Sean Lynch of Sinn Féin sits on the Finance Committee.

He says the current "public health crisis impacts both socially and economically," adding that the budget includes a "level of funding to offset huge impact of Covid-19".

"Separate from departmental allocations, the Covid-19 response included funding of £1bn to maintain public services, support businesses and support most vulnerable," says Mr Lynch.

He adds that the "grants and schemes did not cover everyone," but says it's "understandable due to speed ministers had to act".

Mr Lynch continues, that the "focus" is on "protecting key services businesses and looking after the most vulnerable".

In conclusion, the MLA says that the minister and executive are looking to bring forward "multi-year budgets" something he says he "looks forward to working with the minister to make sure this happens".

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Paula Bradley, the chairperson of the Communities Committee, begins by passing on "my condolences to John Dallat’s family at this sad time".

She says the committee understands the "extremely difficult circumstances" in which "the department has compiled the budget," adding that "recent priorities have all been Covid-19 related".

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Ms Bradley then discusses some of the issues surrounding councils and the finances available to them. She asks the minister if he will outline the "likelihood of additional funding for councils".

She says the committee "would support flexibility" in terms of internal financing for the Department of Communities.

The DUP MLA says the committee is "supportive of as flexible an approach as possible to ensure key projects are not put at risk".

The UUP's Steve Aiken replies on behalf of the Finance Committee, which he chairs.

He says the events leading up to the collapse of the executive in 2017 "have provided the necessary catalyst to change how we meet our responsibilities as elected representatives to scrutinise the executive".

Mr Aiken says the committee raised a number of issues with the Department of Finance regarding matters such as departmental pressures relating to rates and pay, IT costs and slippage in the delivery of projects and funding related to Brexit.

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Turning to the budget for tackling the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr Aiken runs over some very big figures.

He says the total funding stands at £1.19bn, "which has been provided quite remarkably in less than four weeks from our national exchequer".

Speaking on behalf of the UUP, Mr Aiken says the party "has called time and again for a recovery plan to be created" and calls on all the other parties to joining in showing leadership for the people of Northern Ireland.

Deputy Speaker Roy Beggs introduces the next item of business - the Budget 2020-21.

He says the business committee has allocated four hours 30 minutes to the debate before welcoming the Finance Minister to make a statement.

Conor Murphy says the budget was "constructed in unprecedented circumstances", including the restoration of the NI Executive, the Chancellor's budget announcement and Covid-19.

He says the Covid-19 budgetary response has been taken forward separately, but that the NI budget does "contain how departments are responding to challenges of pandemic".

Mr Murphy says the "block grant has not been restored to pre-austerity measures in real terms".

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The minister says "all departments have received real-term increases" in the budget, adding that the "executive has prioritised key services with non ring-fenced resource budget for Health breaking £6bn for the first time".

He says health has seen a 11% increase from baseline, and that £1.6bn has been "allocated to capital investment".

"Ministers have been given flexibility to reallocate resources to respond to new challenges presented by Covid-19," the minister says.

The budget was formed in "difficult circumstances" says the minister, but provides a "platform to support businesses, maintain public services and protect vulnerable during public crisis".

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Finance Minister Conor Murphy is then invited to wind on the motion.

He says the executive has created the policy based on a balance of the "needs of ratepayers" and "ensuring public finances are sufficient" to cover priorities.

He responds to a number of points raised by members, including Andrew Muir of Alliance in relation to council finances.

Mr Murphy says the executive will continue to engage with councils and "like all other public departments, certain money they had budgeted to spend" may possibly be used for other matters, taking into consideration that a number of planned summer events may not happen.

He calls for members to support the motion.

It passes on an oral vote.

Andrew Muir speaks on behalf of the Alliance and begins by paying a brief tribute to John Dallat.

He says that as a "new boy" he thought he'd better look up the last time a rates order was debated in the chamber to check out the protocol.

"The debate was on 22 February 2016 and it lasted less than 15 minutes, but it was at 11 o'clock at night" he says.

He says he welcomes the reduction in rates and the help it will give to businesses "especially hospitality and hotels".

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Pat Catney of the SDLP also speaks of John Dallat.

He says he saw Mr Dallat just last week.

"John wasn't well, but he still had that fire in him," Mr Catney says.

Regarding the rates order, Mr Catney, a publican for many years, makes a special plea for small businesses and pubs in particular.

He says that pubs will struggle with social distancing - "it won't be possible".

Steve Aiken, the chair of the Finance Committee says the proposals were first considered by the committee in February, but says "much has changed since".

He says the committee "recognised the collection of rates provides vital funding for public services".

Mr Aiken adds that the committee is "keen to consider any further policy proposals" made by the department.

On behalf of the committee, he expresses support for the motion.

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Sean Lynch, Sinn Féin MLA, also sits on the Finance Committee. He says the motion "addresses the issue of high business rates" and also backs the motion.

Matthew O'Toole of the SDLP begins by thanking members for their kind words about John Dallat on behalf of his party colleagues.

Mr O'Toole says he was "committed to inclusive politics" adding, "he was one of the few people who had served in the original assembly of 1998" and that "people of that time knew the size of his character, the size of his heart".

Turning to the motion, the SDLP MLA says it's important to "look at how we do fiscal policy in this place".

He says Covid-19 has "changed things entirely".

Finance Minister Conor Murphy introduces a motion on the Rates Order.

He says the rate is brought forward annually and springs from the executive's budget for 2020-21.

Mr Murphy says the order has been overshadowed by the emergence of the Covid crisis, and in the light of this he has introduced a three-month holiday for all businesses.

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The minister explains that he will shortly bring an extension to the relief scheme to the executive, but that is separate to today's business.

He says today's debate "is about laying the ground for economic recovery in the longer term".

Mr Murphy says it addresses a longstanding concern of businesses by introducing an 18% reduction in the non-domestic regional rate.

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The Junior Minister, Sinn Féin's Declan Kearney, winds on the draft census order 2020.

He outlines statements made by other members of the house.

In response to a point raised by Alliance MLA, Kellie Armstrong, about the possibility of citizens being fined for not answering questions about religious background, the junior minister says, "I can assure Kellie Armstrong, failure to answer these questions carries no penalties".

Turning to points made by Jim Allister of the TUV about the murder of Joanne Mathers in 1981, Mr Kearney says it was a "terrible act" and says it is a "heart wrenching reason" to ensure the success of the peace process.

The deputy speaker then moves the assembly to an oral vote and the motion passes.

At the resumption of business, Deputy Speaker Roy Beggs makes the sad announcement that longstanding SDLP MLA John Dallat passed away this morning.

"I know I speak for all members when I says that he will be sorely missed," he says.

Mr Beggs says a time will be set aside for fuller tributes to be made at next week's plenary session and expresses the members' condolences to Mr Dallat's wife and children "and his eight grandchildren".

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The meeting is then called to a halt for lunch by the deputy principal speaker.

He says the first item of business on the agenda from 14:00 will be a wind on the motion by junior minister Declan Kearney.

Join us again then.

In his speech, TUV leader Jim Allister makes reference to the murder of census taker Joanne Mathers in Londonderry in 1981.

He says this was "one of the most brutal, callous acts of the Provisional IRA".

He says "we are told" that the leader of the IRA in Londonderry at the time was Martin McGuinness.

Mr Allister says he hopes the junior minister, Sinn Féin's Declan Kearney, will take the opportunity to apologise on behalf of the republican movement.

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Alliance's Kellie Armstrong raises issues with questions in the census relating to religion.

She says it "perpetuates a Catholic or Protestant headcount" adding there are many who "no longer wish to be defined by specific religion".

Ms Armstrong questions how NI can "move forward to a normal future" when it is only considered "in terms of Catholic or Protestants or a special case".

She says it is causing society to be "held back".

The SDLP's Colin McGrath chairs the Committee for the Executive Office.

He says the members expressed support for legislation.

Speaking as an individual MLA, Mr McGrath says he welcomes the inclusion of citizens previously excluded, "especially those from the LGBT community and addresses the penalties for those not answering questions of gender identity".

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UUP leader Steve Aiken says he's speaking as chairperson of the assembly's Committee for Finance.

He says the committee members have also expressed support for the draft order.

Principal Deputy Speaker Christopher Stalford moves to the next item of the business - the draft Census Order 2020.

Junior minister Gordon Lyons opens the debate..

In his opening remarks, he outlines the format the census will take.

The DUP MLA says it will be "primarily online" with "80% of households" receiving an "initial invitation to take part online".

The remainder will receive a hard copy questionnaire, but "anyone who did not receive a written questionnaire will be able to request one by a dedicated call centre".

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He says the suggested census date is 21 March 2021 and that it was selected on a "variety of factors" including the proportion of people expected to be "present at their own home", to "avoid elections" and to ensure the "health and safety of census field staff" who need "enough daylight hours to complete field duties".

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DUP MLA Harry Harvey asks the minister if there is "money in the budget to ensure these projects actually happen".

Mr Weir replies that SEP projects are "mid-range," and outlines that they can cost anything from £0.5m to £4m.

He says "there will then be a scoping out exercise" by the department.

The minister says, "anything that is announced, it's likely to take a period of time, but likely to happen".

The DUP's Thomas Buchanan asks a specific question about Omagh High School - will it be getting a new build on the Strule education campus site in Omagh?

The minister says he's not aware of the exact details but there will be an announcement on "major capital build" in the forthcoming months.

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Sinn Féin's Catherine Kelly says these are welcome announcements given the current situation with Covid-19.

She wants a timeline for development at the Strule campus.

Mr Weir says "it's important that the work on Strule happens as quickly as possible".

He says that the longer it takes there will be "a construction inflation".

Sinn Féin's Karen Mullan asks the minister about "capital applications" and for an "indication" of when his department will look at these.

Mr Weir says he doesn't have an exact timeframe, but will "liaise with officials".

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The SDLP's Daniel McCrossan asks about the number of children accessing classes online and what measures the minister is taking to ensure "no child in this crisis falls through the gaps" during the Covid-19 crisis.

The minister replies, "we want to ensure all children are given levels of access".

He says there will be "some degree of update tomorrow" adding that "there may need to be a level of investment and procurement of kit".

Mr Weir says there are also a "range of geographical locations which, with the best will in the world, you could provide all the kit you want, but because of the issues around broadband, pieces of equipment will be of no benefit to that".

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Chris Lyttle, the chair of the Education Committee, begins questions to the statement.

The Alliance MLA says the minister's announcement is a "boost to morale for education sector" but says a "key concern is the outstanding matter of payment for substitute teachers".

Mr Weir says "we’re continuing to work on that with the Department of Finance".

He adds it "requires something beyond what simply is available in the Department of Education", but says he does "appreciate concerns out there".

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The DUP's William Humphrey asks the minister if there will be a "third call in terms of the school enhancement programme" (SEP).

Mr Weir says it's a "fluid situation" adding, "we’ve completed this bit and there’s work ongoing in relation to that".

"It's unlikely there'll be a third call until 2022, but we’ll keep the issue under review," says the minister.

The second item of business today is a statement from Education Minister Peter Weir on the school enhancement programme.

He explains that this statement refers to the second call for applications for the scheme launched in January 2017.

Mr Weir says he's announcing "a final tranche of 16 projects" to proceed to design.

He says its unlikely the projects he's announcing today will be initiated before the 2021-22 financial year.

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The minister says the 16 schools on today's list will benefit jointly from an estimated £40m of investment "to enhance their facilities, improve the teaching and learning environment for each school community".

There are 10 primary schools, four post-primary schools and two special schools on the list., external

He says he will consider whether there should be a third tranche of the scheme.