O’Neill expected to be sole nominee for Sinn Féin vice-presidency

Sinn Féin’s leader in the North Michelle O’Neill is expected to be the sole nominee for the position of vice-president of the party.

Nominations for the position will close on Monday after seven days. Ms O’Neill is the only person to have confirmed their candidacy.

Her expected appointment as deputy leader will be ratified at a special ardfheis on February 10th. The conference will also confirm Dublin Central TD Mary Lou McDonald as president of the party.

Ms O'Neill, a Mid-Ulster MLA, is the party's leader in the North, and has served as minister for health and agriculture in Stormont.

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Sinn Féin is to participate in negotiations this week to resolve the impasse over the Northern Ireland executive.

Just over a year since Stormont collapsed, the Irish and British governments and the Northern Ireland parties, primarily the DUP and Sinn Féin, have been trying to resolve disputed issues such as Irish language and same-sex marriage legislation, a bill of rights and inquests into killings during the Troubles.

The new Northern Secretary Karen Bradley has said while she hoped to update the House of Commons on what progress was achieved on February 7th, that date was a "milestone" rather than a "deadline".