Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams is to hold potentially groundbreaking talks with PSNI chief constable Sir Hugh Orde at Stormont today.
Mr Adams and Sir Hugh will lead senior Sinn Féin and PSNI delegations in the talks at Parliament Buildings, Stormont, this morning in what appears to be a symbolically important demonstration of republican willingness to conditionally sign up to policing.
The meeting follows on from a recent statement in the republican weekly An Phoblacht by Mr Adams that he was willing to meet Sir Hugh if it would help speed up the resolution of the policing difficulties that are blocking the creation of a powersharing government in Northern Ireland. These chiefly revolve around when responsibility for policing and justice would devolve to a restored Northern Executive.
Mr Adams met Sir Hugh at Downing Street two years ago with British prime minister Tony Blair, but this is the first time such a formal encounter dealing solely with policing is to take place. Mr Adams, who will be joined by party policing spokesman Gerry Kelly and fellow Assembly members Caitríona Ruane and Michelle Gildernew, said that among the issues to be discussed would be MI5's involvement in policing.
"We will also raise political policing and the need for clear proof that this has ended or will end, an end to plastic bullets, and Sinn Féin is committed to law and order and proper and effective policing," he added.
"Consequently, we are determined to ensure that the police service operates under the highest standards and is held to account through the most rigorous and efficient, accountable and transparent mechanisms, and we will also discuss collusion," said Mr Adams.
A PSNI spokeswoman said Sir Hugh was always willing at any time to meet anyone who could make a positive contribution to policing. "There are a number of matters that Sinn Féin wants to raise at the meeting and there are a number of matters which the chief constable will raise, including the need for Sinn Féin to engage at all levels with policing," she said.
Meanwhile, the North's policing board is trying to establish whether the Government will contribute part of the £130 million (€193 million) cost of building a new police training college for the North, it was confirmed yesterday.
A sub-group of the board comprising DUP, SDLP, Ulster Unionist and Independent members have tasked chairman Prof Sir Desmond Rea and deputy chairman Barry Gilligan with determining if such funding is available, the board said yesterday.
Officials of the board and the Department of Justice have been in informal contact already, while Sir Desmond and Mr Gilligan are expected to make direct contact with the Minister, Michael McDowell, shortly.
While the Assembly yesterday discussed a motion calling on the British government to provide all the funding for the college, all the parties, including the DUP, wish to know whether Mr McDowell is prepared to pay some of the costs.
So far the British government says it can only provide £90 million (€134 million) towards the overall costs of the college, earmarked for a 210-acre site near Cookstown, Co Tyrone.