Sinn Féin has announced that three of its Assembly members are to take the party's seat allocation on the Northern Ireland Policing Board.
The party ruling executive met in Dublin yesterday and cleared the way for three members of the Sinn Fein Assembly party to take their sets when the board meets next month.
Martina Anderson is now an Assembly member of the Foyle and Derry constituency and was director of Sinn Fein`s engagement with unionists.
The others are Alex Maskey, who was the first Sinn Fein Lord Mayor of Belfast and North Antrim MLA Daithi McKay.
Announcing the decision, Mr Maskey said: "Some weeks ago Gerry Adams indicated that in the event of the political institutions going live he would propose to the Ard Chomhairle that Sinn Fein take up our places on the Policing Board.
"Yesterday`s meeting of the Ard Chomhairle agreed that Daithi McKay, Martina Anderson and myself would go forward to represent the party."
He said they were going on the board to hold the Police service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to account and would not shy away from challenging, criticising and questioning policing decision.
He said Sinn Fein had set themselves a number of objectives which they intended to deliver through their membership of the Policing Board and district policing partnerships.
Mr Maskey said there were "obviously significant challenges for republicans and over the past two weeks we have been engaged in a series of meetings with the current Policing Board, the Ombudsman and with victims.
"Tomorrow we will meet with the Oversight Commissioner."
He added: "Sinn Fein are going onto the Policing Board to hold the PSNI to account. On the Policing Board we will provide the voice for communities who have in the past experienced only bad policing.
"We want to play a constructive role on the Board but we will not shy away from challenging, or criticising or questioning policing decisions and policy when the need arises."
The old board met last early this month and will meet early next month with its political membership reconstituted to reflect Sinn Fein`s arrival and the strengths in the new Assembly.