Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will today announce the establishment of a committee to explore the idea of advancing Fianna Fáil as a political party in the North.
Mr Ahern will tell his parliamentary party at the start of a two-day "think-in" in Druids Glen in Wicklow that the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern, will chair the committee aimed at opening discussions across the North, with special focus on the SDLP.
The question of Fianna Fáil setting up in the North and a merger with the SDLP have been raised in the past. However, a Fianna Fáil source stressed last night that the establishment of a committee is a first step and the issue of contesting elections is the North is "a long way off".
Dermot Ahern told a Sunday newspaper yesterday that with the Executive up and running, "we are looking at the option of Fianna Fáil becoming an all-Ireland, 32-county party".
The SDLP has previously ruled out a merger but last night the party responded to reports of the reopening of the debate saying: "The SDLP has always taken the view that once the institutions of the Good Friday agreement were up and running again, there would be a potential for political realignment within the North and between North and South.
"As the party which was the pathfinder for our new political arrangements, the SDLP will be ready for the challenge or opportunity of such a future adjustment, when it ripens. In the meantime, our focus is on making the best possible contribution to people's lives and living standards, through positive representation and strong social democratic policies."
A senior source said the issue was currently being discussed within the SDLP. "It is entirely appropriate that Fianna Fáil should discuss the recent changes in Northern Ireland and take stock of the situation. The SDLP is conducting its own review and it's expected that this will be in place for some time to come. We will be interested in moving the question forward and if that proves to be in sync with Fianna Fáil, then that is something the SDLP will examine."
The source said there would be no early conclusions to the debate, nor was an exclusive link-up with Fianna Fáil the only option.
The issue was raised in early 2003 following publication of an article calling for a merger with Fianna Fáil by a senior SDLP figure, Tom Kelly, an aide to former deputy leader Seamus Mallon and a former member of the Policing Board. But both John Hume and Seamus Mallon rejected the idea.
Following the 2005 Westminster elections, Mark Durkan said his party was "not in the business of pursuing mergers with parties in the South". He said the restoration of devolution and the institutions of the Belfast Agreement would provide a new context for parties and politics.