It is "very difficult" for the Department of Education to give "certainty to schools" on what money they will have available on a long-term basis, Mr Connolly says.

That is because the next budget will only cover one financial year.

"It's much easier for us to know how to plan things when you have the funding allocation for the next three years," Mr Connolly adds.

"Unfortunately, due to the circumstances we're in post-Brexit, we're going to have a one-year 2017-18 [budget], followed by a two-year budget."

It is "too early to say" how Brexit will impact on Northern Ireland's education budget, Mr Connolly says.

In response to a question from Sinn Féin's Catherine Seeley, he says he has no "other information than what's in the public domain".

"We just need to wait until all of those discussions [between the UK government and the EU] are sorted out until we understand what Brexit does mean."

The Department of Education has "built up quite a significant pipeline of projects and major works" that it can begin if it is "successful in having an increased budget allocation".

"There is potential to move a lot of projects forward that are in planning," official Philip Irwin says.

His colleague Trevor Connolly, the department's finance director, says its capital budget is in a "healthier position" than the resource budget.

"For resource budget, by 2019-20, the executive's resource budget will have reduced by 4.5% in real terms, but by 2021 the capital conventional capital budget is forecast to increase by 12% in real terms," he adds.

East Belfast MLA Naomi Long will become the new leader of the Alliance Party later.

Image source, Press Eye

She is the only candidate for the vacancy, and will succeed David Ford, who stood down earlier this month after 15 years in the job.

Sinn Féin's Barry McElduff gets proceedings under way at the Education Committee, and officials from the Department of Education are briefing members on its resource budget for next year.

Welcome along to Wednesday's Stormont Live coverage of committee business up here on the hill.

First up, the Education Committee discusses the department's new budget and its consultation on area planning.

And later, we'll follow the Public Accounts Committee as it continues its inquiry into the "flawed" Renewable Heat Incentive scheme.