Taoiseach confident Patten will be implemented

The Taoiseach has said he is confident that the British government will fulfil its outstanding obligations to implement the Patten Report on policing in full.

Sinn Féin is considering calling a meeting of its ruling council to discuss joining the North’s Policing Board if it is satisfied with Tony Blair’s legislation.

Speaking on his way into a Cabinet meeting in Donegal, Bertie Ahern said the review following the will hopefully satisfy the existing concerns of Sinn Féin and the SDLP.

“The review is finished. If we saw the legislation brought forward, we saw it implemented, then I think the difficulties which are still felt by nationalist and republican parties by the SDLP and Sinn Féin, that they would be removed,” he said.