The greatest strategic challenge facing Sinn Féin is the advancement of the peace process and ensuring that the Belfast Agreement is implemented in full.
In his keynote speech to party delegates in Dublin this afternoon, Gerry Adams said there was no possible excuse for the British and Irish governments not to "fully and faithfully" implement the Agreement and warned that history would not be kind to any government that put its party political considerations above the peace process.
Mr Adams said he had huge reservations about how the two governments were approaching the current phase of talks. He insisted that the main objective must be to end the suspension of the political institutions and deliver on the outstanding aspects of the Agreement, including the "deeply problematic issue of policing in the North".
Another major challenge facing the party was its relationship with unionism, Mr Adams said. He added that there were many good people within unionism who have worked with Sinn Féin in committees and at councils. But he also directed a question at DUP leader Rev Ian Paisley and asked: "Are you ready to begin the process of building a shared future?"
Mr Adams warned that change would continue and that regardless of the disposition of the DUP, republicans have to engage with unionist communities. "We now must deepen our engagement, our understanding of unionism if we are to have partners in conflict resolution."
The party president also said that Sinn Fein was capable of building a fair and equal society in tandem with a successful economy and that people should have easy access to a home, a fair wage, a good education, affordable childcare and a well-run health system.
He said the party was committed to ending the two-tier health system and said that no one should have to languish on a hospital trolley in a corridor in the era of the Celtic Tiger.
Mr Adams told delegates that between now and the next ArdFheis they had a lot of work to do to prepare for elections, both north and south. "Our objective is an All-Ireland parliament for all the people of Ireland."
He criticised the Taoiseach for reneging on his commitment to proceed with northern representation in the Oireachtas. Mr Adams said if the party has a mandate and if it can secure an inter-party government and a programme for government which is consistent with its republican objectives, "we will look at being in government in the south.
"Our sole purpose of going into government is to bring about the maximum amount of change."