the independent examination.

He said that while punishment beatings had declined substantially, the Government wanted to see them eliminated.

Pressed by Mr Bruton, he said his position was that he would like to see all of the guns disposed of. "That is not likely to happen. The Irish Government's position remains that if our Garda or Army come across any - and we will continue to search for these dumps on an ongoing basis - we will put them out of action quickly enough."

He added that while the situation was unsatisfactory "it is better than the way it has been for the better part of three decades".

Mr Ahern said that Sinn Fein had issued a statement about punishment beatings. When Mr Bruton said that it was not Sinn Fein which was carrying out the beatings, Mr Ahern replied that his difficulty was that he only dealt with Sinn Fein.

The Labour leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, said the Ulster Unionist Council was to take the most important decision over the next few days. "We in this House, at this point in time, should be as sensitive to the legitimate concerns of that particular body so as to ensure that the institutions can be reinstated next Monday with the First Minister and his Executive cabinet colleagues in place and ready to participate."

He added that the problem of punishment beatings was the other side of the coin of the absence of an acceptable police force.

Agreeing with Mr Quinn, Mr Ahern said the Government was working with the British government and the Northern parties to, as best they could, deal with the issues raised.