The Sinn Féin President says it is his intention to meet the families of victims of the IRA.

But it remains to be seen if the widow of one of the most high profile victims would take up the offer.

Mrs Ann McCabe - who's husband Jerry was slain by the provisional IRA in a botched post office raid in Limerick in 1996 - has already rejected an apology for the killing that Mr Adams made in January of this year.

Mr Adams' offer came in his keynote address to the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis in Mayo last night where he said that there needed to be a truth process.

"I am prepared to meet with victims’ families in this state if they believe this will be helpful and I intend to do this in the near future" he told delegates in Castlebar and watching TV.

"Irish republicans will not shirk from our obligations to those who died as a consequence of the conflict" he added.

The speech also saw Gerry Adams vow to fight the local property tax "tooth and nail".

"Sinn Féin is also opposed to the introduction of water charges and will resist any legislation to introduce them. The only way to restore our economy and rebuild society is to break with the self-serving politics of Fine Gael, Labour and Fianna Fáil" he said.

He also pleaded with the Labour party to quit the coalition.

"If Fine Gael is set on implementing Fianna Fáil policy then let them do that with the support of Fianna Fáil. Whatever the case for entry into coalition after the last election, there is now only one principled position for Labour....Stand by working people as Connolly and Larkin did. Leave this government and leave it now!" he said

Here Mr Adams launches a scathing attack on the coalition and Fianna Fáil: