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Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster has denied that her leadership is under threat.

It comes after 11 of the party's Northern Ireland Assembly members (MLAs) rebelled in a vote about a controversial bill this week.

A former party adviser had publicly said the bill effectively removed the DUP's veto over ministers taking decisions the party disagreed with.

Speaking on Thursday, Mrs Foster said her party remained "fully behind me".

The Northern Ireland first minister said that people should not conflate the rebellion with a leadership challenge.

"I don't see it as a threat to my leadership when people express opinions - I welcome that actually - and colleagues abstained, they did not vote against the bill," said Mrs Foster.

The Executive Committee Functions Bill passed its final stage on Tuesday but 11 DUP MLAs abstained and two more did not attend for the vote.

The bill was fast-tracked through the assembly's scrutiny stages before Stormont went into recess for the summer.

Senior DUP figures Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, Sammy Wilson and Nigel Dodds had warned Mrs Foster against the bill.

Mrs Foster said she would speak to her concerned party colleagues individually.

"I think it is important to acknowledge that they did have concerns, particularly around the accelerated passage, and I understand that," she said.

"Rigorous assessments that have been carried out around this legislation.

"I have a broad range of legal opinion available to me in my role - others do not have that and I acknowledge that."

The rebellion came after former DUP adviser Richard Bullick warned that the bill overturned safeguards negotiated in the 2006 St Andrews Agreement to stop ministers taking decisions without referral.

He cited the example of Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness abolishing the 11-plus exam on his last day in office as education minister in 2002.

The Executive Committee (Functions) Bill seeks to strengthen the power of individual ministers and was introduced after a court judgement two years ago over a waste incinerator raised questions about the way executive decisions were made.

The bill was passed by 58 votes to 13 with 11 abstentions and will now go forward for royal assent.

The assembly has been adjourned until 7 September.