A meeting of Sinn Féin ard chomhairle to discuss policing arrangement in the North has been called by party leader Gerry Adams in a move central to the restoration of power sharing in Northern Ireland. It will be held tomorrow at 1pm in Dublin.
Mr Adams said: "I will put a motion to the ard chomhairle asking it to convene a special ard aheis on the policing issue. If the ard chomhairle agrees to that motion and others including the two governments and the DUP leadership respond positively, the ard fheis will go ahead in January."
The party's chief negotiator Martin McGuinness yesterday reported "considerable progress" in recent talks with Irish and British government officials about policing and justice.
Mr McGuinness said both Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Prime Minister Tony Blair were involved in discussions which have continued over the Christmas break.
Sinn Féin have been concerned about how policing and justice would be administered in the event that devolution was restored after Stormont elections planned in March.
Mr Adams said today that since the Belfast Agreement was signed eight years ago policing had been top of the party's agenda.
Mr Adams plans to give a full report on the negotiations to the ard chomhairle and if it supports his motion to convene an ard fheis, a period of intensive discussion within the party led by party chairwoman Mary Lou McDonald will ensue.
Mr Adams said: "In addition Sinn Féin will engage in a series of meetings with the wider republican and nationalist community across the island, including the families of our patriot dead and victims of state murder and collusion.
"Given the history of repressive and sectarian policing in the six counties, I don't want to underestimate the difficulties that this issue presents for many nationalists and republicans.
"However, the achievement of a new beginning to policing, as promised in the Good Friday Agreement would be an enormous accomplishment. And I believe that we have now reached the point of taking the next necessary step."