The momentous decision by Sinn Fein to support the policing and justice
services of Northern Ireland ie the Police
Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), the police
boards, police
ombudsman etc, and the court system — at a specially convened six - hour conference (the ard fheis) in Dublin,
on 28 January 2007, attended by 2,000 delegates, where 900 party members voted
on the motion — would appear to signal the possibility, if not probability, of the restoration of full devolutionary powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly (NIA) based at Stormont, Belfast.