GAA makes no input to policing commission.
From IRISH NEWS October 30th, 1998
By Seamus McKinney Derry Correspondent
THE GAA, which has regularly expressed concerns about the future of policing
in Northern Ireland, has not made a submission to the Patten Commission
- and looks unlikely to do so. Following the Good Friday agreement, former
Hong Kong governor, Chris Patten agreed to head a British government commission
into the future of policing amidst nationalist demands for a radical overhaul
of the RUC. Mr Patten, also a former Conservative Party chairman, set September
15 as the closing date for submissions to the commission but was willing
to be flexible because of the nature of the body's deliberations. Commission
members have also held a series of meetings with interested parties throughout
Northern Ireland as well as agreeing to written and oral submissions. But,
while 2,000 submissions have so far been made to the policing body, the
GAA has failed to contact the commission. In April of this year, the organisation
held a special congress to examine the GAA's controversial rule 21 under
which members of the British security forces are banned from being members.
The rule has long been a point of division among members of the GAA and
has been used by unionist and loyalist politicians to ostracise the organisation
and oppose moves to give it official recognition in Northern Ireland. While
moves to delete rule 21 from the GAA's official guide in April received
considerable support, they were opposed by some delegates from Northern
Ireland and a decision on the rule change was deferred. Speaking in April,
president of the GAA, Joe McDonagh said the organisation would change the
rules when conditions were right. Following the congress, Mr McDonagh said:
"The GAA pledges its intention to delete rule 21 from its official guide when effective steps are taken to implement the amended structures and policing arrangements envisaged in the British-Irish peace agreement." Claiming the
GAA could not "stand idly by," Mr McDonagh said the organisation would have
to take risks for peace. But the organisation's apparent reluctance to make
a submission to the Patten Commission has caused concern among some grass
roots members in Northern Ireland. One leading Ulster Council delegate quoted
in the Irish Post newspaper said the failure to engage with the Patten Commission
was an "example of bad leadership" on the part of the GAA. Predicting the
decision not to make a submission could turn out to be a "public relations disaster," the delegate said it would look as if the GAA was ignoring the Mitchell deal. The president of the Ulster Council of the GAA, Danny Murphy said the provincial body could not make a submission to the commission on its own as such a move was a "matter of policy." Mr Murphy said it was up
to the GAA's central council to decide if a submission should be made. Despite
repeated attempts to contact the GAA's national press officer, Danny Lynch,
the GAA at Croke Park did not return calls yesterday. |
