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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Stormont crisis: NI Assembly to debate DUP's 'in-out' ministers | Stormont crisis: NI Assembly to debate DUP's 'in-out' ministers |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) policy of pulling its ministers in and out of the Northern Ireland Executive is to be debated at Stormont later. | |
| Last month, DUP leader Peter Robinson stepped aside as first minister and took all but one of his party's ministers out of the executive. | Last month, DUP leader Peter Robinson stepped aside as first minister and took all but one of his party's ministers out of the executive. |
| Since then, ministers have repeatedly resigned and been reappointed due to a row over the status of the IRA. | Since then, ministers have repeatedly resigned and been reappointed due to a row over the status of the IRA. |
| The Alliance Party has called a debate on whether that is damaging Stormont. | The Alliance Party has called a debate on whether that is damaging Stormont. |
| 'Detrimental' | 'Detrimental' |
| The party has asked the Northern Ireland Assembly to note that some DUP ministers have "resigned and resumed office more than 20 times since 10 September 2015". | The party has asked the Northern Ireland Assembly to note that some DUP ministers have "resigned and resumed office more than 20 times since 10 September 2015". |
| Alliance has asked MLAs to vote on whether the "practice of rolling resignations has had a significant and detrimental effect on the governance of Northern Ireland and on the public's faith in the political institutions". | Alliance has asked MLAs to vote on whether the "practice of rolling resignations has had a significant and detrimental effect on the governance of Northern Ireland and on the public's faith in the political institutions". |
| The motion has been proposed by Alliance MLAs Stewart Dickson, Chris Lyttle and Trevor Lunn. | |
| The DUP introduced its resignations policy five-and-a-half weeks ago as a form of protest after police said some IRA members had been involved in the murder of Kevin McGuigan Sr. | |
| Mr McGuigan Sr, a former IRA man, was shot dead near his east Belfast home in August. | |
| 'Messy' | 'Messy' |
| The DUP said that because of Sinn Féin's links to the IRA it could not do "business as usual" at Stormont until the issue of paramilitary activity was addressed. | The DUP said that because of Sinn Féin's links to the IRA it could not do "business as usual" at Stormont until the issue of paramilitary activity was addressed. |
| Speaking to BBC Northern Ireland's Sunday Politics programme, DUP MLA Peter Weir conceded that the resignations policy was "clearly seen as being messy". | Speaking to BBC Northern Ireland's Sunday Politics programme, DUP MLA Peter Weir conceded that the resignations policy was "clearly seen as being messy". |
| But he added: "We're more interested in achieving an outcome rather than in the process. | But he added: "We're more interested in achieving an outcome rather than in the process. |
| "Let's remember why we are here. | "Let's remember why we are here. |
| "We're here because there was a man murdered on the streets and the chief constable indicated that the murder was carried out by individuals who are connected up with an organisation [the IRA] which was connected up with a party in government [Sinn Féin]." | "We're here because there was a man murdered on the streets and the chief constable indicated that the murder was carried out by individuals who are connected up with an organisation [the IRA] which was connected up with a party in government [Sinn Féin]." |
| Sinn Féin has repeatedly condemned the murder of Mr McGuigan Sr and said the IRA no longer exists. |