The DUP leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, has said the Government's desire to hold a referendum on citizenship is a "breach" of the Belfast Agreement and further evidence that it is dead.
Dr Paisley said the move was a unilateral change and showed the agreement could be further amended as demanded by unionists. "Anyone who argued that the Belfast Agreement could not be changed has clearly been proven wrong by the actions of the Dublin Government," he said. "In holding a referendum to amend Articles 2 and 3 of the Irish Constitution the Irish Government are unilaterally amending the 1998 agreement."
He continued: "In November the unionist people voted for a new agreement. The referendum in the Republic of Ireland in June proves that the agreement is not set in stone and that change is inevitable.
"Unionists have demanded a new agreement to replace the failed Belfast Agreement and our published proposals in respect of Strands 1, 2 and 3 show what form a new agreement must take to satisfy the unionist people." The Dublin Government had fundamentally breached the Belfast Agreement by not consulting over the proposed changes. "This only further serves to highlight that the Belfast Agreement is dead, he said.
"Now that the Dublin Government have put in place the mechanisms to bring about their amendments to the agreement they should not be surprised that unionists intend to ensure the present talks are able to bring about a new agreement."