18/11/2017 Sinn Fein Party Conference

Hello and welcome to The Conference.

Whether you're watching

on BBC Two Northern Ireland

or on the Parliament channel,

we're delighted you could join us.

Hundreds of Sinn Fein delegates

are at the Royal Dublin Showgrounds

awaiting the conference speech

of Gerry Adams, the final act

in this year's Ard Fheis.

There's been a lot of

anticipation surrounding

what the Sinn Fein President

could be about to say this evening -

he's expected to outline his

time-frame for stepping down

from the role he has held

for the past 34 years.

Delegates have already heard

from one of Mr Adams'

potential successors,

Michelle Mary Lou McDonald,

and the party's Stormont

leader, Michelle O'Neill -

and we'll hear from both of them

later in the programme.

I'll also be talking

to our political editor,

Mark Devenport, who's in Dublin.

But first I'm joined in the studio

by Professor Rick Wilford

from Queen's University.

Thank you for joining us. There has

been a huge amount of speculation

about precisely what Gerry Adams

might say tonight about his

leadership. We don't have a copy of

his speech and often at this stage,

we would have won. I don't know what

you read into that.

It is certainly

an eagerly anticipated speech. There

has been a strict embargo and that

does underline that we are going to

hear something quite significant

tonight. I don't think it will be an

issue of if Gerry Adams will step

down but when, and I think we will

all be waiting for it with bated

breath. It has been so well flagged,

the anticipation, Sinn Fein, there

is a change recess under way. In

management-speak, this would be

called succession planning. We have

Michelle O'Neill taking over as

leader in Northern Ireland this year

and there has been this work on

reform within the party going on for

at least a year if not more. This

will be the next depth and it looks

as if it will be a significant one.

Mr Adams is already on record as

saying he will make clear the date

he made clear with Martin McGuinness

he made for his retirement, Mr

McGuinness is no longer with us. Be

interesting to hear what he has to

say. There are a number of options

being discussed. No one expecting to

say he's leaving the stage

immediately. That has been ruled

out. It could be that he is going to

say this is his last appearance at

an annual Ard Fheis as president and

so he will go between now and next

November. Or he could say, I

suppose, next November will be his

last time.

He could, or anywhere in

between. I would have thought that

if we have it general election in

the Republic xDSL time, it may well

be that he would take the

opportunity to go before the general

election campaign gets underway

because apart from anything else, he

would be seen, potentially anyway,

as a lame duck leader. He hasn't

been a good performer in election

campaigns, and he wasn't a

particularly good performer in the

assembly, as a parliamentarian. I

want if he is thinking he might pass

the baton onto Mary Lou McDonald,

both as the leader in the party and

he remains as president but probably

thinking he has got a year and

sometime during the next 12 months,

he might go, and if there is an

election in that period, he might

signal his readiness to go in

advance of the erection campaign

proper. But he will remain -- the

election campaign proper. But he

will remain a key player. His

particular role is as a wedge

between the two wings of the party,

the North and the south, and that is

much valued and will continue to be

valued in the foreseeable future.

But I think the time is coming when

we might see him heading up

campaigns,.

He has made it clear he

has no intention of running for the

Irish presidency which may come up

again next year depending on whether

or not Michael the heat and decides

to run for a second term. He said he

wouldn't but there is increasing

spectra should that he might. The

other issue we will be talk about

tonight is where Sinn Fein Xoan --

stands as far as government. The

parties compared to go into

government as a minority partner in

the South and we've got the

continuing debate about whether or

not we will see a new executive at

Stormont and what part Sinn Fein

might play in that.

It is a

significant departure from current

policy, they previously held the

line they would only enter a

coalition if they were the largest

party in such a coalition but now

they say they will enter it. It is

with another party would want them

as a constituent party in the south,

but they are now saying they would

enter talks to see whether they

could be a junior partner in a

coalition in the south but that

depends, two, one voting for it.

And

I suppose -- it depends on whether

we have another election. That is

fascinating and we may be able to

shed some light on it tween now and

nine o'clock. We will talk to you

throughout the course of the

programme. We'll be going live to

the Ard Fheis in a moment to talk to

our political editor, and another

big story that has devoted the last

couple of hours.

Party members voted in favour

of allowing abortions

where a pregnancy poses a risk

to a woman's health -

including her mental health.

It was the subject of

a passionate debate.

Here's a flavour of it.

We're all of us people of conscience

and we hold our position on abortion

and women's right to choose in good

conscience. We make our case and

about in good faith. We arrive at a

decided position, democratically,

and openly. And, then, we lead. And,

then, we act. We do not pop out on

an issue of such import and two

women. Now, we know that the

referendum campaign will be tough.

We also know that it must be

respectful. There is a debate to be

had, and there are many fears that

need to be dispelled. But I have to

tell you, friends, it is my firm

view that the eighth Amendment

protects nobody, it was and it

remains a deeply cruel amendment to

our cost Touche and that sought

primarily to subjugate women. And it

has no place in the Irish

constitution. So, I urge you

delegates to debate respectfully and

to support motion 144. Thank you.

The motion doesn't even say how you

are going to assess the patient, the

mother, no assessment set into this

motion whatsoever. I am opposed to

that because it is abortion on

demand. Our position, I believe, was

very good tonight. It took us

through several sit to nations which

were difficult and it also dealt

with the mission of the worst

circumstances, they will also dealt

with. I didn't come here to say and

walk away, I wanted to finish what I

am going to say, and I am going to

finish what I am going to say, I am

opposed to abortion on demand and

this is my position. It is very easy

to pass a motion here but you have

to find out what the people of Mid

Ulster say, that of the man tiny

differences duration.

Francie Molloy, the MP

for Mid-Ulster speaking earlier.

Let's bring in our Political Editor,

Mark Devenport, who's

at the RDS for us.

The abortion debate, it is a really

fascinating one, not least because

it has been conducted very much in

the public spotlight.

Yes, as you

heard there from those

contributions, it was quite an

impassioned debate with a very

different view the full forward by

very different delegates. In the

end, it was the one brought by the

ruling executive but with amendments

which further liberalise the party

's overseas. Sinn Fein has adopted a

porn -- a policy that will make

abortion available to women if their

mental health or physical health is

at risk, even more liberal than the

position put forward previously.

Some motions which would have

extended a Freedom of conscience

approach to all members which would

have been supported our pro-life

politicians, they were rejected as

the point was made that this Ard

Fheis is the place to make Sinn Fein

policy and everyone should adhere to

it once it has been made, even in a

sensitive matter like abortion.

It

is an issue that will remain on the

agenda because there will now be a

very public debate about the

referendum on the eighth Amendment.

Yes, and Sinn Fein's policies to

repeal that Amendment and the party

has said that amendment should not

be in the constitution so they will

we certainly campaigning on that, so

we don't know exactly what the

question will be put to the people

here in probably May June of next

year. But, clearly, they want that

to be repealed, the question is what

obviously might be put in place

would there be another amendment to

the Constitution or will it be left

to the door to set policy by

legislation?

Obviously, the

anticipation is building behind you

against -- amongst elegance. Gerry

Adams is on his feet in about 20

minutes time or thereabouts. This

has been trailed, as Rick and I have

been saying, as a very significant

contribution from Mr Adams. We have

not seen an embargoed copy of the

speech, assuming you haven't seen

that either, I'm wondering what we

might read into that.

Well, I did

ask for one, they said they would be

happy to give it to me at 9.0 one. I

think it is safe to say that Gerry

Adams was to hold onto this big

reveal. They maybe have been at clue

in the afternoon. They did slip

through one rule change that would

allow from an extraordinary Ard

Fheis to happen three months after a

vacancy, should there be a vacancy

as party president. Maybe that was

in light of what Gerry Adams is

going to tell us within the cause of

the next hour or so. But, yes, a lot

of setbacks -- speculation that he

will signal his departure, and a

plan that he drew up with Martin

McGuinness and we had an emotional

tribute to Martin McGuinness,

together with a musical tribute and

his widow Bernie took to the stage

together with Gerry Adams to

acknowledge the applause there from

delegates for her husband 's

contribution to the republican

movement down through the years.

Mark, if you were a betting man,

would you put money on this week

Gerry Adams' last appearance at an

acrobat? Will you be having this --

at an Ard Fheis.

It is unlikely he

would hang on in this position after

giving it such a big build up. There

are a number of permutations, him

bringing forward a leader in Dublin

perhaps two mirrored though role

played by Michelle O'Neill and north

of the border, maybe hanging onto

the presidency. But as I think Rick

was suggesting earlier on, there is

a sense that maybe he sees now as

the time for transition and he might

be moving off to be the grand old

world -- man of the republican

movement, in an on an airy position.

He has always shown a willingness to

get on in there and Bush 's own

views, sometimes to the exasperation

of the other party members. Whether

he will be able to let that go is

hard to say. He hasn't gone away,

you know, yet.

OK, Marx, thank you

very much indeed. Live at the

conference venue.

We'll be back to you

shortly with some guests.

Meantime, earlier today the party's

Stormont leader, Michelle O'Neill,

addressed the Ard Fheis

on the party's United Ireland

strategy, during which she called

for a referendum on unity

in five years.

As the economic consequences of

Brexit become clearer, more and more

people will be open to at least

exploring new scenarios, new

relationships on this island,.

Republicanism and unionism must

reach a sustainable compromised

through respectful dialogue premised

on anti-sectarianism that will move

us beyond the past, the present and

bring us into a brighter future. To

achieve that, we must explore how we

can accommodate each others'

aspirations in a manner that does

not demand the surrender of cultural

or additional identity. We believe

that our unity, on the basis of

equality offers the best future for

everyone on this island. It is my

responsibility, our response

splitting to spell out to unionists

what sort of United Ireland we as

Republicans seek and to assure them

of their place in an island of

equals. One thing is for certain,

the political landscape is starting

to dramatically change and the onus

is on us to shape the change. By

organising an intelligently making

the place for Irish unity and for a

referendum as set out in the Good

Friday Agreement. The Good Friday

Agreement provides a peaceful

democratic path to Irish unity. Sinn

Fein believes there should be a

referendum on Irish unity within the

next five years. I believe that now

is the time to plan that new agreed

and united Ireland, a progressive,

Acropolis and an inclusive island.

One in which all identities and

traditions have a place and the

opportunity to contribute to our

shared nation, unionists and

nationalists together.

To pick up on what she had to say.

This call for a referendum on Irish

unity in five years. That will

strike a chord with her supporters.

It will be anathema to unionists.

Absolutely. The rules when a

referendum can be called are very

tightly drawn. The Secretary of

State is the arbiter and he was she

will only do that on the basis of

solid evidence.

Within the next five

years will have another general

election, maybe even another

assembly election.

And who will be

at the other end of Brexit.

Yes,

with all those under ones. I could

change the terms of the debate in

Northern Ireland significantly.

Is

that the game Sinn Fein is playing?

Everything is so fluid.

Hinkel's

difficulty is arrogant's opportunity

and it is a massive problem for the

UK Government. It is also a problem

for the current Irish government,

which is one reason why Leo

Varadkar, until yesterday in fact,

until he gets a hand written

guarantee from the government that

there will be no hard border. It is

in everyone's interested there is

still hard border on the island of

Ireland or even in the Irish Sea for

that matter. Yes, there is so much

influx. Five years Michael Clarke

pipe dream to some, particularly

unionists, but the situation is so

fluid and the architecture, the

tectonic plates of the UK as a union

state have shifted, are continuing

to shift. There is a centrifugal

movement in Scotland, more muted one

in Wales and honourable doorsteps we

have that the man for Irish

unification. It is not purely an

intellectual exercise. It is quite a

serious political exercise on the

part of Sinn Fein. It is thinkable,

whether it is achievable is moot.

But five years as a generous time

frame.

Thanks, Rick.

Let's go back to the conference

venue live and join

Mark Devenport again.

The hall is beginning to do love

behind us are heading in to take

their seats for Gerry Adams's seats.

I am joined by Louise O'Reilly and

Conor Murphy. Newry and Armagh. We

will come onto Gerry Adams in just a

moment. I was talking earlier about

the impassioned debate on abortion.

You were very much an advocate of

change. Can you explain what this

motion that was adopted here today

will do?

It reaffirms our movement

to appealing the eighth Amendment.

That is really important. Following

on from that to legislate for

termination in the case where a

woman's health or mental health is

at risk. The amendment to the motion

removed the words grave and serious,

so it is just risk. I heard from the

experts what they need from us, they

need to trust doctors to give the

doctors enough scope to be able to

act in the benefit of woman's health

and mental health. It was a

respectful debate today, and it was

passionate. I got pattern of myself

because I think it is an issue that

everybody feels strongly about. We

are resolutely behind the party

position and we will go forward to

repeal the eighth Amendment.

Some in

favour of repealing the year the

members have said you haven't gone

far enough. They would like to adopt

this position that the citizens

assembly came up with, that women

should have access to abortion

within the first 12 weeks of

pregnancy.

It is important that our

members make that decision. Our

position has shifted. Small in terms

of words, big in terms of the

campaign so we are looking forward

to getting the campaign started. To

be honest, a lot of the people who

criticise us, they do so for

electoral reasons, not to ensure

that the amendment is repealed. That

is what we will get behind.

Conor

Murphy, we had some big cheers

behind this as the leadership team

takes their seats. I gathered that

some of your colleagues were saying,

look, this is a sensitive issue,

surely we should have freedom of

conscience on this. Don't they have

a right to hold the view on such a

sensitive personal issue?

They do

have a right to hold the view and to

come here today and make their case

in a passionate way. The membership

supported the motion after a lengthy

debate. Undoubtedly people on both

sides of this debate had strong

views. We have people in the party

who are pro-choice and others who

are pro-life. What we all do, and I

have had this debate as well, that

people have their views but they go

out and campaign on the basis of the

party policy. I think we decided to

take a leadership position in

relation to all of this, to take a

firm position as a party not to have

a free for all and by and large

people have their say, it is a

democracy and the will of the party

wins out in the end.

We are waiting

for the big announcement by Gerry

Adams. Will it be historical and

anti-climax?

I think it will be

historic. I don't know any more than

you know in case you were going to

ask me. We are looking forward to

his speech. We had an emotional

tribute to Martin McGuinness earlier

and I think that has set the tone

for what is said to be an historic

address by him.

Do you think at some

point joined the next few months

Sinn Fein will end up with a leader

from the site, could that help your

prospects in the next parish

election?

We have been steadily

growing. We are doing all right on

to the party -- under the leader at

the moment. I think our party, and

you can see here from the quality of

the debate, we are a grassroots

movement. We have our leadership but

we also take austere from the ard

fheis. We are a bottom-up party and

I think that is very important. The

grassroots been a huge amount.

Me

haul Martin is making a speech

tonight as well and in course of

remarks being made, he said you

might change the face but it will be

the same Sinn Fein, still

unacceptable as a partner in

government in his view. He said most

of the future leaders would have

joined prior to the IRA ceasefire.

Listen. I'm not sure what the

protocol in terms of the leader's

address, but normally the ard fheis,

we give space for each other party.

I think Michael Martin giving a

speech to counteract Gerry Adams's

speech shows you that they feared

the message of Sinn Fein. It is the

same party. We have lost a great

leader in Martin McGuinness. Gerry

Adams will be making his

announcement tonight. The party will

go on, we are getting stronger. The

legacy that has been left to us is a

strong leadership, they built strong

leadership across the entire Ireland

Ireland Northern side. People have

huge capabilities to take forward

the leadership and even with two

very strong people are Gerry Adams

Martin McGuinness, we have always

had a collective leadership and that

will continue. It will be the same

Sinn Fein, and that is probably bad

news for Michael Martin.

Thank you

for joining us. We are at the point

where we are battling many cheers.

Here is one for Gerry Adams!

Thanks, Mark.

With just a few minutes before

Gerry Adams takes to the stage,

let's have another word

with Professor Rick Wilford.

Just as the cheering continues, as

the strong, collective leadership

team commanded the stage, as

described by Conor Murphy. Your

thoughts on the back of what you

have just heard those two

significant Sinn Fein figures say.

The abortion thing is significant.

They have now put a lot of distance

between themselves and the SDLP here

and night, night in supporting the

dropping of the amendment of the

Irish constitution is significant.

Quite a liberal change on which the

party is supporting in relation to

abortion. The scope is perhaps wider

than was initially anticipated. I

think they will put the SDLP in a

more difficult position here. It is

smart politics. The prospect of

leadership change, which everybody

seems to be anticipating, it is only

a matter of when and not if, this

sense that they have a strong

collective leadership team. It is

also a party that is strictly

controlled. Whatever has been

planned in relation to what Gerry

Adams says, those in the know will

have a clear idea and think it is

significant that the provision for a

special ard fheis should've vacancy

arise within three months, a special

ard fheis to decide who will take

over from him, succeed as president,

I think that the significant as

well. We can see the pathway being

well laid here, the bat on being

passed on to a new generation

perhaps. One of the things it will

do is produce potentially two female

leaders for the Northern bit of the

party and another in the south.

That's a first as well. Also, it is

a generational change and it marks

putting some distance, if you will,

between the current leadership in

the party with this leadership team

and the more paramilitary elements

of the wider republican movement

that there has been such a close

association with Sinn Fein for

decades.

Michelle O'Neill is the

Stormont leader. The other leader

you are preparing to is Mary-Lou

McDonald.

She is the odds-on

favourite. The Donegall Road TD has

decided to pull out of any

leadership, that is significant. I

think Mary Lou McDonald will be

anointed as Gerry Adams's successor.

For a Republican party, for the two

leaders to be crowned, is there an

irony there?

It is a paradox that

you have a civic republican party

that believes in democracy and

respect, right, quality and the rest

of it. When you think of it, the

five political parties here in

Northern Ireland, only one of its

leaders has been elected in a

contest, and that is Colum Eastwood.

All the others, Robin Swann, Naomi

Long, and the rest, they have all

been crowned. It is a bit like the

old Conservative Party, they talked

about the Magic circle, from which a

leader would emerge. It seems to

becoming the norm now. Should it be

Mary Lou McDonald in the south, she

probably is going to take over

unopposed.

As soon as Gerry Adams

appears in the conference hall we

will cross over to that. We are just

seeing members of the leadership

team introduced and the party

faithful being prepared for Mr Adams

to appear and make that speech. It

was clear from what Louise O'Reilly

had to say and Conor Murphy had to

say, they are not playing time that

it is going to be significant.

If

this turned out to be an

anti-climax, and he said I'm going

to be here for the next ten years!

That won't happen. The only issue is

the timing of this. Now that they

have put him place provision for the

special ard fheis to elect a leader,

or anointed leader, we will hear

something more about when he will

go. In the interim, what role he

might continue to play. This idea of

him remaining as president but Mary

Lou McDonald becomes the equivalent

of Michelle O'Neill, the leader in

the south and the leader in the

North, he would take a step back,

potentially. I think that is likely.

That would be a way of letting go

more gracefully than simply standing

down as president and having no rule

to fulfil. That is likely to happen.

They could well be that we see this

can nature of two women potentially,

in both parts of the island of

Ireland, taking on the leadership of

the party. If that were to be the

case whether that would prove to be

a sisterly collective leadership or

not we would have to wait and see.

I

think Mr Adams's arrival in the

conference hall is imminent. It will

be interesting to see who introduces

him. It could well be Mary Lou

McDonald, which makes sense, she is

his deputy, likely to be his

successor.

Germany on her? Yes, it

is. Other things happened with

Martin McGuinness who sadly passed

away this year, I thought it would

have been him that would have done

the introductions. With the wind in

their seals, and with Mary Lou

McDonald deputy president, that is

the most likely.

Wilford, there is a week party and

there is coverage of this in BBC

Northern Ireland and on the

Parliament channel. There is a lot

of interest in this.

It is testament

to which is a strategist Gerry Adams

has brought Sinn Fein from the

margins to the mainstream, both in

the north and the South. 20 years

ago, Sinn Fein was pulling two or 3%

in general elections and now, says

they have had this policy change, in

particular, preparing to enter as a

junior partner, it shows the extent

to which Sinn Fein have become a

major player, not only in the island

of Ireland but in the UK, too. The

whole elliptical narrative across

the UK and Ireland is shaped by

Brexit. In opposing any kind of

Brexit, sadly they want to have a

special dispensation for Northern

Ireland, remain in the customs

union, stay in the single market,

the rich to Europe, to the EU, and

that is this very strong, hard hand

of cards to play.

I'm going to

interrupter. That was to resist

Ferris, she is introducing Gerry

Adams, and he has appeared to have

taken her by surprise and is

embracing her at the moment. Let's

just listen to what is being said.

And, tonight... If you let me speak

for you, in front of all our

Wellcome and national get and those

watching us at home, I say on your

behalf, no other political leader in

this country would have their

membership united in saying that we

absolutely admire and respect but

above all, we love this great giant

on whose shoulders we stand and no

matter what he tells us tonight, he

will always, always be our leader.

So, that was Theresa Ferris, Martin

Ferris is daughter, she is a

councillor in Council -- County

Terry. Sinn Fein is asking delegates

to take his seat.

A special welcome

to friends of Sinn Fein USA and

representatives of the North

American labour movement. And best

wishes to the President, Jim

Coleman, who is seriously ill.

Two friends of Sinn Fein in Canada

and welcome to our comrades from

Cuba, Greece, from Britain, from the

Basque country, and from all our

forensic and trees and diplomats.

-- love and solidarity greetings to

the people of Palestine and the Gaza

Strip. And solidarity also to the

people of Catalonia.

HE SPEAKS GAELIC.

We miss Martin, we miss all those

comrades who died in the last year

and in the decades of conflict. I

was first elected in 1983. The war

in the North was waging, it was

raging, and the Highlander strikes

two years before and the deaths of

Robbie sounds, they had dramatically

altered the political landscape. --

Bobby Sands. We were brought into a

new phase of struggle. Republicans

had been at the heart of a culture

of resistance, correctly, when I

stressed this, correctly standing

strong against the brutality of the

British state.

Our leadership said about

transforming bad culture into a

culture of change. In my first Ard

Fheis speech, I said we needed and

all Ireland Scoble bash struggle. I

warned against Sinn Fein activists

standing on the sidelines, isolated

from the people, and that imperative

holds true today. I told that Ard

Fheis that Sinn Fein policies are

not just some pleasant aims for some

future hope of a united Ireland,

what our top practical policies are

that can get leadership and provide

results. I reiterated our goals, the

unity of the people and the end of

partition. It is hard to say

reiterated when you are stuck up

here. This had to, I said, and has

two include our unionist neighbours,

who have every right to a full and

equal involvement in shaping the

future of this Ireland. And I can

say now that the economy should

serve the people, not the other way

round. The struggle, that struggle

for equality and fairness continues

and Sinn Fein, your party, and I and

the leadership of that battle. 20

years ago,... HE

now we have 23 TD members, for MEP

members, 27 MLAs, seven MPs and over

250 councillors and today, over half

a million people vote for Sinn Fein.

Furthermore, the perpetual unionist

majority built into the gerrymander

to northern states is gone. HE

SPEAKS GAELIC. If I was asked by

anybody, how do we measure Sinn

Fein, I would say... Judge us on the

changes we think about. That is what

Sinn Fein is. Republican party for

positive change and equality the

people. Who here remembers Margaret

Thatcher? For many of my Generation

Game she will be forever linked with

the hunger strikes, but she is more

than that, her right wing

conservative government increased

poverty and destroyed lives.

Thatcherism was fun big business and

the elites, Thatcher was against

workers' rights and against public

services. Do you similarities?

Thatcher is gone... Thatcher is gone

but her legacy lives on in our

Taoiseach. His Republic limited to

26 counties extends only to those

who get up early in the morning to

go to the gym on their way to a

highly paid job with big expenses

and gold-plated mansions. Well, good

luck to them but Sinn Fein makes no

apologies for also standing with

those who get up early to commute

into cities where they cannot afford

to live. We stand... We stand with

those who get up early to drop their

children to school or the

childminder, if they can get

childcare. We stand with those who

care for sick friends or neighbours

or family, we stand with those

living in rural Ireland without

proper services and opportunities.

We stand with those unable to work.

We stand with citizens who work long

hours for low pay offer who struggle

to pay health costs. Taoiseach is a

contradiction in the public. How can

Micheal Martin say he is for an

island for all when he is propping

up the government for the few. This

conservative... This is 1 million

miles away from the vision of the

1960 proper. A genuine republic

would not allow over 3000 children

to be homeless. It would not allow

patients, many of them elderly, some

offence vulnerable children, to be

lying on hospital trolleys, or 600

thousand people on hospital waiting

lists. A genuine republic would

support citizens with intellectual

or physical disabilities and their

families. A genuine republic would

not tolerate disadvantage and

inequality or corruption and

scandals. Sinn Fein has a different

set of core values from the elites

who run this Ireland. We believe in

nights, we believe in freedom, we

believe in equality, we believe in

solidarity.

Sinn Fein believes that society must

be shaped so that all citizens can

achieve their full potential. That

includes citizens in rural Ireland.

We make no apologies for standing up

for public services, including a

genuine health service across this

island. We believe in everyone's

right to a home. We also want to

extend the vote, in presidential

elections, to the north and to the

diaspora and Sinn Fein fully

supports the repeal of the eighth

Amendment. Women and their doctors

need legal protection. Women deserve

and are entitled to be trusted and

respected, that is the Sinn Fein

message. Brexit is the single

greatest threat to Irish people for

generations and that is why we

oppose the referendum and why we

have consistently is called for

special status for the north within

the European Union. Of course we are

critical of the European Union but I

want to amend our spokespersons on

this issue and especially our team

of MEPs who are like the Irish

government have shown real

leadership. -- who, unlike the Irish

government, have shown real

leadership. The government has only

recently wakened up to the reality

that Brexit and the British

government terms are not acceptable,

will be disastrous for Irish

businesses and farming in every

single part of this island, it will

destroy the rights of citizens in

the north, it is not compatible with

the Good Friday Agreement, Leo

Varadkar needs to stand up in the

interests of all the people of this

island, he has a veto, Leo should

use the veto.

He needs to be more like Michael

Collins, and less like Hugh Grant.

The executive collapsed ten months

ago when Martin McGuinness resigned

following allegations from within

the DUP of corruption by the DUP.

Since March, led by the Michelle

O'Neill, Sinn Fein has been working

hard to restore the political

institutions. We want to deliver for

everyone in the north on the basis

of respect, tolerance and equality

and the denial of these modest

rights would not be tolerated in

Dublin, order London, and they will

not be tolerated in the six counties

in the north of this island.

APPLAUSE.

The DUP's opposition to these basic

rights mean there is no executive

and the British government has been

complicit in this. Through a pact

with the DUP, Theresa May has

privatised -- prioritised to run

political survival. We met with the

Taoiseach this week and we will meet

with the British feminist next week.

The executive is to be used

re-established, the rule of the

Irish government will be decisive.

It cannot be neutered on this

matter. These issues are not going

away and the only way forward is

through honouring agreements, not

breaking them.

APPLAUSE.

No British government has any right

to any involvement in Irish affairs,

that is our credo. But until the

British government believes our

country the least they can do is

deliver on their obligations and the

least and Irish government can do is

to insist on this.

APPLAUSE.

Those of us who want a united

Ireland must articulate that clearly

and in the context of the Good

Friday Agreement and we have to

persuade or Unionist neighbours to

support a new Ireland in which

Orange and Green can live together

in prosperity and harmony. We have

so much in common. We have to ensure

that everyone's rights are

underpinned and unionists have to

have their rights guaranteed. The

future is for the people to decide

peacefully and democratically.

Several months ago I wrote to the

leaders of the political parties

proposing the establishment of an

all-party committee on Irish unity.

The foil macro leader has rejected

this, so has the Taoiseach. Why? Is

that telling that these leaders are

preventing the Irish parliament from

discussing the future of this

island?

APPLAUSE.

What will Sinn Fein to?

Sinn Fein will bring forward a White

Paper on Irish unity. Sinn Fein will

make the aim of the new United

arrogant... Shindler will campaign

for a referendum on unity be held

and to be won in the next five

years.

APPLAUSE.

So don't let Leo or Michael tell you

that this is not right or not

achievable. It is achievable and it

will be achieved with or without

them.

APPLAUSE.

Sinn Fein will be in government in

the North if and when there is

agreement. We need to prepare also

for being in government on

Republican terms in Dublin.

The deal, Fianna Fail, the

leaderships of the Dublin

establishment, they don't want Sinn

Fein in government because they and

their cronies have run this state

for nearly 100 years in their own

interests. They know that we were

bring an end to corruption, enter

cronyism.

APPLAUSE.

They know that as Sinn Fein led

government will mind people if they

are in trouble they will help them,

is someone has fallen down they will

pick them up. That is the sort of

government that is needed, a

government of the quality, decency

and fairness. Now, my friends, I am

very proud to have served Sinn Fein

since 1983. Of course, before my

time, hard time, there were other

leaders who kept the flame alive. We

are also very conscious that 20 of

members were murdered during the

conflict. We are indebted to them

their families.

APPLAUSE.

Last year, Martin McGuinness and I

said there was a plan for change in

the party leadership is part of the

process of regeneration and renewal.

I thought we needed to come here to

tell you, not to tell the media, but

to tell you, our comrades. Ten years

after entering government with Ian

Paisley, Martin's intention was to

step down as Deputy First Minister

on the 8th of May. Then life punched

us in the face. Martin's illness

brought that date forward. Martin

was a leading member of leadership

team. I have been enormously

privileged to be part of an amazing

and evolving collective leadership.

It has included in times past in

hard and oppressive times and in

different phases of national level,

people like Joe Kassel, Mitchel

McLaughlin, Johnny Morris, Martin

himself, Tom Hartley, Jim Gibney,

Ted, Desi, Don, Martin Ferris and

many many more.

APPLAUSE.

Some of them remain active today

along with many others, too many for

me to acknowledge. If you were not

mentioned in that list please don't

take the needle. Everybody's

contribution is important,

everybody's contribution is valued.

I'm looking back on the history that

has passed. I am delighted to see so

many of these comrades here,

especially Councillor Joe Riley.

APPLAUSE.

Many comrades have given their

entire lives to our struggle. They

sobbing on the hardship of the

moment and Bristol. And that

resilience is opposed by those who

uphold the start of school, but

despite them we have prevailed. One

of our greatest achievements has

been with John Hume and others to

build the peace process. We have

also recast Sinn Fein into an effect

of All-Ireland republican party with

clear policy and political

objectives and the need -- it means

to achieve them through democratic

and peaceful forms of struggle where

none existed before.

APPLAUSE.

Republicanism has never been

stronger. This is our time. We will

grow even stronger in the future,

but leadership means knowing when it

is time for change. And that is now.

I will not be standing for the Dail

in the next election, neither will

Martin Dallas -- Martin Ferris. I

want to thank Martin four years of

service to the Republic. This is

also my last ard fheis...

APPLAUSE.

CHEERING.

This is also my last ard fheis...

This is the important bit! This is

also my last ard fheis as president.

I will ask the incoming president

for a date for a special ard fheis.

I have always seen myself as a team

player, team builder and I have

complete confidence in the leaders

we have elected this weekend and

then the next generation of leaders

and I want to thank everyone who has

welcomed me into their homes and

communities and made the part of

countless campaigns, Konnor

selections and countless

negotiations. I want to especially

thank the people of West Belfast and

County Louth for your unswerving

support and solidarity. I firmly

believe that one person can make a

difference. The first step in making

a difference as believing that you

can be that person. One woman, one

man doing their best. That is what

it takes. You don't have to do as

much as Martin McGuinness did, but

we all have to do our best and do it

together. That has been the key of

our successes so far, doing our

best, moving forward, United, strong

and together. You are important, you

are the nation builders, you are the

makers of the future.

APPLAUSE.

Finally, my thanks to Collett. I

have been very lucky...

APPLAUSE.

We are now married 47 years. There

have been ups and downs, Belfast

prison, long cash, H blocks, and

years of life on the run. But Love

has prevailed over everything life

has thrown at us.

APPLAUSE.

We have been blessed with the best

son anyone could wish for and the

best daughter-in-law, and with them

came there for children.

APPLAUSE.

So I would like my friend Martin

Ferris to come up here with me. I'm

feeling lonely. We are going to

continue to go forward.

APPLAUSE.

So, Gerry Adams standing shoulder to

shoulder with the veteran Republican

Martin Ferris, his long-time friends

and political associates. They are

jointly taking the applause of the

delegates at the 2017 ard fheis.

Gerry Adams has made clear, as

expected, but he is not going to be

president of Sinn Fein this time

next year. That is his last speech

as Sinn Fein president at an ard

fheis. You will not stand for

elections again. Warm embraces on

the platform. Rick, a quick word

from you.

It is what we expected.

Sometime between now and this time

next year he was going. I confident

speech.

That's it from this year's

Sinn Fein ard fheis.

We'll be back with the DUP

conference next Saturday.

Tomorrow, I'll be back

with Sunday Politics

at 11.35am on BBC One,

including an interview

with Sinn Fein's Stormont

leader, Michelle O'Neill.

So for now, goodbye.