Northern Ireland could still have a Sinn Fein Policing and Justice Minister in the future, party leader Gerry Adams insisted last night.

The West Belfast MP said an agreement struck between his party and the DUP that neither of them would take on the new executive department when security powers are devolved to Stormont was not permanent.

He said the deal announced this week represented a sensible way of allaying unionist and republican concerns that the other would be given the responsibility.

However, he said his party would reserve the right to take the ministry at a future date.

“The term used in the letter (outlining the agreement) is ‘initially’ and certainly there’s absolutely no reason — if Sinn Fein have the mandate — why, leaving aside this arrangement, that as a principle we have the entitlement, if we have the mandate, to any departmental responsibility,” he said.

“What we were trying to do in a sensible way was to deal with what are expressed as unionist concerns. There are also nationalist and republican concerns, I mean can you image a DUP justice minister?

“So there’s a trade-off here in a sensible way.”

Mr Adams was commenting in west Belfast at the launch of his party’s new ‘text to join’ initiative.