Voices in the Assembly

I think Mr Trimble's position is totally untenable. - Sinn Fein president Mr Gerry Adams

I think Mr Trimble's position is totally untenable. - Sinn Fein president Mr Gerry Adams

He [David Trimble] was in Glengall Street today, tomorrow he will be in Downing Street and the day after he will probably be in Sesame Street. - SDLP's Mark Durkan, who was nominated as minister for finance and personnel

It's now necessary I resign as Deputy First Minister. I do so with great reluctance and recognition of the awesome responsibility we all have towards lasting peace and the future of all of the people of the North of Ireland. - Seamus Mallon, SDLP deputy leader and former Deputy First Minister

Seamus Mallon is a man of integrity, political skill and ability, but I am more frightened about the consequences of his resignation which cannot be taken in isolation.

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- David Ervine of the Progressive Unionist Party

Many young people who are at university or working in England and Scotland, mostly young unionists, will decide not to come home when they see what happened here today. - Gerry Adams

We know once they (Sinn Fein) got into government, they would be quite happy to pull the plug on this Assembly if the treaties were still in place. - Fraser Agnew of the United Unionist Party

The unionist community is committing political suicide for very base and narrow reasons. - David Ervine

I trust the message leaving Stormont and going out across the world is not unionists' refusal to share power with Roman Catholics and nationalists. It is their refusal to have in government those who have terrorised this community and who are unreconstructed terrorists. - Cedric Wilson of the Northern Ireland Unionist Party

The Good Friday agreement is alive and kicking. - Sean Neeson, Alliance Party leader

Today has been a good day for Northern Ireland. Democracy has triumphed. There are no IRA men in government. - Ian Paisley of the Democratic Unionist Party

Those efforts have not just been spurned, they have been scorned. - Seamus Mallon on unionist treatment of attempts by Mr Blair and President Clinton to move the peace process forward

When people say we have to have a review, can you imagine what that is going to look like? . . . We have a hell of a lot of mountains to move. - Monica McWilliams of the Women's Coalition.

There are no victors in the events that are unravelling here today but there are big losers - my children, your children. - Sean Neeson

The people of the world have been watching the debacle that is the parliament of Northern Ireland. - David Ervine

This Assembly is now adjourned. - Lord Alderdice at 1.25 p.m.