DRUMCREE, the marching season, the RUC, British reluctance to stand up to mob rule, hopes for a renewed ceasefire and doubts on the future of the multi party talks a range of topics dominated the debate during the plenary session yesterday of the British Irish Interparliamentary body.
Fifty British and Irish parliamentarians are attending the two day meeting which is being boycotted by unionists.
Motions were passed calling for the issue of all parades in the north to be addressed urgently for the renewal of the IRA cease fire and for political agreement. The Northern Secretary, Sir Patrick Mayhew, will address the body this morning. Mr Seamus Mall on told the meeting the problem of policing had festered for so long that it had poisoned life in Northern Ireland to an extent he had never seen before. He had tried to point out that it would only be solved by political means if there was not to be a very bitter harvest, but the political process had failed to tackle the problem.
To get to grips with it now, it had to be recognised what Drumcree was all about. There was the folksy" view that it was simply a church parade being challenged by locals.
In fact, it was a challenge to the authority of the state which had been meticulously planned for a number of months and was accompanied by road closures throughout the north.
The political authorities had failed to assume responsibilities and neither had those involved in confrontation, like Mr Trimble.
Mr Mallon called for a change in the name of the RUC. This would show a willingness to tackle the fundamental problem.
Mr Mallon said the two governments had to kick start the Northern talks and get them moving along before the end of October. Otherwise, they were finished with and the political process would be mothballed.
The British government was not going to face down the mob, even in parliamentary terms. Unless it had a majority of 35 or more there would be no solution.
Mr Mallon said he did not want to sit in the House of Commons for another five years with government after government running away from the problem.
Mr Dermot Ahern said the interparliamentary body should have sent observers to the North for this summer's parades.
Mr Kevin McNamara said that three British governments had failed to face up to the problems of policing. The situation would get worse in that there would be a majority of Catholics in the age group 18 to 35 and they would be policed by a minority group of similar age, leading to major social problems.
Mr Des O'Malley said that a weak British government did not have the strength to stand up to what happened at Drumcree. The ultimate political authority had to be seen to be prepared to stand up to those who defied it.
Mr John O'Donoghue said the unionist people had been very poorly served by their leaders. It was neither sane nor rational leadership to take to the streets at the head of a mob.
Mr Stanley Orme said the body's security committee would meet the Chief Constable designate of the RUC, Mr Ronnie Flanagan, in November. To get a political settlement there had to be a ceasefire and then negotiations.
Mr Rory O'Hanlon suggested that the body should spend less time reacting to events and more to finding solutions.
Mr Brendan McGahon said the mob always won in the North whether nationalist or unionist, because of the policy of appeasement of the two governments.
As probably the most anti IRA person in the room, Mr McGahon said he believed the British showed great insensitivity over Drumcree and his own government had done likewise by allowing an international gangster like Gerry Adams to appear on national television, and to be admitted to the White House.
At the moment, he believed those carrying out punishment beatings were a greater problem than the RUC.
Both governments, Senator Joe Lee said, ought to disavow simultaneously a right to rule over people who did not agree to be ruled over.
Mr Paddy Harte said he believed that Northern Ireland was an all Ireland and all Great Britain problem.