INFORMAL contacts have already been made between the groups in the internal Garda dispute following the resignation of the Garda Representative Association (GRA) general secretary, Mr John Ferry.
Mr Ferry tendered his resignation to the GRA's central executive committee in Dublin, yesterday.
His deputy, Mr P.J. Stone, said later that the GRA executive would consider talks with any group but reiterated Mr Ferry's stance that it was up to 3,600 dissident members to "return to the fold".
However, other GRA figures have been in contact with representatives of the dissident members to see if there is any mood for compromise in the wake of Mr Ferry's departure.
The contacts were described as private and unofficial but from a quite senior source in the GRA. It was not clear if these moves are" fully sanctioned by the GRA's central executive.
Gardai who have left the GRA said yesterday that despite Mr Ferry's departure there was little likelihood of many of them returning so long as the current GRA leadership remained.
Overtures have been made between senior GRA figures and officials from the breakaway Garda Federation, which represents about 2,500 dissident members as well as with representatives of four rural garda divisions with a further 1,100 members.
The aim of these approaches is to see if there is a basis for tripartile negotiations between the GRA, the federation and four divisions to resolve the dispute.
Sources in the Garda Federation are understood to have indicated that they will respond only to an official invitation to talks sanctioned by the GRA's central executive.
Mr Chris Finnegan, of the federation, said yesterday that if the GRA wanted to negotiable it should issue an invitation through its president. He said the federation would not be interested in reentering the GRA unless "structural changes" were made in line with recommendations made in October 1994, by the head of the Labour Relations Commission, Mr Kieran Mulvey.
These included the reconstitution of the GRA and the "democratisation" of the internal voting system. These recommendations were rejected by the GRA in 1995.
The four dissident divisions, Louth Meath, Cavan Monaghan, Cork West and Tipperary, are understood to have responded in more favourable terms to the unofficial GRA overtures on talks.
However, sources in the divisions insisted they, too, would not be interested in returning to the GRA unless it was reconstituted.
However, all sides felt that Mr Ferry's departure might precipitate a change instance in the GRA.
Mr Ferry, a 63 year old former plainclothes officer from Sligo, held an unflinchingly hard line against opponents during his seven year career as general secretary.
Several local representatives, who opposed Mr Ferry and his deputy, Mr Stone, were expelled from the association.
One of the expelled officers said yesterday there could be no chance of a return to the GRA while Mr Stone remained in office.
Other ex GRA members felt the approaches on talks were an attempt to pre empt the Government's legislation for a reconstituted GRA.
The legislation should complete its passage through the Oireachtas within two months.
The legislation is only the latest in a long line of initiatives.
During the past few years, Mr Ferry has seen off repeated attempts at negotiation and reform aimed at restoring a united GRA.
At one stage in late 1994 the then Minister for Justice, Ms Maire Geoghegan Quinn, threatened to dissolve the association.
The relationship between the GRA under Mr Ferry and the current Minister, Mrs Owen, was poor from the start. She was accorded a hostile reception at the association's 1295 annual conference. After delivering her speech she and the then commissioner, Mr Patrick Culligan, had to sit in silence while Mr Ferry berated the Government's attempts at resolving the dispute.
In an interview after the 1995 conference Mr Ferry said the only way the dispute would be resolved would be when the dissident members "see the error of their ways" and returned to the GRA under his leadership.