The North's Agriculture Minister has said she is hopeful the end of the foot-and-mouth crisis is near.
Speaking in the Assembly, Ms Brid Rodgers said her Department had paid £7 million in compensation since the disease had come to Northern Ireland and a further £500,000 had to be paid.
In a statement to Assembly members, she said: "We are hopefully coming to the end of the foot-and-mouth crisis." Ms Rodgers said the reopening of livestock marts could start within weeks as restrictions were reduced.
"My intention is to permit the marts to reopen on a phased basis and under a suitable disease-control regime, as soon as it is safe for them to do so, a process which I think will be able to start within the next few weeks," she said.
While marts would be opening for cattle sales, sales of sheep would not be permitted for some time, she said.
Ms Rodgers said the Northern Ireland situation was in "stark contrast" to that in Britain, where foot-and-mouth continued to occur. Controls on the movement of livestock, products and people from Britain to the North would remain until the picture improved significantly.
"It will be important that this dovetails with any review in Great Britain, and, of course, we will wish to liaise carefully with the authorities in Dublin to ensure that cross-Border lessons are also taken into account," Ms Rodgers said.
Meanwhile, the Assembly unanimously supported a committee report calling for the appointment of a commissioner for children and urged the First and Deputy First Ministers to take full account of its recommendations.
Members heard evidence that in an average week three children in the North were raped and a dozen more indecently assaulted.
The commissioner should have a broad remit covering all aspects of children's rights, and should monitor the delivery of those rights, the report said. The role should include those ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland who were receiving services, such as healthcare or education, outside it.