Ex-paramilitary prisoners can serve on police board

FORMER IRA and loyalist paramilitary prisoners can serve on the North’s police local supervisory boards provided both sides totally abandon violence, Northern Ireland Secretary Mr Paul Murphy said yesterday.

The move came in the details of additional police reform legislation in Northern Ireland published in the British parliament yesterday and is aimed at securing Sinn Féin support for the new police force.

It also delivers on promises given to the SDLP during last year’s Weston Park talks in return for their becoming the first nationalist party in Northern Ireland to advise its supporters to join and support the police.

At the same time the Fianna Fáil party chairman, Seamus Kirk, yesterday called for moves to have gardaí patrol nationalist flashpoint areas where the Police Service of Northern Ireland are not accepted.

The veteran Co Louth TD, speaking at a meeting of British and Irish parliamentarians in Manchester, said it could be done as an extension of existing agreements to allow gardaí and Northern police officers serve on secondment in each other’s forces.

Mr Kirk cited Crossmaglen, in south Armagh which is close to his own constituency, as an area where this might operate.

Sinn Féin has so far refused to endorse the additional police reforms tabled at Weston Park arguing they still did not go far enough.

Also speaking at the Manchester meeting, Sinn Féin TD for Louth, Arthur Morgan, said the republican side was working for peace and less emphasis should be placed on movement from them.

Early indications from the SDLP were that most of their concerns had been addressed.

However, it was understood the party was still seeking clarity on two key issues relating to the powers of the police ombudswoman in the North and the 19-member policing board.

Also at the British-Irish parliamentarian meeting in Manchester yesterday there were calls from both sides on the British and Irish governments to collaborate on a cross-border penalty points system.

Louth TD Seamus Kirk said drivers in border counties of the Republic were paying more for insurance because of the careless driving of those coming south.

Insurance premiums are loaded principally because insurance companies feel Northern Ireland motorists are involved in a large percentage of accidents in counties Louth and Meath, Mr Kirk said.

For the British delegation, Lord Dubbs, who introduced the penalty points to Northern Ireland, said a cross-border system made total sense. He called for legislation in both jurisdictions to make this happen.