During a visit to Derry today the Minister for Finance, Brian Cowen, will praise the SDLP's record on promoting peace and reconciliation.
The minister will highlight the SDLP's long-term commitment to promoting the logic of an all-island economy.
With Assembly elections due in Northern Ireland next week, a number of parties from the Republic have been lending their support to the SDLP.
There is a tradition of parties from the Republic backing the SDLP at election time.
Labour has formal links with the party and heavyweights like Pat Rabbitte and Liz McManus are helping the SDLP in this campaign.
And last week the Fine Gael leader, Enda Kenny, visited Northern Ireland for an SDLP event.
However, it is believed the practice of senior politicians from the Republic praising the SDLP's record is unlikely to sway huge numbers of unionist voters, but it may influence some nationalist voters.
In the 2003 elections, Sinn Féin won 24 Assembly seats compared to the SDLP's 18.
For more on next week's Assembly Elections, see RTÉ.ie's Northern Ireland Elections 2007 website.
