The DUP are on a collision course with Sinn Féin after it was revealed that the North’s Environment Minister, Sammy Wilson, has asked officials to consider if he could revoke the listed building status of structures at the former Long Kesh prison.

The former jail’s hospital and part of the H-Blocks are currently listed.

The DUP Minister told the Assembly on Monday he has asked the NI Environment Agency to carry out “a further review of the listing and potential for delisting”.

The move is seen as a hardening of DUP attitudes after their disastrous European Election result when they lost votes to the more hard-line Traditional Unionist Voice candidate, Jim Allister.

However, any move to delist the former prison would be met with opposition from Sinn Féin.

The party want part of the prison, including the hospital where ten republican prisoners died on hunger strike in 1981, preserved as an International Centre for Conflict Transformation.

Former republican prisoner and current Sinn Féin MLA for Lagan Valley, Paul Butler described the move as “mere publicity seeking” by the Minister, but asked why a review was taking place at all given that the structures meet the requirements of the law regarding listed buildings.

During a debate in the Assembly Mr Wilson said: “I believe it is appropriate that the concerns expressed by the public and some members of this Assembly, subsequent to the protection of these structures by the agency, are seen to have been considered seriously.”

In the past some unionist politicians have argued against the listing of Long Kesh believing it could become a “shrine” to the hunger strikers.

Mr Butler said there was little chance that delisting the buildings will happen.

“The reality is that Mr Wilson’s predecessor as Environment Minister had already requested and received that same advice,” he said.