Mary Lou McDonald made the feedback on the finish of her first party convention as president of Sinn Féin
Brexit negotiations can't be allowed to progress to the following stage until the difficulty of the Irish border is resolved, Mary Lou McDonald has mentioned.
Ms McDonald made the feedback on the finish of her first party convention as president of Sinn Féin.
The UK and EU don't need a laborious border however are at odds over easy methods to obtain that.
Ms McDonald described the upcoming EU summit later this month as "crunch time" for the British authorities.
"If they don't have a credible, acceptable proposal, if they cannot demonstrate how they will avoid a hard border, protect the Good Friday Agreement and citizens' rights then the Irish government must call them out," she mentioned.
"There might be no query of progressing to the following section of those negotiations within the absence of an reply to the Irish query.
"This is one test that our government cannot flunk."
Last month, the Brexit Secretary David Davis performed down the prospect of a breakthrough on the Irish border by the EU summit on 28-29 June.
About three,000 delegates attended the Sinn Féin ard fheis (party convention) on the Waterfront Hall in Belfast this weekend.
On Friday, the party's Stormont chief Michelle O'Neill launched an assault on the DUP, claiming the party was dwelling "in a fool's paradise" and ignoring the pursuits of individuals in Northern Ireland.
In her presidential tackle, Ms McDonald additionally criticised the DUP.
Analysis: By Jayne McCormack BBC News NI Politics Reporter
As far as party conferences go, this was one thing of a dwelling run for Mary Lou McDonald.
She has cemented Sinn Féin as her party now, and the three,000 delegates within the viewers appeared to agree.
Her first chief's speech at an ard fheis was interrupted at numerous factors with rounds of applause.
Her speech talked about the large points like Brexit and the stalemate at Stormontnevertheless it additionally centered on Sinn Féin's bid to get into authorities in Dublintouching quite a few coverage bases comparable to housing, healthcare and schooling.
"To those who are on an agenda to exclude us, I invite them to wake up and smell the coffee," she mentioned.
She additionally paid tribute to her predecessor Gerry Adams.
But with Ms McDonald and Michelle O'Neill now main the cost for Sinn Féin, it is maybe becoming that the party's convention performed out with "sisters are doing it for themselves" blasting from the audio system.
'Political video games'
She mentioned the party "remain in a fixed, negative space", however that Sinn Féin remains to be dedicated to the restoration of power-sharing at Stormont.
Northern Ireland has been with out a authorities for the reason that DUP- Sinn Féin coalition collapsed in January 2017.
"A power-sharing executive and assembly in the north is still the right thingand we are up for that," Ms McDonald mentioned.
However, with out a return to Stormont within the close to future, Ms McDonald reiterated her name for London and Dublin to reconvene the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference "without further delay".
"People in the north cannot wait while the DUP play political games and go into hiding," she added.
Ms McDonald additionally addressed hypothesis concerning the prospect of Sinn Féin coming into authorities within the Republic of Ireland sooner or later.
She advised delegates she needs to steer Sinn Fein "into a progressive government in the south".
"After the next election, Sinn Féin will talk to all political parties and the independents," she mentioned.
"It will not be for Leo Varadkar (Irish prime minister) or Micheál Martin (the chief of Fianna Fail) to determine whether or not or not we enter authorities.
"That decision will be made in the first instance by the people."