Minister for Social Development Margaret Ritchie has confirmed her decision to withdraw £1.2 million (€1.7 million) funding for a loyalist conflict transformation initiative designed to encourage arms decommissioning by the UDA.
The Minister made her anticipated announcement in a statement to the Assembly that provoked extraordinary scenes and the suspension of the sitting by the Speaker.
Following serious violence last summer, including the shooting of a PSNI officer, the Minister had given the UDA 60 days to engage "meaningfully" with Gen John de Chastelain's decommissioning body and to begin putting weapons beyond use. This deadline passed last week without the progress deemed necessary by her department.
In her statement she said she believed the policy of supporting the loyalist initiative, announced by former northern secretary Peter Hain last March, was flawed from the start.
"It has been my hope that our new administration would adopt a significantly different approach from the direct rule administration by ensuring that the integrity of our institutions was safeguarded, and that it would recognise the supremacy of law and order.
"The UDA's fractious nature means, at this time, the organisation is unable to meet the objectives of the conflict transformation initiative . . . and I propose to end it immediately," she said.
But she then stunned the House with her claim that there had been "a sustained campaign of briefing against me and attempts to destabilise those around me".
"In the end," she concluded, "I know in my heart, over and above the complexities of assessing the conflict transformation initiative, that the decision I have taken is right." That prompted Finance Minister Peter Robinson to allege that she had ignored legal advice, could be acting "beyond her legal powers" and was in breach of the ministerial code.
Speaker William Hay then called the adjournment while seeking legal advice on whether Assembly standing orders had been breached.
Outside the chamber, DUP sources insisted Ms Ritchie had acted against departmental legal advice supplied by the Executive's legal services and had also gone against Executive advice.
Ms Ritchie denied this, saying she had shared advice on ending the contract with Farset, which administered the conflict transformation initiative money, with the First Minister, Deputy First Minister and the Minister of Finance. She stressed she had no argument with Farset.
The dispute between SDLP and DUP members continued when the session resumed, giving clear evidence of the split between the parties and setting the scene for what could be a fractious meeting of the Executive at Stormont tomorrow.
Ms Ritchie received support from the Alliance Party and qualified backing from the Ulster Unionists.
Sinn Féin Assembly group leader John O'Dowd welcomed what he called "the clarification from Margaret Ritchie that there will be no funding for the UDA".