Jayne McCormack
BBC News NI political correspondent

The shape of our new four-party executive is starting to become clear.

All with a caveat, of course, that there can still be last-minute blips but we hear that the Ulster Unionists are in line to take the health portfolio again with ex-minister Robin Swann making a comeback.

It's thought the DUP's Paul Givan - the former first minister whose resignation triggered the collapse of the executive - could return as education minister.

While Sinn Fein's John O'Dowd is now in line to take infrastructure and Andrew Muir of the Alliance Party will be the new minister for agriculture.

Conor Murphy of Sinn Fein had already been anticipated as economy minister, the DUP's Gordon Lyons is in the frame for finance and Deirdre Hargey of Sinn Fein is likely to return as communities minister.

These posts will be the last selections of the day and there is still a while to go before things officially kick off.

SDLP MLA Matthew O'Toole, who is set to take up the position of leader of the opposition in the Assembly, says that his party will "ensure delivery and accountability".

Speaking in Stormont's great hall, he says that his party will be a "constructive and serious opposition".

"The last two years NI has been in groundhog day," he says.

He describes the upcoming appointment of Michell O'Neill as the first nationalist First Minister as a "moment of profound significance".

But he adds that incoming ministers will now have a job to do, listing hospital waiting lists, childcare and public sector pay as among issues that he says they will need to tackle.

Politicians are stopping to speak to the media before heading into the chamber.

Click play at the top of the page to watch the press conferences as they happen.

Image source, PA Media

Linzi Lima
BBC News NI

Workers from the Education Authority have arrived at the front gates of Stormont and are now walking up the hill towards Parliament Buildings.

Last month they took part in the biggest strike action in Northern Ireland in 50 years as part of a dispute over public sector pay.

Unite Regional Rep Kieran Ellison says that today is a "welcome step in the right direction".

"Now the politicians are off strike they can help us stop our strike action," he adds.

"We are here to be heard and find out if the money required to settle the dispute is available."

Fiona Trott
BBC News

Image source, Reuters

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has been speaking at Stormont ahead of Michelle O'Neill's installation as first minister.

She says there is a lot of work to do "we’re all conscious of that".

She adds that the "government and executive could not be in more kinder and compassionate hands than Michelle O’Neill’s".

Chris Mason
Political editor

The park runners have company — the politicians are back!

Early morning runners here had blue skies, no rain and plenty of chat about devolved government returning.

The conversation heads up the hill and turns political shortly — things will get underway here at 13:00 (GMT).

Image source, PA Media

Loyalist activist Jamie Bryson has posted on social media that "today is a day of great sadness for unionism" as "the DUP will return to implement the Irish Sea border".

In a lengthy post, he says he wishes DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and his team well and hope it turns out many years from now "that I was wrong and he was right - because if, as I firmly believe, the opposite is true then the Union will be permanently altered at best, dismantled at worst".

On Friday, a group of unionists, including the Traditional Unionist Voice leader Jim Allister and Mr Bryson, published a legal opinion from the former Northern Ireland attorney general John Larkin KC.

Mr Allister said Mr Larkin has concluded that "nothing here restores Article 6 of the Act of Union, it remains in suspension - the consequence of that is colossal".

Image source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Sinn Féin vice-president Michelle O'Neill has arrived at Stormont ahead of becoming Northern Ireland's first nationalist first minister.

Although the first and deputy first ministers hold a joint office and have equal power, Ms O'Neill's appointment to the role is being seen as a landmark moment for Irish nationalism.

Ross McCrea
Live page reporter

Image source, PA Media

Alex Maskey, the outgoing Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, has issued a statement as he prepares to stand down from the position he has held since 2020.

In a farewell letter, Maskey said the office of Speakers a very specific and unique role in our political system'. He added that it had been 'a tremendous honour' to hold the position.

He also thanked the MLAs he had served alongside throughout his career, praising their support.

"I am grateful to all of my party colleagues." he said.

"They have given me great comradeship through the highs and lows of what have undoubtedly been historic decades and I cannot overestimate what that has meant to me."

Finn Purdy
BBC News NI

The restoration of the institutions at Stormont makes the front page of several of Northern Ireland's daily newspapers.

The Belfast Telegraph goes with the headline "Now make it work", alongside images of Sinn Féin's deputy leader Michelle O'Neill, and the DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson.

Image source, Belfast Telegraph

The Irish News reports that the deal between the DUP and UK government to restore power-sharing has the backing of Irish Taoiseach (prime minister) Leo Varadkar.

Image source, Irish News

Meanwhile, the News Letter notes that while DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson received support from the majority of his party executive to go back into Stormont, not everyone in the party or wider unionism is happy with the deal.

Image source, News Letter

Trade between Northern Ireland, the rest of the UK and the Republic of Ireland was straightforward before Brexit - all parties were in the EU and shared the same trade rules.

However, when Northern Ireland left the EU, a deal was required to allow trade to continue with the Republic of Ireland.

• The first agreement, the Northern Ireland Protocol, introduced new checks on goods from Great Britain coming into Northern Ireland, which took place at NI ports
• The Windsor Framework amended the protocol by creating two "lanes" for goods arriving in NI from GB: green for goods remaining in NI and red for goods which may be sent on to the EU
• The new deal, agreed between the UK government and the DUP, external - called "Safeguarding the Union" - will further reduce checks and paperwork on goods moving from GB to NI

There will be no routine checks on British goods which are staying in Northern Ireland.

The changes are expected to be agreed by the UK-EU Joint Committee, which oversees Northern Ireland's post-Brexit trading rules.

The government will also introduce two pieces of legislation to guarantee Northern Irish goods can be sold in Great Britain in all circumstances, and to confirm Northern Ireland's place in the UK.

You can read more here

Chris Mason
Political editor

Image source, Liam Burney/PA

Today brings the prospect not just of restored devolution, functioning government for Northern Ireland, but a Sinn Féin First Minister, Michelle O'Neill.

It is a weakness of my trade, journalism, to occasionally splash around in hyperbole, exaggeration and attach the word "historic" to forgettable footnotes or one-day wonders.

But a Sinn Féin first minister would be a landmark moment-the party aspires one day to unite with the Republic of Ireland.

And take a look at the Republic-Sinn Féin surged forward at the last general election and opinion poll numbers for them, while down recently, suggest they are the most popular political party in Ireland, with an election expected in the next year or so.

So they are buoyant.

Yes, Northern Ireland's first and deputy first minsters have equal legal powers, and one of them can't make any decisions without the agreement of the other.

But one job title has the word "deputy" in it. And the other does not.

The assembly leader of the largest party becomes the first minister, and Sinn Féin won more seats than any other party-for the first time-in the devolved elections in Northern Ireland in May 2022.

It will be a moment heavy with history when Michelle O'Neill becomes first minister,

Read more here.

The Northern Ireland Assembly has released an order paper for proceedings today.

You can follow along with all the developments on this page or by clicking play at the top of the page.

Image source, Northern Ireland Assembly

Jayne McCormack
BBC News NI political correspondent

The tents and satellite dishes are up. It’s a sight you only see when something big is happening at Stormont.

And let’s face it, it’s been a while.

But the final countdown is on to 1300GMT and this place will officially be back in business.

We’re told the horse trading for ministerial posts continued overnight but who’s in the frame will start to emerge in the coming hours.

Fiona Trott
BBC News

BBC News NI has been speaking with a number of park runners around Parliament Buildings in Belfast ahead of the expected return of devolved government in Northern Ireland.

Lisa Burns says she is relieved that power-sharing at Stormont is making a return.

"The first thing I want them to do is sort out our transport infrastructure," Lisa says.

Lisa, who is running alongside friends who work for the NHS, also says more investment is needed to help tackle hospital waiting times.

Peter Coulter
Live page reporter

Image source, Reuters

Good morning and thanks for joining our live coverage of the restoration of devolved government in Northern Ireland.

Two years to the day since the Stormont executive collapsed, members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) will return to parliament buildings.

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) collapsed the executive in opposition to post-Brexit trading arrangements.

Earlier this week the DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said his party had reached an agreement with the UK government which meant they were now prepared to go back into Stormont.

This afternoon Sinn Féin vice president Michelle O’Neill will become first minister, the first time a nationalist has held the role.

The role had previously been held by the DUP but following the assembly election in 2022 Sinn Féin became the largest party.

The Northern Ireland Assembly will begin its sitting at 13:00. Stay with us as we bring you live updates and analysis as Stormont returns.