Mrs Foster notes that Passover and Easter are ahead of us - "important events in our faiths’ calendars, important moments for our citizens".

She says she and Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill met the leaders of the four main churches yesterday.

"We need to continue to acknowledge how much people need hope and solace," she says.

"We noted in our discussion yesterday the desire of the churches to work towards a return to in-person services in time for Easter," the first minister adds.

Image source, NI Assembly

"We acknowledge the risk involved and the mitigations required by the churches. Some places of worship will find it easier to continue with online services of course," she says.

In conclusion, the first minister says we have a long way to go "but the steps we as an executive have agreed are designed to start that process in line with our Pathway commitments and to give that bit of hope that everyone is seeking".

The first minister says the executive has focused “on outdoor settings where the risk is relatively lower than indoor settings”.

Arlene Foster appeals to the public to “follow the public health advice,” to “wash your hands, and maintain social distancing” and “if you are meeting up with other people, plan your journey and plan what you do when you meet up”.

Turning to “key events in coming weeks,” the first minister says that “tomorrow, St Patrick’s Day would normally be enjoyed by many”.

“We need this to be different tomorrow,” says Mrs Foster.

“Please continue to stay home. Do not socialise outside your family or your bubble, and we particularly want to say to young people that you need to follow the rules and the advice.”

Image source, Inpho

The executive has agreed to increase the provision for elite sports from 25 March “to allow a number of new competitions to begin", says the first minister.

Arlene Foster says this is a “minor adjustment to the current restrictions” which “will allow two World Cup qualifications matches scheduled for 25 March and 31 March to take place as well as a friendly match between NI and the USA on 28 March”.

While the games will be played, no spectators will be permitted at any sporting event, says Mrs Foster.

The first minister notes that "the weather is improving and we have been in this current lockdown for around 80 days".

"We want to give you hope and we have discussed today a number of small steps which we hope will be welcome," she adds, before outlining some of the main changes:

Mrs Foster says the executive have decided that from 1 April:

a. 10 people from 2 households can undertake outdoor sporting activities, as defined in the regulations;

b. Up to 6 people from two households may meet outdoors in a private dwelling;

c. Garden centres and plant nurseries will be included in the contactless ‘click and collect’ scheme;

Image source, Ni Assembly

The following will apply from 12 April:

a. Increasing the numbers who can meet outdoors in a garden from six to 10 (including children) from two households;

b. Removal of the ‘stay at home’ provision in the legislation; moving to a stay local and work from home message.

c. Allow contactless ‘click and collect’ for all non-essential retail – subject to the overall health position at that time, and DfE evaluation of the limited 8 March re-opening of non-essential ‘click and collect’;

d. Allow outdoor sports training to resume by sports clubs affiliated with recognised sports Governing Bodies, in small groups of up to 15 people but with all indoor spaces closed except essential toilet facilities.

Image source, NI Assembly

“Our commitment has always been that we will not leave restrictions in place for a day longer than is needed,” Arlene Foster tells MLAs.

She talks about the first anniversary of the initial lockdown, which was enforced in March 2020, adding “we have been in this current lockdown for around 80 days”.

“That is a long time and a big ask, and we have been so grateful to everyone who has made a personal contribution to the improvement in the Covid situation,” says the first minister.

“We want to give you hope and we have discussed today a number of small steps which we hope will be welcome,” adds Mrs Foster.

“The executive is clear on the need to think especially hard about our children and young people,” says the first minister.

Arlene Foster says that last week it was decided that pre-school, nursery and primary school pupils in P1-P3 “would remain in school until the start of the Easter Break,” while students in years 12-14 would return to face-to-face teaching from next Monday.

Image source, PA Media

Then confirmation, from the first minister, that the executive has decided that P4-7 pupils "should return fully from 22 March and all pupils including Years 8-11 will fully resume on 12 April”.

Image source, NI Assembly

Arlene Foster says “Covid-19 is still with us in our community,” before outlining that today there are “176 Covid in-patients in our hospitals,” 18 people in ICU with Covid and that there has been one further death.

While the numbers are better, the first minister stresses “that caution is important”.

“We have seen how numbers can rise rapidly and we do not want to go back there," she says.

The first minister refers to the executive's Pathway out of Restrictions document which was published on 2 March.

Mrs Foster says the documents "outlined our rationale," which she adds is "cautious but optimistic".

Here we go - you watch live by hitting the play button at the top of this page.

Image source, Getty Images

So what are we expecting the first minister to say?

Earlier, the Northern Ireland Executive agreed a number of measures easing Covid-19 restrictions here. This includes the return of P4-P7 pupils to school full-time from next Monday.

The current rules came into force on 26 December in a bid to suppress the spread of coronavirus.

A number of other measures have been agreed from 1 April including:

• Allowing six people from two households to meet in a private garden
• Outdoor gatherings in a public space allow 10 people from two households, to allow some sporting activity such as golf
• Click-and-collect for garden centres and plant nurseries

Check out our latest on what the current coronavirus restrictions mean for you here.

Hello and if you're just joining us there's a short break in proceedings at Stormont ahead of a statement to be given by the first and deputy first ministers on the easing of Covid-19 restrictions.

We're expecting Arlene Foster to begin speaking at about 4.50pm - you can watch live via the play button at the top of the page and follow text updates right here.

Pat Sheehan is up next and winds on the motion.

The Sinn Féin MLA pays tribute to his colleague John O’Dowd, a former education minister, for the work he has done in supporting students.

Mr Sheehan says 41,000 further education students in NI are studying courses “which are level 3 or above” and have each experienced disruption to their education.

Image source, NI Assembly

He says refusal to extend the £500 payment to further education students “further entrenches inequalities in our society”.

“The minister says she can’t give money to universities in Britain, fair enough, but she must find innovative ways of getting money into the hands of hard-pressed students,” add there West Belfast MLA.

The amendment is defeated on an oral vote and the Sinn Féin motion passes.

Christopher Stalford of the DUP winds on his party's amendment .

He refers to a recent answer he received from the health minister in which Robin Swann confirmed that “NI has now broken its own record for the prescription of anti-depressants” - something Mr Stalford says reveals the impact of the pandemic.

Image source, NI Assembly

“We both want similar outcomes here, there’s just a disagreement on how to achieve them,” says the MLA in relation to his party’s amendment and the Sinn Féin motion.

The South Belfast MLA praises the efforts of Diane Dodds the Economy Minister, and his party colleague.

"I'm acutely aware that all our students have experienced terrible disruption since the onset of the pandemic," says Minister for the Economy Diane Dodds as she begins her reply to the debate.

She says that remote learning has had an effect on the mental health of students and that she wants to see a return to face-to-face learning as soon as possible.

The minister outlines the "wide-ranging and targeted" support she has supplied for students.

Turning to the question of payments to students from NI studying in GB and the Republic of Ireland.

Image source, NI Assembly

She says she and her officials had a discussion with the Student Loan Company about arranging such a payment.

Subsequent legal advice indicated that the department would not have the power to make such payments to public bodies outside of NI, she explains.

Mrs Dodds says those students without access to the NI scheme "will have full access to the payments and the supports that are available from within their institution".

Image source, ITV News

The first pictures of the new Downing Street press room have been revealed.

The price tag of more than £2.6m has led to criticism from opposition parties, with Labour calling it the PM's "latest vanity project".

But Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab defended the spend, telling BBC Breakfast: "Making sure we communicate with the public is very important."

ITV News published the pictures of the US-style briefing room on Monday, which sits within No 9 Downing Street.

Read more on this story here.

Image source, NI Assembly

Stewart Dickson of Alliance says that if the minister keeps hearing the same speech in the chamber perhaps "she'll maybe start to get the message".

He says it has been "an incredibly challenging year" for students.

Mr Dickson highlights the lack of access to library facilities and the problems for students who have been left to pay for accommodation they cannot use.

He notes that the minister says does not have the "legal vires" to extend the payments.

"But just because she can't doesn't mean she shouldn't be making the effort to try and do it," the East Antrim MLA says.

Sinead McLaughlin says the financial crisis facing students is “very closely” linked to a mental health crisis.

The SDLP MLA says the “criteria for hardship funds is a real problem” for students.

The Foyle representative welcomes the £500 student support fund that was announced, but says she wants to see this extended for NI students studying in GB.

“Is there a single party in this assembly that is against making payments to GB and ROI students?”

Image source, NI Assembly

Ulster Unionist John Stewart says students are facing anxiety and stress as a result of the pandemic.

Full-time students are “paying full fees for courses that are primarily taking place in their bedroom,” and are “paying extortionate rent to private landlords for accommodation they can’t use,” says the MLA.

Image source, NI Assembly

The DUP's Gary Middleton moves his party's amendment.

"Students of all ages, right across the province, have faced very challenging circumstances throughout the Covid pandemic," the Foyle MLA says.

He says the £500 payment for students was part of a £37m package to address issues across the further and higher education sector.

Mr Middleton says that students from NI studying in England, Scotland and Wales "do have access to support from the institutions that they are enrolled in".

You can read the amendment in full here., external

Caoimhe Archibald of Sinn Féin is moving the motion and starts the debate.

“The pandemic has had a devastating impact on the lives of so many,” she says.

Dr Archibald adds that “students have been left in a situation where, despite the best efforts of lecturers, teaching assistants and other staff, the university or college experience is not what many had expected or signed up for”.

Image source, NI Assembly

Turning to the announcement of £500 for full-time students, Dr Archibald welcomes the fund, but questions why it hasn’t been extended to all students.

The Sinn Féin motion is calling for the payment to be extended to students from Northern Ireland studying in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

“There is still time for you minister to say to students ‘I hear you’,” she says.

“I hope you will heed the calls in this motion and finally do this.”

Image source, NI Assembly

Patsy McGlone, the deputy speaker, takes over the reins at the top table.

He returns members to an earlier item of business - the DUP motion on welfare support.

Having debated the issue this morning, MLAs take an oral vote.

An amendment to the motion by People Before Profit’s Gerry Carroll is passed, and the amended motion also passes.

The next matter on the agenda is a Sinn Féin motion on Supporting Students.

You can read it in full here., external