Party President Gerry Adams, Chairperson Mitchel McLaughlin, Caoimghin Ó'Caoláin TD and Mary Lou McDonald, welcomed the delegation and congratulated Labour leader Pat Rabbitte and deputy leader Liz McManus on their new posts. Brendan Howlin TD and special advisor Fergus Finlay, accompanied the new leadership to Belfast.

The parties discussed a range of matters, with emphasis on key issues of demilitarisation, policing, equality and human rights. Sinn Féin also raised the ongoing violence of unionist paramilitaries and explained the combined effect that failure to implement the Agreement, lack of commitment to the Agreement by the unionist parties, and unionist violence, has on republican opinion and room to manoeuvre.

The Labour Party's support on issues such as the workings of Leinster House, Northern representation and voting rights in Presidential elections for Irish citizens in the Six Counties was also sought. It was pointed out that the benefits of co-operation and pressure from Sinn Féin and Labour in Leinster House would also be very strong when applied to social and economic issues as well as all areas of the Peace Process.

The possibility of future Labour Party delegations visiting interface areas of Belfast and elsewhere to experience at first hand the reality of living in a sectarian state was put by the Sinn Féin representatives.

There was agreement that the meeting was a useful and positive encounter and that contact would be maintained to explore issues of mutual concern and benefit.

Commenting on reports from the meeting, Cllr John Dwyer of Wexford Sinn Féin, said: "This meeting is to be welcomed in light of the urgent need for all pro-Agreement parties on the island to work together to bring an end to the current political crisis and to save the Good Friday Agreement. The Agreement belongs to all the people of this island and all parties share a responsibility to actively pursue its full implementation.

"We also welcome recent statements that Fianna Fáil is to consider organising on an all-Ireland basis.

At present Sinn Féin is the only party organised on an all-Ireland basis. We would welcome all parties, organising across the entire country. This is a natural out working of the Good Friday Agreement and the peace process.

“As we move towards the re-unification of Ireland there will be a major re-alignment of politics on the island. We have already seen that process begin with the transformation in make up of the opposition in Leinster House and with the massive increase in Sinn Féin’s electoral strength in constituencies across the island."