The dispute over allowing IRA fugitives to return and live openly in Ireland should not thwart crunch political negotiations next week, Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said today.
The West Belfast MP was responding to unionist concerns about allowing republicans wanted for offences during the conflict to return home without fear of prosecution.
The DUP's Nigel Dodds had warned that any attempt to give on-the-run killers an amnesty as part of arrangements with Sinn Féin would destroy a deal on devolution.
The British government introduced legislation on the matter during the last parliamentary session, but it was dropped after political parties, including Sinn Féin, objected to the proposals.
All the political parties in Northern Ireland will hold talks next week at St Andrews in Scotland aimed at restoring the devolved government by November 24th where one of the key issues will be Sinn Féin's position on policing.
MrAdams said republicans were not opposed to being policed but that it should be a service "serving all of the citizens".
He said he was going to Scotland with his team, which includes Mid-Ulster MP Martin McGuinness, to do a deal and said there were no pre-conditions and all the issues could be resolved.
"The big issue is to get working institutions in place and, really, the various points that have been put in by the DUP have all been cleared away.
"I am not naive, I know there is a huge challenge for the DUP, but if they have the political will to sort these issues out, then they can be sorted out."
The DUP is meeting with the Independent Monitoring Commission soon after it issued a largely positive report on mainstream Republicans' behaviour since they decided to disband in 2005.
Mr Adams is meeting with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern on Monday, and held discussions with British prime minister Tony Blair yesterday.