The flying of flags: An agreed strategy remains elusive

He said the flag should fly at Stormont on the same days as the rest of the United Kingdom.

But Sinn Fein Assembly member Mary Nelis told Mr Paisley that he was fighting a losing battle.

She said that even if DUP leader Ian Paisley "wrapped himself in a Union Jack and was flown from the top of Westminster, the DUP could not stop the changes brought about by the Good Friday Agreement".

The flags motion, which was delayed from Monday's business when business resumed after suspension, was the first item on the agenda at Stormont on Tuesday.

Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness, who is the Northern Ireland education minister, and Bairbre De Brun, who is health minister, angered unionists on 2 May by ordering their civil servants not to fly the flag as part of the Coronation Day celebrations.

Ian Paisley: Tabled the motion on flags

Mr Paisley, who tabled the motion with party colleague and social development minister Nigel Dodds, branded Sinn Fein's actions "a disgrace".

Ulster Unionist minister Michael McGimpsey also criticised his Sinn Fein cabinet colleagues' action.

However, Mr McGuinness said on 2 May his party was arguing for mutual respect for both traditions' flags.

He said: "If the Irish Tricolour could not be flown alongside the Union Flag, there should be no flag flown at all."

Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson has signalled that he may have to exercise the special power at his disposal to rule on the flags issue if the power sharing cabinet cannot reach agreement.

The next designated day on which the Union Flag is flown is 10 June to mark the birthday of the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip.

There are 13 days in the year when the Union Flag may be flown on designated government offices in the UK.