The North's Minister for Education, Mr Martin McGuinness, is still a member of the IRA's ruling army council, the DUP deputy leader, Mr Peter Robinson, claimed in the Northern Ireland Assembly yesterday during debate on a motion of no confidence in Mr McGuinness.
The motion was defeated by 45 votes to 31.
Following a submission to the Saville inquiry, in which Mr McGuinness admitted that he was the IRA's second-in-command in Derry at the time of Bloody Sunday in 1972, Mr Robinson moved the motion of no confidence.
Mr Robinson claimed Mr McGuinness was the IRA's chief of staff from 1978 to 1982. "During that period alone the IRA under his command murdered 327 people. He has since then remained one of the seven members of the IRA's army council." Mr Danny Kennedy, of the UUP, said the key question was whether the Minister was "still a member of the IRA".
Replying to the motion on the Minister's behalf, the Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, said Mr McGuinness was on record as saying he had left the IRA.
Mr Adams accused the DUP leader of fomenting sectarian violence over three decades but told him: "I forgive you."
Prof Monica McWilliams, of the Women's Coalition, condemned the accusations made by both sides in the debate and said there was "no monopoly of blame in this chamber nor any monopoly of shame".
Mr Alban Maginness, of the SDLP, said the debate was an "attack on the Good Friday agreement" and not, in reality, about Mr McGuinness at all.