Liz Redmond, the Director of Population Health, begins her briefing.

She provides an update on the current restrictions and relaxations announced by the Executive earlier this week.

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At the time of the seventh review of restrictions on 18th February, she tells MLAs the R number was decreasing however, there were 460 Covid inpatients in NI hospitals, still "extremely high" compared to the first wave.

Ms Redmond goes on to talk about some of the changes made regarding the regulations including Motability services and click and collect services at some non-essential retail outlets including garden centres and baby clothes retailers.

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After a short break, Colm Gildernew reconvenes the meeting.

He takes the members to the next item of business.

It's a consideration of amendments to the Covid Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) regulations.

Department of Health official Liz Redmond is giving a briefing.

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Alan Chambers asks about pathways for the police to direct people to mental health services and advice.

He says there have been "worrying gaps in the past" around this.

"In some paces there are. It's patchy and it depends on the nature of the person's needs," Prof O'Neill replies.

"We need to improve" the linking-up of health with the criminal justice system, the mental health champion adds.

Colm Gildernew thanks Prof O'Neill for her briefing and the committee members have a brief discussion of the matters raised by the session.

Alliance’s health spokesperson, Paula Bradshaw questions the professor on the impact of waiting lists.

The Mental Health champion says tackling waiting lists is important with physical pain often potentially correlating with mental illness.

However, Prof O’Neill wants both ambitions to run side-by-side even though there is “a competition for funds”.

"To turn Northern Ireland around we need to address waiting lists but we need to move on with mental health prevention and mental health services at the same time.”

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Carál Ní Chuilín of Sinn Féin says she's been dealing with groups in the voluntary and community sector that have had their contracts with the health trusts awarded "with up to a 40% reduction".

She says she sees this as "a really, really retrograde step".

Prof O'Neill says "it's awful" and that the sector has been "picking up the pieces in the pandemic".

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The SDLP's Cara Hunter asks about barriers to support for mental health issues in rural areas.

"This is where we need that cross-departmental approach," says Prof O'Neill.

"The wi-fi, the broadband, all of that is crucial," in making sure people are not isolated, she adds.

If you, or someone you know, have been affected by mental health issues, the following organisations may be able to help.

You can find current information and support for issues covered by BBC Action Line on this website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/actionline

People Before Profit’s Gerry Carroll is up next.

He asks if there should be more of a focus on community and relationships rather than on medication to help with mental illness.

Many of us know how powerful an anti-depressant can be,” says Prof O’Neill, “but it takes a number of weeks to work.”

“The answer is not really through medication but it can be helpful as part of a programme of therapy.”

Prof O’Neill adds that there is a “workforce planning issue” that needs to be addressed to train more counsellors and psychologists.

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Órlaithí Flynn of Sinn Féin wants to know how the trauma-informed recovery plan will interlink with the mental health action plan and what the mental health champion's priorities are.

Prof O'Neill says the action plan is based around mental health services.

She says the priorities are crisis intervention and "dual diagnosis services" bringing together matters such as addiction and mental health.

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Pam Cameron of the DUP wants to know how the trauma-centred approach can be "engrained" within schools, health services and businesses.

"We raise awareness of the importance of psychological safety and of real safety," says Prof O'Neill.

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Committee chair, Colm Gildernew asks for more information about the Good Summer Wellbeing Programme.

She adds that she is working with the Public Health Agency to develop a programme that "will be available to all children and young people in Northern Ireland".

Highlighting that she'd ideally like any activities to take place outside of a school setting, Prof O'Neill adds, "we need to give children a real break this summer", while recognising events may need to be held virtually depending on restrictions at the time.

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Prof O'Neill says she's going to be calling for the development of "a trauma-informed recovery plan" for NI.

"There are several population groups that have been disproportionately affected and have suffered very real trauma, which comes on the top of previous trauma," she says.

Prof O'Neill says the pandemic has brought with it a lot of stress.

She says the trauma-informed "prioritises our physical safety and also our psychological safety".

The mental health champion identifies the groups particularly affected by trauma as children, young people , women, people with children at home and people with existing mental or physical illness, people on very low incomes and unpaid carers.

We're back from the short break.

Colm Gildernew turns to the next item of business, it's a briefing from the interim Mental Health Champion, Prof Siobhan O'Neill.

She's accompanied by her colleague, Peter Cash.

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"You're arguably the busiest woman in the country," says the SDLP's Cara Hunter.

She asks the witness if she has had any conversations with Health Minister Robin Swann about "vaccine hesitancy and resistance".

Ms Donnelly says that in Northern Ireland "there will be a small number of people who will be highly opposed to the vaccine" and a slightly greater number who are hesitant and anxious.

She says the Public Health Agency will target information at such groups of people and that it is "of enormous interest to the minister".

Colm Gildernew thanks Ms Donnelly for her briefing and says the committee will now take a short break.

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North Down MLA Alan Chambers (UUP) asks if military personal have been deployed yet to help with the rollout.

“We expect within the SSE Arena that there will be a number of military who will be vaccinating there as part of the team,” says Ms Donnelly.

She says assistance was offered earlier but was refused due to the shortages in vaccine supply, however says that they will be “an important part of the programme”.

Sinn Féin's Órlaithí Flynn says she's heard from constituents about some shortages in GP practices.

She asks about fluctuations in supply at GP level.

"There are always issues," says Ms Donnelly, adding that up until the large delivery of vaccines at the beginning of March "we had steady but small supplies".

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Paula Bradshaw of Alliance asks if there have been any incidents of community transmission of Covid linked to the vaccination centres.

"There's been absolutely no outbreaks in vaccination centres," says Ms Donnelly.

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The DUP’s Jonathan Buckley asks what the suspension of the AstraZeneca rollout in the Republic of Ireland could mean for Northern Ireland.

“The reason we have been successful to date is that we are single-minded in the programme,” says Ms Donnelly.

“We just want to get it done and identify any problems that there are and try and resolve them as we go along.”

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Carál Ní Chuilín of Sinn Féin says she's in the 55-59 age category and hasn't been able to book a vaccination slot in Belfast.

She wants to know if the SSE Arena vaccination centre will definitely open on 29 March.

Ms Donnelly says she's disappointed to hear that the MLA wasn't able to get an appointment in Belfast "but there are appointments available in other centres".

She confirms that the SSE Arena will open on the 29th and they aim to open the bookings next week.

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Deputy chair of the committee, Pam Cameron says she believes Ms Donnelly is “the most popular person in Northern Ireland” due to the success of the vaccine rollout.

The DUP MLA says she’s glad the delay in Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine supply won’t have “too great an impact”.

Ms Cameron asks if and when another “bumper supply” of the vaccine is available, will it allow for the rollout to “ramp up”?

“We have the capacity to ramp up significantly,” Ms Donnelly responds in reference to using the SSE Arena. “We will and should be able to get up to 40,000 a week.”

Colm Gildernew opens the committee questions.

He wants to know what the likely impact of the delay in vaccine delivery will be of the on the plan Ms Donnelly was working to "yesterday or the day before".

"Worst case scenario it probably puts us back by four weeks," the health official replies, adding that mitigation measures being put in place "we hope should only delay us by two weeks".

Image source, Reuters

Ms Donnelly says that by the time the mass vaccination centre centre at the SSE Arena is opened "we would be opening to the over-40s. I think that that will be maybe delayed by two weeks".

Mr Gildernew asks about the possible impact of the delay on the easing of restrictions.

Ms Donnelly says that would very much be a question for the health minister and that "the overall timings we have given the minister haven't changed substantially".

After a couple of technical mishaps, Ms Donnelly opens her statement.

She firstly updates on the success of the vaccine rollout.

“We are slightly ahead of our schedule,” she tells MLAs.

704,000 doses on vaccines had been administered as of Tuesday with 604,000 people vaccinated," she says.

Moving onto concerns about a delay in the rollout of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, Ms Donnelly makes members aware that plans have been “adjusted accordingly”.

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“I think I indicated before that we have tried to be flexible in the way we deliver this,” she says.

“Anyone who has had a booking, it will be honoured, anyone who is expecting a second dose, we have vaccine reserved for that.”

She adds that it’s hoped some first doses will still be administered during April.

Ms Donnelly closes her opening remarks by saying that a large scale operation to vaccinate people at the SSE Arena in Belfast has had to be “scaled down” due to the delay.

Image source, NI Assembly

Committee chair Colm Gildernew opens the meeting to the public.

The meeting is being held remotely with members and witnesses joining by video link.

The Sinn Féin MLA takes members through some initial committee business.

The first briefing of the day is with the head of the NI Covid-19 vaccination programme, Patricia Donnelly.

There's a problem with her link so the committee takes a break.