THE cross of St Patrick could be adopted to represent all sections of the community in the north, the House of Commons heard yesterday.
Conservative MP Henry Smith asked "what consideration has been given" to adopting the flag, featuring a red saltire on a white background, "as a unity flag for all communities representing Northern Ireland".
New Northern Ireland Office junior minister Kris Hopkins, who previously served as a British soldier in the north during the Troubles, said the issue of flags in the north was "a sensitive and complex one".
"Any change in existing arrangements would require cross community support," he said.
"The Stormont House Agreement included a commitment to a commission on flags, identity, culture and tradition, and this was established in June."
The Cross of St Patrick has been used to represent Ireland's patron saint since the 1780s, when British chivalric order, the Order of Saint Patrick, adopted it as an emblem.
The cross was added to form the Union flag after the 1800 Act of Union joined Ireland with Great Britain.
Northern Ireland has not has its own flag since the Government of Northern Ireland was abolished in 1973.
The government's former flag, known commonly as the Ulster Banner, featured a red cross with a red hand on a white star topped by a crown. It is still used by Northern Ireland football fans and is often seen at loyalist marches.
