DUP to meet de Chastelain

The Democratic Unionist Party will meet General John de Chastelain today to seek clarification of the IRA’s move on disarmament.

A delegation led by Ian Paisley and his deputy Peter Robinson are expected to question the general and his colleagues on the method of destruction and the quantity of weapons disposed of.

In Parliament yesterday Mr Paisley criticised the statement from the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning, adding that unionists needed more details on what had taken place.

Mr Robinson, reacting to the announcement, said the people of Northern Ireland had been left "entirely in the dark" about what had happened.

By the time the meeting takes place, it is believed the two DUP ministers will have returned to the Stormont Executive.

The party is remaining tight-lipped on who will fill the two posts.

An Assembly source said there were three people still in the frame former ministers Peter Robinson and Nigel Dodds and former South Antrim MP Rev William McCrea.