Sinn Féin deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness will brief senior party colleagues today on progress in the talks with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) on the devolution of policing and justice powers to Northern Ireland.
As the negotiations with the DUP enter a crucial phase, it was confirmed last night that Mr McGuinness would now update members of the Sinn Féin officer board.
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams yesterday afternoon indicated a deal had yet to be agreed, but last night the two parties held a further session of negotiations at Stormont.
Mr Adams said his party wanted to see ¿product¿ emerge from the discussions, indicating a preference for firm decisions to be pinned down on outstanding issues.
The continued negotiations followed confirmation that the Conservative Party held secret discussions with the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and the DUP.
The Tories are already involved in an electoral pact with the UUP, but news of the weekend talks fuelled speculation of a wider political deal involving both unionist parties.
Although a UUP/DUP election pact could maximise unionist strength in Northern Ireland and secure 10 or more MPs likely to support David Cameron after the general election, nationalists warned the Conservatives against disrupting the peace process.
SDLP leader Mark Durkan said: ¿I think, at a time when everybody should be concentrating on the big issue that is in front of us, it¿s unhelpful for the Opposition party in Westminster, who are presenting themselves as the government-in-waiting, to distract parties in this way.¿
The Conservatives have previously rejected DUP calls for agreed unionist candidates in selected Northern Ireland seats, characterising it as a return to old-style sectarian politics aimed at freezing out nationalists.
But Mr Durkan asked whether the fear of a hung Parliament had tempted the Conservatives to drift away from their pledge to launch a new political force in Northern Ireland which would offer both Catholic and Protestant voters the chance to take part in UK politics.
¿When they first announced their great wheeze of coming into Northern Ireland politics, they said they would not be getting involved in the old communal politics,¿ said the Foyle MP.
Repeating his party¿s previous scepticism about Tory plans, he added: ¿Was that ever true?¿
The Conservatives, however, said their shadow Northern Ireland secretary, Owen Paterson, had merely ¿facilitated¿ talks between the two unionist parties.
But Northern Ireland sources claimed the discussions were of wider significance and that, while they were at an early stage, they could yet maximise unionist political strength, plus secure UUP and DUP support for David Cameron in a hung Parliament.
PA