Gerry Adams: Agree a deal or we’ll seek another election

Gerry Adams has signalled that Sinn Féin will push in the coming days for another general election, as his party launched an attack on attempts by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to agree a government deal.

The party leader has also called on Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to set a deadline for the completion of their talks, in order to get an agreement across the line.

Opening his party’s ard fheis in Dublin last night, Mr Adams left open the possibility of putting himself forward for the leadership of Sinn Féin in the years ahead.

Up to 2,000 delegates are expected at the conference, where 100 motions will be debated, including on water charges, health, and a united Ireland.

The ard fheis, coinciding with the centenary of the exact date of the Easter Rising, will see Sinn Féin build momentum ahead of the North’s assembly elections next month.

Mr Adams launched an attack on Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin, accusing him of reneging on an election promise not to put Enda Kenny back in government.

The Louth TD said an alternative to putting Mr Kenny back was for Fianna Fáil to share power in a coalition. Alternatively, there should be another general election, added Mr Adams.

“If they don’t come to a conclusion quite soon, I don’t think there’s any option but to call for an election. But we’ll give them the grace of another short while to sort things out. It’s not right... There isn’t much patience left. Sort it, there’s nothing that beats a deadline.”

In her speech to the ard fheis, deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald said the last eight weeks saw “farce on a grand scale played out between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil”. She added: “They protest there are fundamental points of difference between them. They protest too much. Let’s be clear: The only point of difference between these men is which of them is top dog.

“Whilst Enda Kenny and Micheál Martin and their colleagues jockey for position, holding the Dáil to ransom, in the real world life continues apace.”

Sinn Féin this weekend debate the economy, rural Ireland, public services, and the development of the party.

Delegates passed a motion last night, reiterating their election pledge, calling for water charges and Irish Water to be scrapped.

Meanwhile, the North’s deputy first minister Martin McGuinness last night warned that extremes within loyalism and so-called republicanism were trying to drag people “back to the dark days of the past”.

He also cautioned against Britain leaving the EU.

“We also need to ensure that we oppose any move by the little Englander mentality towards a Brexit from the European Union as that would be a hugely retrograde step.”