Sinn Féin rejects Orde speech offer

SINN FÉIN yesterday categorically ruled out PSNI Chief Constable Hugh Orde’s offer to address the special party conference on policing.

Mary Lou McDonald, the party’s sole MEP in the Republic, told The Political Party on TV3 that Mr Orde had no influence on the matter in hand, which was reaching agreement with other Northern parties on the transfer of powers to a devolved government.

Pressed as to why the party would not take up Mr Orde’s offer, Ms McDonald portrayed the offer and the proposed appearance as “cosmetics”.

She said: “The critical matter for people in the North, from across the community, is that they have a decent policing service that’s democratically accountable.

“As soon as that is secured we won’t be found wanting and it’s a matter of public record that, as and when we reach that position, Gerry Adams will go to the Ard Chomhairle and will ask the Ard Chomhairle to convene that special Ard Fheis. There will be no foot-dragging on this matter; this is a serious matter and it must be resolved.”

Ms McDonald would not be drawn on when the special Ard Fheis will be convened. The party insists it’s a necessary precondition before Sinn Fein ministers commit to policing in the North. Sinn Féin says policing must be fully devolved from London to Belfast before the party will back it. They have sought a number of other commitments.

Ms McDonald also denied a proposition that she may not be devoting herself fully to her commitments as an MEP. Election literature shows that she conducts clinics on Wednesday afternoon, a sitting day in Brussels.

Ms McDonald insisted that Tuesdays and Thursdays were the busiest days in Brussels and that her constituency team covered her Wednesday clinic in Dublin when she was not available.

Asked how often she herself conducted the Wednesday clinics in Dublin, she said: “I do work my schedule on a week-by-week basis and I’m in Brussels doing my work as necessary.

“I do my work in a very efficient way to make sure I’m available around Dublin and also to do the work, the load that I carry in terms of the peace process and other political work that I have to do.”