Sinn Féin to discuss St Andrews talks

The Sinn Féin leadership meet tomorrow to discuss the party response to the St Andrews Agreement.

The Ard Chomhairle – National Executive – meeting in Dublin will discuss the consultation process Sinn Féin has undertaken across Ireland over the past fortnight.

It will get a report on the ongoing negotiations with the British and Irish governments on what it called “some core outstanding issues”.

It was being stressed the gathering is not the executive meeting which will decide whether to recommend supporting the Police Service in Northern Ireland to a special party delegate conference.

Sinn Féin chairperson Mary Lou MacDonald, MEP, said: “The consultation process announced by Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams on October 19 to assess the potential of the proposals set out by the two governments at St Andrews and the ongoing negotiations regarding a number of core outstanding issues, will conclude today.

“The party’s Ard Chomhairle will meet in Dublin tomorrow to discuss all of these matters.”

The Northern Ireland parties have been given until Friday by the British and Irish governments to say whether they are willing to run with the St Andrews deal as a means of restoring a power-sharing administration at Stormont by next Spring.

Ms McDonald said: “There is a huge responsibility of all of the parties and the two governments at this time.

“If we can bring about a situation where anti-Agreement unionists share power on the basis of equality with republicans it will be a huge achievement.”

But she said they needed to ensure progress was on the basis of the Good Friday Agreement.

“Events of the last two weeks show us how difficult all of this is going to be to achieve and how much work has still to be done,” she added.