"I'm taking these actions despite the politicking of Sinn Féin to protect the most vulnerable," Mr Givan says.

"This is the only way we can stop the bedroom tax being introduced," he adds.

The communities minister is keen to get the election campaign under way.

"Let us move on in this political campaign, which clearly now has started, and we shall fight those issues on the doorsteps".

Jayne McCormack
BBC News NI

Sinn Féin's Barry McElduff calls on the speaker to rule on the communities minister's use of the word "twit".

Speaker Robin Newton calls for respect on all sides.

Paul Givan replies: "We all know too well what Sinn Féin's agenda is when it comes to respect - equality, the trojan horse to beat the unionists."

Talkback
BBC News NI

Talkback
BBC News NI

With the drama of the nominations out of the way, Communities Minister Paul Givan now takes to the despatch box to introduce regulations to guarantee mitigation measures for the so-called 'bedroom tax'.

Mr Givan criticises Finance Minister Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, who has questioned his ability to bring the regulations.

"Whilst he's engaged in a Twitter battle, the public can see who the twit is," he says.

Talkback
BBC News NI

Michelle O'Neill is the nominating officer for Sinn Féin, and she begins by paying tribute to former deputy first minister Martin McGuinness.

He has taken "personal and political risks" for the sake of progress, she tells MLAs.

She hits out at the DUP, saying its actions have "diminished the credibility" of the political institutions.

"Martin McGuinness resigned as deputy first minister because that was the right thing to do," she adds.

"There can be no return to the status quo," she says, adding that her party will not renominate for the position of deputy first minister.

"It's now over to the people to have their say," she concludes.

Lord Morrow is nominating officer for the DUP and he puts Arlene Foster forward for the position as first minister again, just as he did after last May's assembly election.

He reminds members that in last year's assembly elections she received "the highest personal vote of any member of this house".

Lord Morrow says there has been "an array of attempts to take Arlene Foster down" and he says the Ulster Unionists "should be ashamed of themselves".

Mrs Foster accepts the nomination.

Jayne McCormack
BBC News NI

The first item of business is the appointment of a first minister and a deputy first minister.

The speaker explains that after the resignation of Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness last week the posts have to be filled by 17:00 today, otherwise the Norther Ireland secretary must call an assembly election.

Mr Newton outlines the technicalities of the appointment of the ministers, and the clerk reads the oath of office into the record.

BBC News UK

Gareth Gordon
BBC News NI Political Correspondent

Talkback
BBC News NI

Speaker Robin Newton, who will face a motion of no confidence later in the day, opens proceedings in the chamber on what promises to be an extraordinary day in the history of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

It's the main event up next.

We'll bring you coverage from the assembly chamber from 12:00, beginning with the appointment of a first and deputy first minister.

Image source, Pacemaker

But of course, Sinn Féin says it will not be nominating a replacement for Martin McGuinness, who arrived at Stormont earlier this morning.

So, let's see how this pans out...

BBC Radio 4

Northern Ireland's power-sharing government is on the brink of collapse today.

Journalist Siobhan Fenton grew up in Belfast and was a child when the Good Friday Agreement was signed, which makes her part of the generation dubbed "peace babies".

She told BBC Radio 4's Broadcasting House: "I, along with most of my contemporaries, never thought we'd see a time when the institutions could collapse like the dark days our parents remembered."

These are her reflections on the latest political crisis to grip the region.