Stormont tends to stumble from one crisis to another with great regularity but it is a little difficult to believe that the unauthorised appearance of an Irish tricolour on a flagpole there for approximately ten minutes yesterday has really shaken Parliament Buildings to its foundations.
While no one would condone the brief stunt, which took place during a period when contractors are working on the roof of the complex, the flurry of outraged statements from unionist politicians indicated a lack of focus on the much more pressing issues which threaten the suspension of our devolved structures.
An official police investigation has even been demanded, and it is depressing to find some individuals giving the impression that an abandoned Assembly debating chamber could be tolerated as long as the correct flag flies above it.
