Martin McGuinness has expressed concern that “state agents” intent on creating problems for Sinn Féin were involved in the two murders that have rocked powersharing at Stormont.

A senior republican whose arrest over an IRA-linked murder escalated the current political crisis in Northern Ireland has accused unionists of using his “wrongful detention” to try to pull down power sharing.

Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald has insisted she is 100% certain that no money from the Provisional IRA or linked criminality has been used to fund her party.

The power-sharing administration in Belfast is facing a major crisis after a vital Assembly debate on implementing welfare reforms began without a last minute political deal.