Michelle O’Neill says people in Northern Ireland are “good people” and she does not want to see anybody “living in fear”.

“We need to say no to racism, no to hated, no to sectarianism that is out there in our society,” she adds.

“What happened last night was horrific, people need to separate those things out.”

She also accuses one reporter of asking a “totally inappropriate question” and “fake news” to a question about open borders.

O’Neill adds that she does not know “any country that has open borders”.

“I believe in an immigration system that is fair and managed and enforceable and compassionate and human rights-compliant, but that is not the debate for today.”

Instead, she says ministers’ thoughts today were with the victim of the knife attack and on keeping the situation calm.