Sinn Fein has the potential and capacity to become the vehicle for the attainment of republican objectives.

Your determination, selflessness and courage have brought the freedom struggle towards its fulfillment.

Republican patience with how unionism deals with the political institutions, and with key issues like equality and human rights, will be tested because, obviously, there will be a battle a day on these matters. So lets face up to all of this with our eyes wide open.

Armed struggle is a necessary and morally correct form of resistance in the Six Counties against a government whose presence is rejected by the vast majority of the Irish people There are those who tell us that the British government will not be moved by armed struggle. As has been said before, the history of Ireland and of British colonial involvement throughout the world tells us that they will not be moved by anything else.

I think there is a huge responsibility upon governments to understand the consequence of their decisions.

It will always be a battle a day between those who want maximum change and those who want to maintain the status quo.

The unionists also for their part, want to minimise the potential for change, not only on the equality agenda but on the issues of sovereignty and ending the union.