SF Ard Fheis to resume in Dublin

The Sinn Féin Ard Fheis resumes at the RDS in Dublin today.

Discussion is to centre on health, education and the peace process.

It is the last chance for party leader Gerry Adams to persuade voters ahead of next Wednesday's Assembly elections - as well as voters in the Republic ahead of a general election.

At least seven motions are expected from party members looking for a reversal or conditions placed on the party's controversial decision to support policing in the North.

Other steps that could hinder devolution in the North were addressed last night.

Martin McGuinness told his party that its critics are wrong to say it cannot work in government with Ian Paisley's DUP.

He said the unionist veto over change had gone and republicans had to genuinely engage with them to move forward.

"If the DUP refuse at this time to be part of the process of change, then the process moves on through new all-Ireland partnership arrangements," he said.

"The DUP veto over progress has now been removed - and this is the logic of the Sinn Féin strategy over recent years. Politics, business, commerce and much more are now pointing in one all-Ireland direction."