Sinn Féin minister Martin McGuinness tonight faced an attempt by hard-line Unionists in the Northern Ireland Assembly to have him removed from office.
Members of the Rev Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionists succeeded in persuading other parties in the Assembly to debate next week a motion of no confidence in the Stormont Education Minister following his admission to the Bloody Sunday Inquiry that he was a member of the IRA at the time of the Army killings.
The Democratic Unionist Party's Nigel Dodds claimed if the motion of no confidence is passed next Tuesday, his party would seek to have an exclusion motion expelling Mr McGuinness from the province's power-sharing executive.
However, Sinn Féin dismissed the move as a "stunt", with party president Gerry Adams claiming: "I do not think that is a news story.
"The news story would be if the DUP put forward a vote of confidence in the Minister for Education which, of course, he is very worthy of."
The Democratic Unionists succeeded in persuading the Ulster Unionists, Progressive Unionists and cross community Alliance Party to vote in favour of a debate of no confidence in the minister at a meeting of the Stormont Assembly's business committee today.
Mr Dodds said they were taking action against Mr McGuinness on the grounds that he was not fit to serve as the Minister for Education and had admitted that he was second in command in the IRA in Derry at the time of the Bloody Sunday killings in January 1972.
Mr McGuinness is understood to have admitted his role in a statement faxed to the inquiry in Derry on Monday.
The Sinn Féin minister's statement also contained confirmation that the IRA in Derry met after the Bloody Sunday killings to consider its response.
Sinn Féin sources claimed Mr McGuinness would tell the inquiry that the IRA decided not to retaliate because they believed the British Army was trying to draw them into a trap.
The party also revealed Mr McGuinness would not identify others who were members of the IRA at that time nor would he confirm in the witness box if a person was a member of the paramilitary group if it was written down and shown to him during his testimony to the inquiry.
Mr Dodds claimed tonight the debate would provide a "test" for David Trimble and his Ulster Unionist Party about his attitude to serving in government alongside Mr McGuinness.
"I am pleased the DUP has been successful in securing this debate, given the public concern out there that someone who is a self-confessed terrorist is serving in the government of Northern Ireland."
The onus was on David Trimble and his colleagues to "stand beside their fellow Unionists in the Assembly instead of making statements welcoming Martin McGuinness's confession to the Bloody Sunday Inquiry".
"In fact, the acid test on David Trimble and his party will be, if the motion of no confidence is passed, will he join with us and table an exclusion motion to force Mr McGuinness out of office?"
Sinn Féin was tonight considering its response in the Assembly to the DUP motion. It is believed the party will seek signatures from members of the nationalist SDLP for a petition which would force a cross community vote making it impossible for the motion of no confidence to succeed.
PA