Full power was devolved to the Executive on 2 December 1999.[2] This power was revoked by the Secretary of State on four separate occasions. The first was for a period of 3 months from 11 February 2000 – 30 May 2000 because of no arms decommissioning.[3] The next two times were for periods of 24 hours on 10 August 2001 to help deal with arms negotiations[4] and 21 September 2001 following the Holy Cross dispute.[5] The final suspension came on 14 October 2002 after the Stormontgate controversy surrounding an alleged Provisional Irish Republican Army spy ring based in Stormont.[6]
^McKittrick, David (19 December 1998). "First Ulster terrorists hand in guns". The Independent. Retrieved 4 February 2024. He was, however, accused of selling out by the Rev Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party, which said yesterday's agreement would pave the way for Sinn Fein to take its seats in a new executive without IRA arms decommissioning.
^"Devolved government gets down to business". The Guardian. 2 December 1999. ISSN0261-3077. Retrieved 4 February 2024. The move came after a day of carefully choreographed events in Belfast and Dublin bringing devolution to the province and altering the relationship between Northern Ireland, the Irish Republic and Britain.
^"Assembly was suspended four times in rows over IRA". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. 10 September 2015. ISSN0307-1235. Retrieved 4 February 2024. February 2000 - Secretary of State Peter Mandelson suspends the Assembly after the UUP/SDLP led Executive fails to strike a deal on IRA decommissioning. The institutions are restored in May after the IRA pledges to "completely and verifiably" put its arsenal beyond use.
^ ab"Ulster's perilous stand-off". The Economist. The Economist Group Limited (published 11 July 1998). 9 July 1998. ISSN0013-0613. Retrieved 4 February 2024. David Trimble, the leader of the largest Protestant unionist party, is first minister and has Seamus Mallon, a Catholic nationalist, as his deputy.
^ abcdefghij"A brief history of Stormont suspensions". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. 11 January 2017. ISSN0307-1235. Retrieved 4 February 2024. February 2000: Secretary of State Peter Mandelson suspends the Assembly after the UUP/SDLP-led Executive fails to strike a deal on IRA decommissioning. The institutions are restored in May after the IRA pledges to "completely and verifiably" put its arsenal beyond use.
^McClafferty, Enda (10 April 2023). "Good Friday Agreement: Does the peace deal still work?". BBC. Retrieved 4 February 2024. 1 July 2001 - First Minister David Trimble resigns over IRA decommissioning but nominates UUP colleague Sir Reg Empey as acting first minister, triggering a six-week deadline to fix the impasse.
^ ab"The Northern Ireland Assembly - Chronology". archive.niassembly.gov.uk. Retrieved 4 February 2024. 24 October 2001 – The UUP Ministers resumed their posts. Peter Robinson and Nigel Dodds (both DUP) take up positions as Ministers for Regional Development and Social Development.
^ ab"Scuffles as Trimble re-elected". BBC News. 6 November 2001. Retrieved 4 February 2024. A special meeting of the Northern Ireland Assembly on Tuesday voted in favour of Mr Trimble and incoming SDLP leader Mark Durkan being appointed first and deputy first ministers.
^"Northern Ireland Executive". www.ark.ac.uk. Retrieved 4 February 2024. 2nd UUP place: Dermot Nesbitt, MLA for South Down, was appointed Minister for the Environment on 20 February 2002.