Assembly party leaders moved rapidly last night to consider radical cost-cutting proposals from the DUP which would slash the number of Stormont departments from 11 to 8, including Justice.

Sinn Fein expressed strong opposition to the idea, and if it vetoes the plan then it cannot proceed.

Even if it was agreed, it would require the approval of its ruling ard comhairle, which meets tomorrow in Dublin.

The SDLP was asking for time to consider the idea and consult on it.

It seems inevitable that the discussions will continue today and that, even it if isn’t passed now, reducing the number of departments will remain high on the agenda of the new Assembly. The immediate political effect of cutting three ministries would be that Alliance, the DUP and Sinn Fein would lose one each.

However, the balance of power between nationalists and unionists on the Executive would be the same.

Under the proposal considered last night, the UUP and SDLP would each get a single ministry as they do at present, but they would be part of a smaller Executive so their influence would be increased.

The DUP would get three ministries (instead of four) and Sinn Fein would get two (instead of three). The Alliance Party would

still retain the Justice Ministry, which is not allocated under d’Hondt, but would not get the second portfolio it had been expecting.

Discussion on the allocation and number of ministries will continue today and if they reach a successful conclusion in time, d’Hondt would be run in shadow form in the afternoon.

This would mean that each party would pick its department, but not name its minister, by Monday.

The proposal to reduce ministries was put forward by the DUP.

It pledged in its manifesto to reduce both the number of Government departments and the number of MLAs.

The UUP’s Tom Elliott proposed that Justice, which is currently elected by a cross-community vote, should be included under d’Hondt.

However, he also proposed a gentleman’s agreement that nobody except Alliance should pick it.

It is treated differently from other departments because it is considered too sensitive for either a nationalist or unionist party to hold it at this stage.

Mr Elliott’s proposal would create legal difficulties.

However, it is believed that a reduction in departments could be passed in the Assembly on Monday morning, provided Sinn Fein and the DUP both supported the move.

Factfile

The current departments are Agriculture and Rural Development; Culture, Arts and Leisure; Education; Employment and Learning; Enterprise, Trade and Investment; Environment; Finance and Personnel; Health, Social Services and Public Safety; Regional Development; Social Development, and Justice