The British Government last night secured emergency powers to ensure that the Union flag must be flown over designated government and public buildings in Northern Ireland on 17 days of the year.
The legislation will go to the Privy Council for consideration and will come into force on November 11th. The two Sinn Fein Ministers in the Executive, Mr Martin McGuinness and Ms Bairbre de Brun, have opposed the flying of the Union flag over government buildings.
