Sinn FΘin's Mr Martin McGuinness has rejected reports that he has taken over as Chief of Staff of the IRA.
According to the reports in The Observer and in Saturday's Daily Telegraph, Mr McGuinness was elected to the most senior post in the IRA at a meeting of its army council on September 27th.
The same reports quote a number of sources approving of the move as a sign that those within the IRA who believe the time has come to decommission some weapons are in the ascendant.
Mr McGuinness has already admitted he was in the IRA at the time of Bloody Sunday in 1972 but has consistently denied he is still a member.
In a statement yesterday, he said the reports of his alleged election were "totally bogus, malicious rubbish".
"It is no coincidence that these stories from the same journalists and quoting the same sources surface every time there is a crisis in the political process," said Mr McGuinness.
He said it was obvious "that the timing of these reports are designed to give cover and credence" to the motion put before the Assembly today by Mr Trimble to exclude Sinn FΘin from the Executive.
"I have no doubt that this non-story has been released by the usual securocrats who have never missed an opportunity to undermine the Irish peace process and try to bolster the wrecking tactics deployed politically by David Trimble," Mr McGuinness said, adding that this in turn "manifests itself through violent unionism on the streets in the guise of the UDA".
British government sources were also dismissive of the reports saying they "attached no credibility to the claims", but unionists from both the UUP and DUP said they would be raising the matter during today's debate.
Mr Ian Paisley junior, of the DUP, said he could see absolutely nothing positive in the reports. "If anything that is an argument to ensure he is definitely put out of government," he said.
"It is a very worrying sign, here you have someone who now has control by day and by night of the army, the Provisionals, and by day is a government minister in Northern Ireland."
An Ulster Unionist spokesman said: "It's certainly not the first time that Mr McGuinness has been alleged to be the Chief of Staff. Clearly now Mr McGuinness needs to categorically state if he is the Chief of Staff of the IRA and if so what are the IRA going to do about decommissioning?"
Referring to comments made by Mr McGuinness in a television interview last week, the spokesman said "Mr McGuinness tells us that he would very much like to see decommissioning, Mr McGuinness tells us that it couldn't happen soon enough.
If he is the Chief of Staff then clearly he has a very important role to play and it is clearly down to him to ensure that the IRA honour their word."