Police Ombudsman Al Hutchinson is to speak at a Sinn Féin conference in Dublin this weekend on the subject of community safety and policing.
This will be the first time that such a senior policing figure will attend a Sinn Féin conference since republicans signed up to the Policing Board and district policing partnerships.
Mr Hutchinson will take part in a section of the conference on policing alongside TDs Aengus O Snodaigh and Martin Ferris and assembly member Alex Maskey.
Mr Hutchinson, previously police oversight commissioner, took over as ombudsman from Nuala O'Loan last month.
The weekend conference is entitled 'Engaging Modern Ireland'.
Themes on the conference agenda include economic development, community safety and policing, climate change and 'new Irish communities'.
There will be a keynote address from party president Gerry Adams.
