SF Ard Comhairle to discuss pardon letters and Garda whistleblowers

Sinn Féin's Ard Comhairle will meet in the capital this afternoon.

The party's executive will discuss a number of issues including a British inquiry into pardon letters given to suspected Republican criminals.

Sinn Féin has come under fire in the North this week for its so-called involvement in a deal with the British Government which saw state-sanctioned letters sent to suspected Republican criminals which effectively granted them immunity from arrest.

The revelations led to the collapse of the trial of Donegal man John Downey, who was suspected of involvement in the 1982 Hyde Park bombing in London.

Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson's has labelled the British Government's handling of the situation as a "murky deal" with Sinn Féin.

The party have defended their involvement saying they were not only ones who knew about the letters.

Another issue that will dominate today's agenda is the recent Garda whistleblower controversy and the scandal surrounding the administration of the Gardaí and justice system.