Bairbre de Brun: Refused to fly flag

Sinn Fein have now been granted leave to apply for a judicial review of the Flags Order which governs the flying of the Union Flag over government buildings.

However, both the department of health and the department of education have said they will "comply with the regulations and fly the flag" in the interim.

This meant the flag would be flown on Remembrance Sunday, one of the 17 designated flag days.

However, Ms de Brun said: "The party is taking legal action because it has been forced to do so.

"This should have been dealt with in another way. Peter Mandelson has brought in regulations which, in my view, should not have been brought in.

"We should have had a situation, and I still maintain that we can and should have a situation, where we have either neutrality or equality.That is the way to move forward."

Meanwhile, Tuesday is the Prince of Wales' birthday and another designated day for flying the Union Flag.

But it is not certain if it will be flown over the buildings occupied by the Sinn Fein ministers.