Fianna Fáil is considering extending its consultation period about a possible move into politics in Northern Ireland.
Minister for Foreign Dermot Ahern said during a visit to Belfast that the party had received hundreds of submissions over the past few months and there was a feeling that the consultation period should be extended to the summer to properly complete their deliberations.
Mr Ahern, who is heading up an internal Fianna Fáil committee on a possible move to become an all-Ireland party said: “The consultation process is over and we will be holding a meeting next week.
“We have been asking about extending the consultation process as we are still getting in submissions.
“People were a bit taken aback that the consultation process stopped on March 21st and we are now looking at changing that to the start of the summer.
“The committee has to deliberate. There are hundreds of submissions which we will have to sift through and will have to come to a decision.
“We have taken soundings privately in the North and have been doing some research.”
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern set in train last September the party’s consultation on participating in politics on both sides of the Border.
There has been persistent speculation that Fianna Fáil could merge with the SDLP, with the two parties possibly agreeing a common candidate for next year’s European Parliament election.
Last Saturday SDLP leader Mark Durkan told members of his party that they had set up their own working group which was exploring all political options on the island of Ireland.
While a substantial section of the SDLP would favour a merger with Fianna Fáil, another significant bloc would have loyalties to the Labour Party which had a Northern Ireland committee involving members in the North.
It is believed that a merger with Fianna Fáil to take place, SDLP members loyal to Labour could leave.
Fianna Fáil’s youth wing has set up branches at Queen’s University in Belfast and Magee College in Derry.
The party has also registered the Fianna Fáil name in Northern Ireland officially.
PA