2000-07: Towards Political Stability
In October 2001 the IRA began to put its weapons 'beyond use'. By 2003 the Democratic Unionist Party had become the largest unionist party and Sinn Fein the largest nationalist party. In January 2007 Sinn Fein voted to give support to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (which succeeded the RUC in 2001) paving the way for an agreement for Sinn Fein and the DUP to work together in the NI Executive. Power was devolved to the NI Executive in May and at the end of July the British army operation in support of the police in NI was officially ended.