Well, that's it for today.

Tomorrow we're back for more, with the Health Committee at 10:30 and the Justice Committee in the afternoon.

But for now, it's goodnight from sunny Stormont!

Mr Smith says there "obviously a consensus in terms of letting it lie and moving on".

But Mr Girvan says there is "no intention" of doing that.

Image source, b

And Mr O'Dowd says "it's not let lie" because the assembly's standards commissioner is investigating the matter.

The committee decides to plot a way forward next week.

The committee discuss how to proceed on the Nama coaching matter after Mr Ó Muilleoir's session this afternoon.

Ulster Unionist Philip Smith asks if Mr O'Hara - the man who is alleged to have coached Mr Bryson - could be called to answer questions.

Members discuss the possibility beginning an inquiry into the matter.

But Sinn Féin's Caitríona Ruane says it should be left to law enforcement agencies to investigate.

"What we're doing is sitting in a committee thinking we're in a court of law," she adds.

Paul Girvan of the DUP says he feels the committee is "straying into areas which are totally out of our remit".

Mrs Pengelly, the committee chair, thanks the minister for appearing and says he "put it best" when he referred to Mr Bryson as "an empty vessel".

The question everyone wants to find an answer to, she adds, is: "Who was filling that vessel?"

"We've been going around in circles for two-and-a-half hours," Sinn Féin's John O'Dowd says... and that is without counting the hour we were all sitting waiting on the session to start!

"We've had a good couple of hours here - could've been spent more productively?" Mr Ó Muilleoir asks.

"How could you spend time in such great company and be disappointed in your investment, John?"

Ulster Unionist Ross Hussey asks Mr Ó Muilleoir if he was shocked by Mr Bryson's (below) evidence.

Image source, Pacemaker

He says he was, adding that that is not to say that the evidence was true.

"No-one is under any illusion that this guy is motivated by his hatred of the DUP," the minister says.

TUV leader Jim Allister accuses Mr Ó Muilleoir of "pulling up the drawbridge and maintaining you knew nothing" in today's session.

He was a "key member" for Sinn Féin on committee, the TUV leader says, and the party was "keen to get Jamie Bryson's evidence in public".

Image source, MCA TV

He goes on: "You want us to believe that there was no co-ordination of efforts amongst the Sinn Féin members on the committee to attain that objective and you were kept in the dark about the context with Bryson?"

"I think you put that well," the finance minister replies, and adds that he admires Mr Allister's "crescendo" , comparing it with the end of an episode of TV detective show Columbo (above) but minus the evidence.

"Sometimes those who are most smug fall the hardest," Mr Allister snipes.

Today's Finance Committee session was delayed by an hour after an intervention by the PSNI.

It asked MLAs to avoid "scrutiny of an individual" involved in the committee hearing at which Mr Bryson gave his evidence in September last year.

Image source, Press Eye

Det Supt Kevin Geddes, of the PSNI's serious crime branch, said police "do not wish to impede in any way the business of the assembly".

But he added: "The request was made as it was considered to be inappropriate at this time to have parliamentary scrutiny of events which are the subject of a criminal investigation by police."

John Campbell
BBC News NI Economics and Business Editor

Mr Ó Muilleoir clashes with DUP MLA Jonathan Bell over a question about his financial relationship with witnesses to the Nama inquiry while he sat on the finance committee.

"As the man who did more to bust the finances of this government...," the finance minister begins before he is cut off by chairperson Emma Pengelly.

Mr Ó Muilleoir is referring to the creation of the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme while Mr Bell was enterprise minister, which an Audit Office report says will likely to hit the Northern Ireland budget by "hundreds of millions of pounds".

"I will not accept the minister or any witness starting to attack members on this the committee and make various allegations," Ms Pengelly says.

"I've not even got on to Mr Hussey or Mr Wells yet," Mr Ó Muilleoir retorts.

"I would ask the minister to keep calm and to step back from insults," Mrs Pengelly says.

Alliance Party MLA's Naomi Long has paid tribute to her party leader David Ford MLA, as he announced he will step down from the role tomorrow.

She said his leadership over the last 15 years has "transformed the party and made a huge contribution to peace and stability in Northern Ireland".

"It has been a pleasure to serve as his deputy leader for the last 10 years," she added.

UUP leader Mike Nesbitt has reacted to Alliance Party leader David Ford's resignation, saying the job had put Mr Ford in what could be a "very lonely and exposed position".

Image source, Pacemaker

"He led his party during some very challenging times both for Northern Ireland and for these institutions and I am sure he will be remembered for his contribution," said Mr Nesbitt.

"Totally relaxed, totally chillaxed" - that's how Mr Ó Muilleoir says he is feeling about his alleged links to the Nama coaching scandal.

Mrs Pengelly responds: "But a lot of people aren't."

Image source, Press Eye

We've had just over an hour of questioning so far and the finance minister says matters are still "exactly where I was in my opening remark".

"No-one directed me in my evidence - no-one said to me: 'Jump in here, don't jump in there.'"

Mr Ó Muilleoir says "those who were throwing the mud" over the Nama coaching claims "haven't been able to get any thread, any scintilla" of evidence linking him to this "disgraceful and inappropriate behaviour".

Mr Ó Muilleoir says he does not know Mr O'Hara (below) - the man who communicated and allegedly coached Mr Bryson in relation to his evidence to the committee's Nama inquiry - and he does not believe he has ever met him.

He advises the committee that if it wants to know more about Mr O'Hara, it should call him to face questioning instead.

Ms Pengelly begins the questioning by asking the minister if Mr McKay told him he was in contact with Mr Bryson.

He replies: "What part of no involvement with, no part in, no knowledge of does the committee, with all due respect, not understand?

He says his opening statement was "right on the money" in terms of its firmness of his denial and adds: "I had no involvement whatsoever with this particular affair - none, zilch, nada, nothing."

"I'd love to help you with this inquiry," he says, "but I am a blank slate on this."

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood says David Ford "led his party with composure and resilience particularly in the face of violence following the flag protests."

His comments came following the announcement of the Alliance leader's resignation.

"While I'm glad that David will continue in the assembly I am also glad that he will now enjoy more time with family and friends," said Mr Eastwood.

Mr Ó Muilleoir is in relaxed mood, and says he will be helpful to the committee but may hold some information back as the matter is due to be investigated by the assembly standards commissioner.

He adds that he is "not a hanging judge" and will not be saying anything that would "prejudice Mr McKay's right to a fair hearing".

But he insists: "I have no questions to answer on this."

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has contacted the Finance Committee to tell members to be aware that it is conducting an investigation into the Nama coaching scandal as they question Mr Ó Muilleoir.

Ms Pengelly says she wants the questioning the be "carried out with decorum" and will not tolerate any "badgering" of the finance minister.

Mr Ó Muilleoir takes his chair and says he "thinks we'll have a really good conversation, I don't think it's going to be over in an hour".

As he has done before, he denies any knowledge of the exchange of messages between Mr Bryson and the Sinn Féin members.