Sinn Féin says the next Irish government will have a minister for reunification if it’s part of the administration.

Addressing the annual Sinn Féin ard fheis (annual conference) in Athlone on Saturday evening, party leader Mary Lou McDonald told delegates “Be in no doubt – unity referendums are coming”.

“It’s time to plan and prepare,” she told party members.

“That means a green paper on Irish unity, a citizens assembly, a minister for reunification at the Department of An Taoiseach, a new government with a clear-cut commitment to holding referendums.”

The Sinn Féin leader also praised the restoration of the executive at Stormont but warned that the power-sharing administration needs more funding.

“The British government must now act to fund services, infrastructure, and progress,” she said.

“Casement Park must be delivered.”

Ahead of an impending Irish general election, Sinn Féin has faced questions about its position on immigration during recent controversies around an increasing number of immigrants arriving in the Republic of Ireland.

McDonald told party delegates that accommodation problems must not be imposed on communities.

“Community, fairness, and common sense must be at the heart of how we manage immigration. IPAS (international protection accommodation services) centres must not be located in working class communities struggling to survive. That’s not reasonable or fair,” she added.

The Sinn Féin ard fheis is being held in an indoor athletics arena here at the Technological University of the Shannon in Athlone.

The ard fheis space in this impressive sporting arena is surrounded by a world class running track.

However, any cheering around the running track this weekend is not for personal bests, rather for a party gearing up for an impending general election in the Republic.

The election campaign will provide Sinn Féin with the prospect of being in the next Irish government.

But, after some faltering results in opinion polls on this side of the border recently, and what one TD described on Saturday as a “setback” in recent European and local elections, the party is aware of the scale of the challenge ahead.

Here, surrounded by running lanes as she rallied the membership ahead of the general election, the party leader Mary Lou McDonald would have known that if a place in government is to become a reality, Sinn Féin cannot afford to be running to stand still.

On Friday, Sinn Féin vice-president and Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill told delegates at the conference that the “jury is still out” on the new UK government.

It is Sinn Féin’s first conference since O’Neill became first minister of the Northern Ireland Executive – the first Irish nationalist to hold the role.

Calling for a further devolution of powers to Stormont, she said the first actions of the new Labour government had been more “broken promises”.