Finucane inquiry would help secure closure, says Sinn Fein

Sinn Fein are prepared to "face up to the challenges" of tomorrow's talks but the creation of an independent inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane would have gone a long way to preparing the way for final "closure", the party's chairman has said.

Speaking ahead of flying out to Leeds Castle in Kent, Sinn Féin's Mitchel McLaughlin also told a Belfast press conference today that the party was "concerned" that the governments may be tempted to make "significant concessions to the DUP's anti-Agreement agenda".

However, despite their "very deep worries", Mr McLaughlin said that the party would do its best to find agreement.

"In June Gerry Adams set out the Sinn Féin objective for tomorrows talks at Leeds Castle; a comprehensive, holistic agreement which conclusively deals with all of the outstanding issues," he said.

"Sinn Fein has expressed privately and publicly our preparedness to face up to the challenges that this major undertaking presents. But the two governments and the DUP also need to face up to the challenges if we are to have a successful outcome."

For the talks to have any hope of success closure was needed, but the work that needed to be done has not been done, the Foyle MLA added.

(gmcg)