Northern Ireland's Forum for Political Dialogue was officially wound up yesterday in a low-key fashion befitting a body which will be remembered more for its failings than its successes.
Of the 110 members elected to the forum in May 1996, just over 30 attended yesterday's final session. There were few instances of meaningful political dialogue during the 71 plenary sessions.
Sinn Fein's 17 members never took their seats and the SDLP withdrew after just three weeks, leaving another 24 seats vacant. The forum thus became a unionist talking shop as it had no powers. The UK Unionist Party's three members withdrew in protest over Sinn Fein's admission to political talks in September.
The forum's total bill is estimated at £7 million sterling. Members were paid £100 per day and Belfast city centre premises were adapted to house the chamber.
Unionists yesterday defended the forum's record, saying its many committees had produced valuable reports on many issues. A final report, The Activities and Achievements of the Forum, certainly bears out the range of issues covered. Six committees covered health, education, agriculture, the economy, parades and political affairs, and electoral irregularities.
However, the forum will best be remembered for disputes between the Ulster Unionists and the DUP, and as the place where the Rev Ian Paisley held court, pouring scorn on the talks process and those participating in it. Women's Coalition members were subjected to sexist abuse from the DUP, once being told to "go home and breed for Ulster".
Mr Hugh Smyth, of the Progressive Unionist Party, said yesterday that once the SDLP left, unionists had no one to fight with. "So we just had to fight with ourselves."