Has the UK government ever stepped in to temporarily shut down the Northern Ireland Assembly?

The Northern Ireland Assembly, established as part of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, is a key institution for devolved government in Northern Ireland. The Assembly allows locally elected representatives to make laws and decisions on a range of issues. Now, while the UK government hasn't completely shut down the Assembly, it's true that the Assembly has faced periods of suspension. These suspensions occurred when the parties within the Assembly were unable to work together to form an Executive, which is essentially the government of Northern Ireland. So, while the UK government has intervened to suspend the Assembly's operations at times due to political instability, it has never permanently shut it down. The aim has always been to restore devolved government as soon as possible. The Assembly has been suspended several times, most recently between 2017 and 2020. Therefore, the statement that the UK government has *never* stepped in to temporarily shut down the Northern Ireland Assembly is false because it *has* happened, even though the intention is always to get it back up and running.