Appeals to the IRA to begin decommissioning arms in order to save the North's political institutions from collapse were made in the chamber.
Responding to the North's former first minister, Mr David Trimble, the acting Deputy First Minister, Mr Seamus Mallon, said the issue of IRA weapons needed to be dealt with once and for all.
Mr Mallon called on all paramilitary groups to "engage intensively" with Gen John de Chastelain's decommissioning body without delay.
"It was deeply unhelpful that the latest IICD report, which reflected progress in respect of IRA weaponry, has been overtaken by the subsequent withdrawal by that group from contact with the IICD," he added.
Mr Trimble (UUP, Upper Bann) said if the IRA's "obligations" were not discharged they would place the continuing operation of the Assembly in peril.
"The British government and the Irish Government both made it absolutely clear to the republicans that what was needed now was the actual fulfilment of their obligations - the commencement of actual decommissioning - and that the engagement with the IICD, welcome though they are, would not by themselves be sufficient," he said.
Mr John Dallat (SDLP, East Londonderry) asked Mr Mallon if he would urge the IRA to reinstate its August offer of a scheme to put arms beyond use.
"I have no reservation or hesitation when asking the IRA to deal with this issue in a way which will allow for the full potential of the Good Friday agreement to be realised in political terms," said Mr Mallon.
The DUP leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, said Mr Trimble had previously "hedged" the question on IRA arms when faced with the issue as First Minister, but was now himself asking the same question.