Ms Nicholl has said: “This is a welcome announcement and I hope it sees the unblocking of a bill that has been held up for far too long. People in Northern Ireland have waited long enough.

“We are significantly behind on employment legislation compared to other parts of these islands, and that gap has been widening. The drafting of this bill took longer than it should have, and its progress through the Executive has been unnecessarily delayed. That needs to be acknowledged.

“The place for scrutiny of this legislation is in the Assembly, not in drawn-out, closed-door negotiations. I’ve long argued that the Economy Committee needs to be able to assess the bill, hear from businesses, employees, and the sector at large, and help create legislation that works for everyone. That is what democratic scrutiny looks like, and we are ready to do that work.

“I have met with business representatives, including the NI Chamber, CBI and FSB, and I understand the frustrations of employers who have been waiting without sight of the bill. That uncertainty has not served anyone well. The Assembly is the right place to work through those concerns.

“We are far behind where we should be and it is time we got to work on this important legislation. Alliance is ready to do so."