Martin McGuinness has told his party conference that Sinn Féin has managed to end one party rule in Northern Ireland.
He said it is now time to move from the peace building phase of the struggle to the nation building stage.
Delivering the key note speech at the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis in Killarney, Mr McGuinness said that this did not mean trying to turn unionists into nationalists or trying to hoodwink people about Sinn Féin’s intentions.
He said that the reality was that hurt had been caused on all sides during the conflict and by the imposition of partition.
He told delegates he could now report that what he termed a process of national reconciliation and reconstruction had commenced.
Senior party members under chairman Declan Kearney had been involved in initial discussions with civic unionism and the protestant churches he said.
He said Sinn Féin had a responsibility to reach out to unionists to engage about the past and the future because a united Ireland would only succeed with the input of all sections of our people.
The Ard Fheis began with a debate on political reform.
There were calls for the 18 Sinn Féin MPs who do not take their seats in Westminster to be allowed take seats in Leinster House instead.
There was also a call for a constitutional amendment to bring those who act against the financial interests of the state to be subject to the Treason Act.
Sinn Féin's Justice Spokesman Jonathan O’Brien condemned the Government's policing policy, which he said was led by financial considerations rather than the needs of the community.
He said communities were bearing the brunt of Government decisions, instancing the closure of garda stations and local schools.
He said the decisions on garda station closures were made on the basis of the financial considerations of the Garda Commissioner without addressing the needs of local communities.
The party's spokesman on Natural Resources Martin Ferris called for the implementation of a report which recommended that 80% of the proceeds of oil exploration projects should go “back to the taxpayer.”
This, he said, would send “shock alarms” through the oil companies.
