THE Northern Ireland Police Authority's community consultation report will be published by the end of the month. The body's new chairman, Mr Pat Armstrong, said consensus on the report was reached at a meeting yesterday.
Last week the authority's former chairman, Mr David Cook, and a leading member, Mr Chris Ryder, were sacked by the Northern Secretary, Sir Patrick Mayhew.
Sir Patrick said the authority, which acts as a watchdog body of the RUC, could not function properly while either remained on it. The authority had passed votes of no confidence in both men, who claimed that opposition stemmed from their proposals for "intelligent, evolutionary changes" to make the RUC more accountable.
Critics accused them of undermining the authority by discussing issues in public on which it had yet to reach agreement. Disputes over the wording of the community consultation report were a major factor in the body's loss of confidence in both men.
Every household in the North was asked to submit ideas in the community consultation exercise. Almost 8,000 replies were received.
Mr Armstrong said he was pleased that, despite the recent upheaval, the authority had managed to reach consensus on the report.
The document was completed at yesterday's meeting, which lasted more than three hours. Mr Armstrong said the mood was "friendly and co operative" and business was conducted in a "constructive manner".
"As an authority, we have a responsibility to consider carefully all shades of opinion on what are essentially major policing issues and I am confident that we have now done so," he said.
He believed the report would make "an important contribution" to the policing debate. It will address issues such as the flying of the Union flag at police stations and the RUC oath of allegiance to Queen Elizabeth.
The RUC Chief Constable, Sir Hugh Annesley, addressed the meeting. He told the authority that the end of the IRA ceasefire and the consequent heightened security measures would have "significant budgetary implications".