The PSNI chief constable Sir Hugh Orde has issued his strongest warning to date that attempting to solve the crimes of the past is seriously damaging current policing.
Sir Hugh told yesterday's public session of the Policing Board that it was costing up to £14.47 million (€21.4 million) annually running the historical enquiries team, providing information to the various public inquiries, paying legal costs and dealing with other issues relating to the legacy of the Troubles.
His comments echo remarks made by other politicians including the former Northern secretary Peter Hain as well as some community and Protestant religious leaders. Earlier this month Mr Hain announced the formation of an independent consultative group to seek a consensus on how to address the past, chaired by former Church of Ireland primate Lord Eames and former policing board vice-chairman Denis Bradley.
Irish rugby international and Ulster Unionist member Trevor Ringland has defended the GAA against criticism by DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson that it is a sectarian organisation.
Mr Donaldson made his charge against the GAA and also against Opus Dei at yesterday's meeting of the North's Policing Board in Belfast. He queried what was the outcome of a consultation into whether police must declare themselves if they were members of these groups just as police officers who are members of the Orange or other loyal orders must declare such membership.
Mr Donaldson said that all ten unionist MPs recently requested that Sir Hugh should place the GAA and Opus Dei on the list of organisations requiring registration of notifiable membership.
However, Mr Ringland, a UUP member but an independent member of the board, distanced himself from Mr Donaldson's comments. He described the GAA as his "new best friends" and said Croke Park was a "fantastic stadium" which had opened itself to soccer and rugby. "And that is work that I want to continue," he said.
"The times they are a changing," said Mr Ringland. "The GAA are making massive changes and I recognise that."
