GAA members of the PSNI will soon be forced to declare their affiliation, the DUP claimed today.
But the SDLP dismissed the claim saying it was "headline grabbing" ahead of the All Ireland football final this weekend.
Under the Policing Act, brought in to implement the proposed Patten changes, associations that could be viewed as sectarian or racist, or may leave officers' impartiality in doubt, have to be disclosed.
Chief constable Mr Hugh Orde must be told by all his officers who belong to the Freemasons or the Catholic Knights of Columbus. Loyalist marching bodies included the Orange Order, the Apprentice Boys of Derry and the Royal Black Institution were also included.
But even though the nationalist Ancient Order of Hibernians was also put on the register, unionists claimed the list was biased. As the row deepened, clarification was sought from PSNI headquarters after Policing Board members raised the GAA issue.
PSNI chief inspector DC McMitchell replied: "No sporting organisations were placed on the list of organisations, although it is still open to individual officers to notify the Chief Constable if they believe such should come under the definition of Section 51 (1) of the Act."
Mr Paisley, a Democratic Unionist member of the board, claimed this was evidence that the PSNI were now prepared to change policy.
A ban on members of the security forces playing Gaelic games was only scrapped in November 2001.
The DUP member said: "It was a major oversight by the police to exclude the GAA from the original list which was not balanced and perceived to be anti-Protestant. The inclusion of the GAA and Opus Dei would in some short way address that imbalance."
Alex Attwood, one of the nationalist SDLP representatives on the board, insisted Mr Paisley was wrong and trying to stir controversy ahead of the Gaelic all-Ireland championship final on Sunday.
PA