19 October 2007
Northern Ireland's Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie has been accused of a breach of the ministerial code by Finance Minister Peter Robinson in a row that pushes the Executive into its most serious crisis since devolution was restored in May.
Ritchie, the sole minister from the Social Democratic and Labour Party, has withdrawn funding from the Conflict Transformation Initiative — a project aiming to move paramilitary loyalists away from violence.
The decision was made after the Ulster Defence Association failed to meet a deadline to begin decommissioning its weapons.
But Robinson, a member of the Democratic Unionist Party, claimed that Ritchie behaved improperly in taking the decision without it being agreed by the Executive.
He added that the decision was not consistent with the advice offered by the Departmental Solicitor's Office and senior Crown counsel. 'I believe her decision is also a breach of the ministerial code and the Pledge of Office.'
Explaining her decision, Ritchie said: 'From the outset there was considerable concern expressed across the entire spectrum of political opinion about the rationale behind this project, its proximity to an illegal terrorist organisation, as well as its monitoring, evaluation and fairness.'
The Executive is to meet to try to resolve the dispute.
PFoct2007
