Molwam: hopes to use "window of opportunity"

Mowlam Seeks Parades Solution in Six Weeks

Speaking in Ulster she said there was no over-arching solution which she or anybody else could put in place, instead, a settlement on the issue has to be reached by the Catholic and Protestant communities on a local level.

The only real solution was "local accommodation and local negotiations" between people in both communities, she told BBC Radio Ulster.

Ms Mowlam has already met leaders of the Orange Order and Apprentice Boys this week. Last week she saw nationalist resident groups opposed to loyalist parades in their areas.

She said she had not been trying to negotiate an agreement but "listening to understand exactly where they are coming from and what movement there could be around the edges".

"There is a great deal of misunderstanding and it was useful to go and make it clear to groups on both sides that we defend the right to march, but at the same time we have got to find a way for those who don't want to be part of the march to live without that intimidation of their own freedom that gives," she said.

In the past week Ms Mowlam has set herself a punishing schedule, the meetings with nationalist and loyalist groups, a trip to Washington, and yesterday a meeting with President Clinton in London and Irish deputy Prime Minister Dick Spring in Dublin.

She said working at such a pace was necessary because there was "a window of opportunity" provided by the arrival of the new government which was providing new impetus to the attempt to Northern Ireland's many problems.

"We are doing all we can to facilitate that - it is up to everybody else to play ball - but I have to say everybody else is doing their best to move it forward."