Sinn Féin and Policing - Ard Fheis

Monday February 20, 2006 16:59

by Shauneen

Leadership defeats critical motions

Sinn Fein has clearly signalled it is moving closer towards participation in the police, although agreement may yet be a long way off.

20 February 2006
Sinn Fein has clearly signalled it is moving closer towards participation in the police, although agreement may yet be a long way off.

Tensions within the party over joining up to policing - a key component of any deal to restore devolution - were, however, yesterday laid bare at its ard fheis in Dublin.

But, on several card votes, the party leadership defeated a number of motions critical of its stance, including one from Cork and Dublin arguing there was a contradiction between its boycott of the House of Commons and participating in policing structures answerable to Parliament.

Other motions, tying a policing deal into a timetable for British withdrawal and insisting the party only engage in policing in the context of a 32-county republic, automatically fell when the party executive's motion was passed.

Barry McColgan, of the party's youth wing executive, said it had agreed republicans should never be part of six-county policing arrangements - but only in a 32-county situation.

"Transfer of powers is a red herring because we would only be transferring a flawed state police force," he said.

Delegate Declan Kearney warned the party's opponents could interpret the debate that Sinn Fein was long-fingering an issue which was too big for it.

"Let us not send out mixed signals. We must send a signal to the 'securocrats'; 'we are going to decommission and disband you'," he said.

West Tyrone MP Pat Doherty addressed rank-and-file fears that republicans will be reduced to helping to manage British rule in Ireland while ultimate responsibility for policing and justice remained with the British Prime Minister.

He asked if the party was on local councils and the Assembly to administer partition.

"We are in these institutions to end partition and that is what we will continue to do so," he said.

The hour-long debate revealed some of the internal difficulties which will have to be resolved as a specially-convened ard fheis, possibly later on this year.

But in an attempt to quell growing disquiet in party ranks, the ard comhairle (executive) has made clear it will only support a policing deal when the DUP has signed up to a timetable for the transfer of policing and justice powers to Stormont and there has been discussion at all levels of the party.

The executive said it would also prepare a "position paper" to help inform a comprehensive internal debate.

Gerry Kelly said the Government's devolution of policing and justice legislation, published last week, was a first step but would not be enough on its own.

"The devil, as they say, is in the detail," he told delegates.