Grainne McKinney
BBC News NI

That concludes our live coverage today of ministers agreeing a draft programme for government.

The programme sets out priorities for the Northern Ireland Executive for the remaining two-and-a-half years of the assembly term.

Here's a quick reminder of what happened today:

• First Minister Michelle O'Neill called it a "significant" and wide-ranging programme and said the "first port of call" for detail will be on Monday with a statement to the assembly

• Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly set out the nine priorities within the programme

• Justice Minister Naomi Long said the programme is a draft and will be shaped by feedback

• Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said there are "huge challenges" for health and that every minister and department faces similar challenges
• Leader of the opposition, SDLP's Matthew O'Toole, said he's "none the wiser" after today

• We heard the public consultation period for the new document is eight weeks

Image source, PA Media

You can scroll back on this page for a full look at our coverage.

For more on this story, click here.

The live page today was written by myself and Jessica Lawrence, and edited by Matt Fox.

Dr Esmond Birnie, senior economist at Ulster University Business School, says it has been a "long wait" for this draft programme for government.

He says today is "an achievement of sorts".

"Today's announcement - especially the emphasis on nine priorities - hinted that we may be seeing an emphasis on a limited number of higher level objective as opposed to very long lists of objective," he says.

"This is commendable (avoiding not seeing the wood for the trees) although there would have been a strong case to be even more minimalist - say, five mission priorities."

He adds, in an ideal situation, the programme would have come before the budget.

"The executive needs to pay more than lip service to the importance of getting the economy right... of particular importance will be whether they prioritise trying to narrow the productivity gap compared to the rest of the UK".

Gareth Gordon
BBC News NI political correspondent at Stormont Castle

The programme for government is the administration setting out its priorities for the next three years.

We know this one has nine headings, one of which is they've agreed a strategy for combating violence against women and girls which will be long overdue and will be widely welcomed.

The executive and devolution have been back for just over seven months, and there's been a lot of criticism in recent weeks over the fact they have not agreed up to now such a programme.

But remember this - no Stormont executive has agreed a programme for government, incredible as it may be, since 2011.

This one has now and, unlike the budget, this has the support of all the four executive parties.

The leader of the Green Party in Northern Ireland says we are getting this programme for government 215 days after the return of the executive.

Mal O'Hara says he hopes Stormont's leaders are "being brave" and "addressing many of the issues they have failed to, or exacerbated, in their 26 years in government".

Writing on X, , externalhe says he is "looking forward to reading the document and responding".

Image source, Green Party NI

The leader of the opposition at Stormont was among those paying close attention to today's proceedings.

Matthew O'Toole says it was a "somewhat absurd" press conference "without an actual document".

"I'm still mostly none the wiser on the specific things they intend to do, beyond headline aspirations," he writes on X., external

Image source, PA Media

Continuing his assessment of the institutions, Health Minister Mike Nesbitt says he is keen to tackle "health inequalities" in Northern Ireland.

"To do it, I need my colleagues with me. We do it together, we deliver better outcomes," he says.

"That's what I'm about. That's what we're all about."

Justice Minister Naomi Long says the programme for government is "more important than ever".

Ms Long says when resources are scarce it is vital to maximise their impact by targeting them where they are needed

She says the executive has put in the "hard yards" behind the scenes to prepare for this point and it is time for this work to "emerge from the dark into the light".

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

We're taking a look back at some of the answers given during the press conference now.

The ministers are asked to "sum up" the performance of the institutions so far.

Michelle O'Neill says she is proud the executive has come together and defends the time taken to form a programme, saying that having a four-party executive is complex and that she prefers to have "gotten it right".

Emma Little-Pengelly says they wanted to be an executive that delivered to create "positive change" for people.

The document has "plenty of work" to get on with, but the deputy first minister says the executive are keen for people's views.

And with that, the press conference comes to an end.

Stay with us while we bring you some more of the executive ministers' comments along with some analysis and reaction.

Michelle O'Neill says the programme for government will cover the three year remainder of Stormont's term.

She says the document also acknowledges the difficult financial climate and challenges.

However, she says it is "hopeful and ambitious".

She adds the consultation period for the new document is eight weeks.

Emma Little-Pengelly says they have taken a "narrow focus" and they will measure progress on a month-by-month basis.

She says the executive is aiming to add value by taking on a smaller number of priorities

Responding to a question about transparency, Emma Little-Pengelly says two of the strategies focus on ending violence against women and girls, and this was done "through a transparent process which involved bringing in the people who were most impacted".

Naomi Long says that there has been a summer of "fear and tension" in relation to race hate crimes in Northern Ireland.

She says the executive recognise there are a number of wider issues, including education and community relations, that are needed to help tackle this problem.

She adds there are many things her department can do to help, including a strong policing and justice response.

The first minister says she is "proud of the executive" for trying to address immediate challenges across public services.

She says a programme for government itself is "complex" and while it has taken time to get here it was "important that we get it right".

She talks of the executive facing financial challenges and claims the newly-installed Labour government is continuing a period of "austerity".

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt is up next.

He says he is pleased the document is ready to go to public consultation and is "equally pleased" that his executive colleagues agree the programme is linked closely to the budget.

There are "huge challenges" for health, he says, adding that every minister and department faces similar challenges.

Justice Minister Naomi Long says she welcomes the agreement for the programme for government in the context of "extraordinary financial pressures".

She adds that it is a draft and will be shaped by feedback.

It is not an exhaustive list of what the executive will do, she says, but that it will prioritise certain goals.

She describes it as both "realistic and positive".

Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly says the approach taken is a "sensible one".

She says the executive's objective is to make real progress against all nine of the priorities but this will 'not be easy" and will be "difficult financially"

Ms Little-Pengelly says there are nine priorities within the programme for government.

They are:

• To grow a competitive and sustainable economy
• Deliver affordable childcare
• Cut health waiting times
• End violence against women and girls
• Better support for children and young people with special educational needs
• Provide more social, affordable and sustainable housing
• Safer communities
• Protect Lough Neagh and the environment
• Reform and transformation of public services

Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly is up next.

She says that despite the difficult budget introduced earlier this year, the programme aims to improve lives for people in Northern Ireland in meaningful ways to make a real difference.

She says the next number of weeks will be spent engaging with people throughout Northern Ireland to hear their views.

First Minister Michelle O'Neill says she is "very glad" to have reached another milestone with the agreement with the draft programme of government between the four-party executive.

She called it a "significant" and wide-ranging programme and is keen to get it out to consultation to engage with the people of Northern Ireland and hear their views.

She says she's pleased with progress made and the "first port of call" for detail will be on Monday with a statement to the assembly.

Ms O'Neill also mentions that work has been achieved in other areas, such as in tackling violence against women and girls.

Ministers have taken to the podiums as the press conference gets under way.

We'll be hearing from Justice Minister Naomi Long, First Minister Michelle O'Neill, Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly and Health Minister Mike Nesbitt.

We'll bring you the latest lines from the press conference, or you can watch by clicking the Watch Live button at the top of the page.