Finance Minister Máirtín Ó Muilleoir has announced that an extra 45 buses are to be ordered as part of borrowing agreed at Stormont House.

A total of £10m has been allocated to purchase the buses from Ballymena-based Wrightbus and other operators.

Another £15m will be provided for roads structural maintenance.

Details of the Executive’s First Step Stimulus package were announced as the finance minister addressed the Assembly on the outcome of the October Monitoring round on Tuesday.

We need long term economic stimulus and I envisage this will be delivered by the Executive in the near future. Today, we are sending an early signal of intent to our citizens through the First Step Stimulus package. Finance Minister Máirtín Ó Muilleoir

Spending will include:

£4.8m to the Department of Health for Translarna Muscular Dystrophy treatments

£2.5m to the Department for the Economy for route development at City of Derry Airport

£1m to the Education Department for Irish medium nurture units and other pressures

£600,000 to the Public Prosecution Service

£22.7m for capital building expenditure

£13m to the Education Department for minor work and the purchase of furniture and equipment in schools

£8.7m for the Health Department for essential maintenance and defibrillators for ambulances

£1m to the Infrastructure Department for investment in LED street lighting

Around £150m a year will be saved in staff costs through the voluntary exit scheme.

Future rounds of redundancies will widen it from the core civil service to arm’s-length bodies.