Image source, NI Assembly

Jonathan Buckley is chair of the Infrastructure Committee.

He pays tribute to the work of the DVA (Driver and Vehicle Agency) carrying out driving and vehicle tests during the pandemic.

The DUP MLA outlines a meeting the committee members had with the Infrastructure Minister, Nichola Mallon, and her officials 18 months ago.

"There was an air of risk management and crisis planning. There was an acknowledgement that there would be a backlog but no understanding of what was coming down the line," he adds.

Mr Buckley says the committee has "continuously" raised concerns about "delays and backlogs".

"The backlogs have continued and the delays have remained," he says.

MLAs now turn to some unfinished business which was initial pencilled in for discussion on Monday.

It’s a motion from the Infrastructure Committee in support of measures being implemented by the DVA to address the backlog in MoT testing.

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Mike Nesbitt says “no one is above the law, anybody guilty of wrongdoing should face the criminal justice system”.

“That said, I believe we are in possibly the worst of all possible places - not for the first time the police ombudsman has concluded there were murders that could not have been prevented, could not have been stopped and yet she points the finger at police officers with the expression collusive behaviour,” adds the Ulster Unionist.

“What really does that mean?”

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“Today will be a day of mixed emotions” for the families of those who died, says Alliance MLA John Blair.

“The revelations contained within this report are deeply disturbing and raise serious issues and questions while having the potential to undermine confidence in policing,” he adds.

“There remains huge individual and collective hurt in our society,” says Mr Blair.

Sinn Féin MLA Liz Kimmins notes that "eight RUC Special Branch Agents were involved in 27 murders and attempted murders in south Belfast".

"The ombudsman has found collusion in each and every killing, lives could and should have been saved," she adds.

Ms Kimmins says the report shows "a clear pattern of collusion and cover-up".

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The DUP's Trevor Clarke says he finds it "ironic" and that he's sure the speaker would not give him enough time "to read out all of the numbers of people who have been murdered at the hands of terrorists".

He says "the reading of this report is disappointing of the findings in terms of any involvement".

Image source, NI Assembly

Matthew O’Toole says the Police Ombudsman’s report “finds a web of investigatory failings, completely inappropriate police behaviour and yes, what she terms, collusive behaviours”.

The SDLP MLA adds that she is “clear that she finds in her detailed report, which comes to more than 300 pages, extensive evidence of which she terms collusive behaviours”.

He highlights a number of issues raised in the report, including “the failure to tell people when there were known threats against them, though the police ombudsman does not find that these murders could have been prevented by police action, she does find that there was a failing to tell people that they were at risk which is shocking”.

“Most shocking of all, Mr Speaker, is the finding that a deactivated, or apparently deactivated gun was placed back into the hands of a UDA, UFF informant, that is utterly shocking.”

Assembly Speaker Alex Maskey calls the members to order.

SDLP MLA Matthew O'Toole has been given permission to make a Matter of the Day statement on the Police Ombudsman's report into the murders at Sean Graham's bookmakers on the Ormeau Road in Belfast in 1992.

Welcome to our live coverage of Tuesday at the Northern Ireland Assembly.

The members sat late into the evening on Monday and they'll start today's session by concluding any unfinished business.

Later, they'll discuss Covid regulations and Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots will appear at Question Time.

The assembly meets at 10:30. Do stay with us.