Sinn Féin MPs will be offered office space at Westminster before Christmas, it emerged today.
The party, which refuses to take its four seats in the Commons, has been denied access to parliamentary facilities because it refuses to swear an oath of allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II.
But British government sources today confirmed that a proposal to change this is set to be tabled in the House in days. "There's no point pretending it's not going to happen," one said.
Sinn Féin said the move was long overdue, but unionists and Conservatives reacted with anger.
Ms Michelle Gildernew, who won the Fermanagh and South Tyrone seat at the last General Election, insisted that she was entitled to use research facilities along with her party colleagues, Mr Gerry Adams, Mr Martin McGuinness and Mr Pat Doherty. "We still provide a service to our constituents," she told BBC Radio Ulster.
"That service should not be denied on the basis that we do not take an oath to the British queen. "I, as an Irish Republican will never do that".
Former shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Andrew Mackay, who has long opposed Sinn Féin MPs being given facilities at Westminster, said: "There is no good reason to allow Sinn Féin members office accommodation and expenses unless they take their seats.
"It is a weak excuse that they won't swear the oath when other nationalists such as Plaid Cymru, the SNP and the SDLP are all able to do so.
"I'm afraid this is another concession to the men of violence by the government at a time when the Provisional IRA have decommissioned very few of their illegally-held arms.
PA