NI Assembly back after suspension

All eyes on where the Union Flag is flown

Business has resumed at the Northern Ireland Assembly which is meeting for the first time since suspension in February.

Its rebirth comes amid a row over policing and the flags issue.

The order of business on Monday includes a motion by the Democratic Unionist Party that the Union Flag should fly from government buildings on designated days.

The party has tabled a motion to compel Sinn Fein ministers, Martin McGuinness and Bairbre de Brun to fly the Union Flag from their departmental headquarters on those days.

Mr McGuinness, who is the Northern Ireland education minister, and Ms De Brun, who is health minister, angered unionists on Friday by ordering their civil servants not to fly the flag as part of the Coronation Day celebrations.

Ian Paisley: "Issue strikes at heart of unionist heritage"

The DUP leader, Ian Paisley, who has tabled the motion with party colleague and social development minister Nigel Dodds, branded Sinn Fein's actions "a disgrace".

The North Antrim MP said: "We are taking this action in the Assembly to reinforce the fact that the Union Flag is the national flag and should be flying as of right."

Mr Paisley told a press conference at Stormont that the issue of flags might not arise until Tuesday.

"Because the first minister has disappeared with one of the ministers responsible for pulling down the flag to Downing Street - so Mr Trimble has run away again from the issue," he said.

Mr Paisley was referring to the fact that the Ulster Unionist leader, and Ms de Brun, are meeting the prime minister at Downing Street to discuss the modernisation of the NHS.

'Opportunity to make it work'

Meanwhile, as he arrived at Stormont, Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said the first meeting of the assembly marked "another effort to make these institutions work".

"There has been three months lost in which a lot of valuable work could have been done," he said.

"It (the assembly) should never have been collapsed, but that's behind us and we see this, very much, as an opportunity to make it work.

"All sensible people will want to see these institutions functioning, not just around the big emotive issues, but also on the crucially important issues which can affect people's lives."

Earlier, Deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon said he believed the flags issue could be resolved.

Speaking on Monday on BBC Radio Ulster, Mr Mallon said: "The maturity of the political process is its capability to deal with all of these problems.

"We're not going to be able to come to a conclusion about it by shouting at each other.

"It can only be done by quiet, steady work within the executive, and indeed, quiet, steady work among people outside the executive and within the assembly."

But the minister for social development, Nigel Dodds, said his party wanted a properly structured debate on the flags issue.

He said: "We have tabled a motion in the assembly, the proper democratic forum, in which to sort these issues out, let's us have a debate, let's have a discussion, let's have a decision."

"Now, what could be fairer than that?"

'Mutual respect'

Ulster Unionist minister Michael McGimpsey has criticised his Sinn Fein cabinet colleagues' action.

However, Mr McGuinness argued on Friday his party was arguing for mutual respect for both traditions' flags.

He said: "If the Irish Tricolour could not be flown alongside the Union Flag, there should be no flag flown at all.

Martin McGuinness: Asked officials not to fly Union Flag

Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson has signalled that he may have to exercise the special power at his disposal to rule on the flags issue if the power sharing cabinet cannot reach agreement.

However, he was criticised by Mr Paisley, who claimed it should not be "in Mr Mandelson's gift" to decide whether the Union Flag should fly from public buildings or not.

Mr Paisley said: "Most unionists don't want to fly the flag of their country just because Peter Mandelson says so. It should be flying as of right."

"It's all right for him to say it will be the Secretary of State's call. He may not be Secretary of State for long and may be back in London soon. He may not have to take the decision."

MLAs were also set to debate the funding available to the Assembly under an Appropriation Bill proposed by Finance Minister, Mark Durkan.

The first stage of bills on ground rents, the destruction of dogs and weights and measures will also be considered.