THE Northern Ireland Police Authority, which met yesterday to discuss the impact the disorder following the Drumcree stand off had on policing, has appealed to the Apprentice Boys and the Bogside Residents' Group to redouble their efforts to find an accommodation on Saturday's parade.
The authority chairman, Mr Pat Armstrong, said after the meeting the police area responsible for enforcing the law and for keeping the peace. But their success depends on the co-operation and consent of everyone to help them achieve these objectives.
The authority recognised that the force's credibility had been seriously damaged during the disturbances and will be carrying out surveys to measure the extent of public dissatisfaction.
The authority will also meet the Chief Constable, Sir Hugh Annesley, to discuss the RUC's recruitment procedures. It pledged to work with him "to ensure that a career in the RUC is attractive to all recruits, Catholic and Protestant alike".
Mr Armstrong said he would be meeting Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary to discuss his review of the RUC's use of plastic baton rounds.
Meanwhile, several civil rights groups are urging the RUC to withdraw plastic bullets from use. A letter was sent to Sir Hugh yesterday from the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, the Committee on the Administration of Justice, the Pat Finucane Centre, the United Campaign Against Plastic Bullets, Liberty and British Irish Rights Watch.
The Alliance Party has called for continuing efforts to reach a compromise over the march on Saturday. Its deputy leader, Mr Seamus Close, said. It is essential that dialogue continues, that no avenue of contact be closed and that everyone concerned puts the greater good before their own self interest.
. A call for members of the Dail to travel to the North at the weekend to observe the various Apprentice Boys' marches was made last night by a spokesman for a residents group from Belfasts' Lower Ormeau Road, Deaglan de Breadun, Political Reporter, writes.
Speaking at joint press conference in Dublin with residents' groups from the Bogside and from Bellaghy, Co Derry, Mr Gerard Rice said southern politicians should "get off their backsides they have not done a thing so far".
"We need to ensure that there, are as many of them as possible up at the weekend. We need as many TDs as possible to ensure that the RUC do not go out there to try and provoked our young lads.
"We have been the people who have tried to stop this, to reach agreement to stop the rioting. We have tried to stop temperatures rising," Mr Rice said.
Support for a local agreement on the routing of Saturday's Apprentice Boys march in Derry came from the Government last night.
A spokesman recalled that the Taoiseach and the Tanaiste had "on a number of occasions expressed support for the idea of a local agreement" and added that while it was disappointing that no agreement had been reached, "we note that John Hume has indicated his willingness to continue to try to find a solution and we hope that his efforts will be successful".