Sinn Féin, while negotiating a possible political deal at Leeds Castle in Kent, also demanded that British Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair explain why British intelligence allegedly planted a bugging device in party offices.
At a crowded gathering of the media and ahead of the first talks yesterday, Sinn Féin president Mr Gerry Adams produced the 5ft 3in bugging device which was uncovered at his party's offices in west Belfast on Monday evening.
He described it as "an offering to the mighty God of British intelligence".
Sinn Féin chairman Mitchel McLaughlin confirmed the device had been handed over to the British premier, who said "he would get back to us" with an explanation.
The issue was also raised when the SDLP met Mr Blair yesterday. According to one senior party source, Mr Blair told them: "If that is the level of sophistication of the equipment used by my intelligence service, then I will have to ask my Chancellor to give them more money."
On the negotiations, Mr Adams said his party was anxious to complete a deal that would see the Belfast Agreement fully implemented. "We want to do business with Ian Paisley. We would be quite pleased to vote for Ian Paisley as First Minister, but in the context of the Good Friday Agreement," he said.
Mr Adams said he wanted to see the matter resolved over the coming days "in discussion with the two governments and the other parties". The Sinn Féin leader said he would not countenance any DUP "hollowing out" of the agreement but would accept sensible modifications of it. "If there are changes to be made which would bring about a better delivery of the agreement, well then we wouldn't be opposed to that. But we obviously have to have some period where we can see the bona fides of the DUP."
Asked what he could offer DUP leader Ian Paisley to persuade him to do a deal with Sinn Féin, Mr Adams replied: "We can offer him, as he can offer us, for the first time in his lifetime probably, and certainly in my lifetime, a future in which both sections of our people can go forward on the basis of equality, and that our rights and our entitlements and our sense of culture, our other senses of identity, can be looked after."
SDLP leader Mr Mark Durkan said that politicians "for the umpteenth time" were trying to resolve issues that should have been long sorted out. "It really is make-your-mind-up time for parties and for paramilitary groups," he said. Issues must be sorted, he argued, in a way that allows people to move forward "on a positive and sure and progressive basis".
