Sinn Féin ardfheis begins in Dublin

More than 1,000 delegates are expected to attend Sinn Fein’s two-day ardfheis which has begun at the RDS in Dublin this evening

The theme of this year's ardfheis is "A Vision for Ireland's Future".

A number of leadership changes are expected to be formally to be ratified by the ardfheis over the coming days, including the accession of Mary Lou McDonald to the post of vice-president where she replaces Pat Doherty.

Declan Kearney will run for party chairman, Dawn Doyle for ard runai and Maurice Quinlivan and Rita O'Hare as joint party treasurers.

In his opening address tonight, the outgoing vice-president Pat Doherty told delegates that Sinn Féin will not tolerate or allow any slippage from the Good Friday Agreement institutions.

He also said that it was vital that the working out of the agreement on policing and justice is swiftly implemented.

Meanwhile, MS McDonald, a member of the Sinn Féin Ard Chomhairle and MEP for Dublin, said that "incompetent government, corrupt bankers and greedy developers" had brought the country to the edge of an economic abyss.

"In the blink of an eye we have gone from boom to bust. The years of budget surpluses have been squandered. Those who claimed that they and they alone, knew how to run the economy have been exposed for the fraudsters that they are," she said.

Ms McDonald said that a new ethos in public life was needed and said the party would not stand idly by while a "discredited government, aided and abetted by opportunists in Fine Gael," attacked public service workers."

"The pension levy is inequitable and indefensible. We demand that it go," said Ms McDonald.

She added that the Government needed to "get its act together" an cannot simply tax or cut its way out of the crisis the country finds itself in.

"Now is the time for transformation, for government with the bold ideas and courage to create a fair and prosperous society. We need to get Ireland back to work. This is the stuff of long term strategy, of solidarity and vision," said Ms McDonald.

"We need thoughtful, purposeful government. We need a government that is on the peoples' side. We need a new government," she added.