By Conor Sharkey

ONE year on from a return to a devolved government, the Sinn Fein leadership arrived in Strabane to outline progress since accepting the North's policing institutions and lay out their blueprint for the future.

Some 150 people turned up to Fountain Street Community Centre to quiz Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams and his committee of Martina Anderson MLA, Bairbre de Brun MEP, Gerry Kelly MLA, Pat Doherty MP, Claire McGill MLA and Senator Pearse Doherty.

Following Sinn Fein's decision last January to accept the North's policing institutions, Gerry Adams vowed to visit towns across the North to gauge public reaction to the direction his party has taken.

Mr Adams and his panel turned up on Sunday evening to be quizzed on a range of issues, including local employment, community volunteers and the thorny issue of District Policing Partnerships.

Despite the expectancy of dissent from some disillusioned republicans, only very minor criticism was levelled at the Sinn Fein leadership.

Opening the meeting, Mr Adams assured the audience that Sinn Fein's goal was as it always has been, "to end British jurisdiction and partition".

But, he added, this goal could only be done by "a process of positive change" which first and foremost involved convincing Unionists that a united Ireland would be the best scenario for everyone on this Island.

Mr Adams said that gone are the days when unionists were classed as the top dogs. Today, he said, those at the grassroots of unionism realise the benefits of All-Ireland institutions and the majority no longer see rule from Britain as the best way forward.

Following his address, the meeting was opened to the floor and first to take the microphone was Fountain Street Centre Manager Teresa Stewart. She urged the Sinn Fein leadership to help them deliver services and give community groups added direction.

MP Pat Doherty told Mrs Stewart: "Volunteers and community groups are at the core of what we do and we will continue to lobby for increased funding and continue to interact with community groups like Fountain Street. They really are at the core of what Sinn Fein do," he said.

The controversial issue of Sinn Fein sitting on the North's DPP's was never far from the surface and first to raise it was local gaelgeoir, Sean Mor O Daimhin.

Asked why only three of the five seats allocated to Strabane DPP had been filled, Mr Adams said he was disappointed that that had been the case, but the policing issue was "different for everyone".

He added: "It is a change of tact for us, but we have a duty to communities who have never had proper policing. Whether we get that or not is another issue, but what we can't be doing is simply stepping back from it. As a party, we have always kept moving forward and that is what we are doing now."

Several questions on issues such as anti-social behaviour and the lack of leisure facilities for young people in the Strabane area were also raised on what turned out to be largely an evening of agreement and assurance.

The only voice to lambast the direction Sinn Fein has taken mainstream republicanism in recent years was that of Bridge End man Michael O'Kane who accused the party of "selling out" by "backing the forces of occupation".

An animated Mr O'Kane said: "Pat Doherty told me there would be no decommissioning, but there was, because Ian Paisley said there had to be. Paisley said he wanted the war ended, but my war isn't over.

"Until the British are got out, my war isn't over. I joined Sinn Fein in 1948 and I have been a republican all my life. But you sold out when you sat down with the British forces of occupation."

Dismissing Mr O'Kane's comments Gerry Kelly told him: "If you are against our strategy, that is fine. I am happy where I am and we will agree to disagree. We have to move on and it is about winning with the strategy we have set out for ourselves."

Following several other representations, Mr Adams brought the evening to a close by urging people to continue to support his party.

Continued support is vital, Mr Adams said, and that while realised some people had difficulties with Sinn Fein decisions in recent times, "it is important that we continue to move forward, forward, because you can't move forward by going backward".