Coronavirus: £316m allocated to pandemic recovery fund

The Northern Ireland Executive has allocated more than £300m of pandemic-recovery funding.

Almost £100m relates to existing business support grants.

There is £60m directed to health services and £50m earmarked for education.

Finance Minister Conor Murphy said although Covid restrictions were easing, the pandemic's impact remained "profound" and that the money would support "social recovery".

Mr Murphy said the pandemic had also had a significant impact on mental wellbeing and funding had been provided for "a number of mental health interventions".

The breakdown of funding to the education sector will see £20m to provide laptops for teachers and voluntary youth services, and £10m for wellbeing and pastoral support for students.

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Funding will also go to special educational needs (SEN) services as well as the Irish medium sector, outdoor education centres and outdoor play in primary schools.

An additional £9m has been allocated for the further education sector.

The full allocation of money will see:

• Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs - £2.6 million to include funding for the Wastewater Surveillance Programme, Rural Business Community Fund and Rural Community Ornamental Garden Scheme.

• Department for Communities - £10 million for councils, £3 million for the Community Support Programme, £1 million for Food Interventions, £0.8 million to support town and city centres and £0.5 million for IT support.

• Department for the Economy - £14.1 million for the Large Hospitality and Tourism Business Support Scheme and £18 million for the Covid Restrictions Business Support Scheme.

• Department of Finance - £64m for the Localised Business Support Scheme and £2.7 million for loss of income, staffing and recruitment.

• Department of Justice - £21.5 million of funding for cross-justice recovery, NI Courts and Tribunal Service, NI Prison Service and PSNI.

• Department for Infrastructure - £20 million for lost income.

• Public Prosecution Service for cross-justice recovery - £1.3 million.