McGuinness to address issue of policing at ardfheis

Sinn Féin's chief negotiator Mr Martin McGuinness will address the party's ardfheis which concludes in Dublin today.

Sinn Féin's chief negotiator Mr Martin McGuinness will address the party's ardfheis which concludes in Dublin today.

Mr McGuinness will speak on the contentious issue of policing and whether or not Sinn Féin should join the Northern Ireland Policing Board.

Mr McGuinness yesterday confirmed that no firm decision would be made at the ardfheis on joining the Board.

He said the party had still to decide on calling a special national meeting on the issue "after a serious debate within our party and with the community".

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He added "We do need a policing service. This is a serious matter for us.

"But we cannot put in through at this ardfheis because we have not completed our deliberations."

In his keynote address to the ardfheis yesterday evening Sinn Féin president Mr Gerry Adams looked forward to a future without the IRA.

He told the party's ardfheis in Dublin that Sinn Féin was about making peace. The answer to the question of whether he envisaged a future without the IRA was "an obvious Yes", he said.