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That's all from us. Thank you for following our live coverage of Mary Lou McDonald's presidential address to the Sinn Féin ard fheis.

You can read more about her speech here.

Kevin Sharkey
����ý News NI

The SInn Féin ard fheis is being held in an indoor athletics arena here at the Technological University of the Shannon, in Athlone.

The ard fheis space in this impressive sporting arena is surrounded by a world class running track.

However, any cheering around the running track this weekend is not for personal bests, rather for a party gearing up for an impending general election here in the Republic.

The election campaign will provide SInn Fein with the prospect of being in the next Irish government.

But, after some faltering results in opinion polls on this side of the border recently and what one TD described here today as a “setback” in recent European and local elections, the party is aware of the scale of the challenge ahead.

Here, surrounded by running lanes as she rallied the membership ahead of the general election, the party leader Mary Lou McDonald would have known that if a place in government is to become a reality, SInn Féin cannot afford to be running to stand still.

This is the party's last ard fheis (annual conference) before voters in the Republic go to the polls. McDonald ends her speech with a call to the electorate.

"You can turn the page, call time on the crises in housing, healthcare, and the cost of living. I ask you to vote for that hope, ambition, for delivery. Say goodbye to government for the vested interests, vulture funds, and the cosy club. Vote for a government for working people."

McDonald says people on both sides of the border must have their say on constitutional change "by the end of this decade".

"The Dublin and London governments can’t continue to tread water. It’s time to plan and prepare. That means a green paper on Irish Unity, a Citizens Assembly, a Minister for reunification at the Department of An Taoiseach, a new government with a clear-cut commitment to holding referendums."

The party president turns her attention to politics in Northern Ireland. She calls on the UK Government to "act now act to fund services, infrastructure, and progress."

She adds that "Casement Park must be delivered" and that Sinn Féin seeks "an era of transformation, beyond Tory division and austerity."

The Sinn Féin President says that her party's plan "makes housing affordable" and "brings home ownership back into the reach of working people".

"We will deliver the largest housing programme in the history of the state",

She says that her plan includes 300,000 homes, 50,000 of them "affordable homes at prices from €250,000" and 75,000 social houses to "get families off council waiting lists".

Mary Lou McDonald addresses the issue of immigration. She tells her party that racism is "repulsive and must be faced down".

During the summer Sinn Féin launched a new immigration policy document. "Community, fairness, and common sense must be at the heart of how we manage immigration. The system must be resourced, applications dealt with quickly and fairly,."

She says accommodation for asylum seekers "must not be located in working class communities struggling to survive. That’s not reasonable or fair."

Mary Lou McDonald says that Ireland recognises the Palestinian state and "stands with the Palestinian people".

She calls for immediate ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon, an end to the genocide. "Children are being slaughtered. Israel must be to be sanctioned."

"Ireland must act. The transportation of Israeli munitions through Irish airspace is illegal and unacceptable."

Mary Lou McDonald begins her speech by telling delegates the party is ready to fight the next election. It must be held by next March but there's speculation it could take place this year.

"If you are through with bad government, waste of public money, failure to deliver, if you believe in an Ireland where workers, families and communities come first, we want you to know that when the election comes, Sinn Féin is ready."

This will be Michelle O’Neill’s first party conference as First Minister. She is Vice President of the party and delivered a speech at the Ard Fheis yesterday evening saying 'the jury is still out' on the new UK government.

You can read more about what she had to say here

Image source, PA Media

Sinn Féin had a very successful Westminster election in July of this year, holding on to it’s 7 seats meant it became the largest party at Westminster, as well as the largest across Northern Ireland's councils and at the assembly. But south of the border a disappointing set of local and European elections in June has been followed by a drop in the polls. Mary Lou McDonald, TD for Dublin Central, will be hoping that the launch of their alternative budget and plans to make housing and childcare affordable will help reverse their fortunes ahead of the next general election in the south.

Good evening and welcome to our live coverage of Sinn Féin President Mary-Lou McDonald’s address to her party’s ard fheis (annual conference).

You will be able to watch her speech in Athlone live by pressing play at the top of this page. She is due to speak at 18:30 BST. It will also be available via catch-up afterwards.

Image source, PA Media