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Survivors of historical institutional abuse in Northern Ireland have welcomed a government apology but rejected the church's attempt to say sorry.

During the long-awaited public apology at Stormont, the victims of historical institutional abuse in Northern Ireland were told they had been failed by the state.

And in the Assembly's chamber, they held a minute's silence for those victims who had not lived to see this day.

With no First Minister or deputy First Minister in office, five ministers - representing each of the main Stormont parties - offered their apology on behalf of the government.

DUP education minister Michelle McIlveen said: "Today, we say that we are sorry. Whilst in the care of the state you were made vulnerable - we did not ensure all our residential homes were filled with love and safety.

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"We did not ensure these homes were all free from hunger and cold, from mistreatment and abuse. It was the state's responsibility to do that, and it failed you.

"We neglected you, rejected you, we made you feel unwanted. It was not your fault. The state let you down."

Alliance Party justice minister Naomi Long said: "No one can undo the past; nor can we undo your past.

"We acknowledge your desire to make sure that future generations of children will never have to suffer the abuse you experienced - we echo that desire and it is our job to make sure that does not happen.

"Your courage and determination led to a report that made government and society reflect upon how it treated its most vulnerable and on the harms they endured."

SDLP infrastructure minister Nichola Mallon said: "We hope that our clear and outright acknowledgement will bring some relief.

"The guilt and shame of what happened is not, nor has it ever been, your burden to bear.

"The burden belongs only to us; those who should have protected you."

Ulster Unionist health minister Robin Swann said: "What happened to each and every one of you was wrong.

"It should not have happened and it is critical that every possible step is taken to ensure that nothing like this happens to any other child in the care of the state - ever again."

Delivering the final apology, Sinn Fein finance minister Conor Murphy said: "You, and all victims and survivors, deserve nothing less than full acknowledgement of the harm inflicted on you as children, and the suffering you have endured throughout your lives as a result of our failures.

"You deserve to be supported in the right way, as recommended by Sir Anthony Hart."

Representatives from six organisations, which ran the institutions, have also apologised.

Brother Francis Manning, from De La Salle, specifically acknowledged failings at Rubane and St Patrick's Training School.

He said his organisation accepted that there were children in their care "subjected to physical and sexual abuse, and to excessive physical punishment".

Sister Cornelia Walsh, from the Sisters of Nazareth, said: "We recognise your pain and the long-awaited journey you have travelled to reach this day.

"There are no acceptable excuses. We are sorry."

Uainin Clarke, from Sisters of St Louis, accepted the findings that a "harsh regime" existed in St Joseph'sTraining School, Middletown.

"To those of you who suffered at any time while at St Joseph's and are still carrying that pain, we say we are especially sorry that when you were a child or a teenager, you did not always feel safe or believed while at St Joseph's."

Cait O'Leary, from the Good Shepherd Sisters, acknowledged that "mistakes were made in the care provided to girls and young women".

"The practice of changing names on admission represented poor practice and should not have happened.

"In one of our institutions, there was a practice of reading out misdemeanours and humiliating you in front of others. We unreservedly accept that this amounted to emotional abuse and deeply regret that you experienced this practice."

Michele Janes, of Barnardo's, said: "We know now there were times when we failed to query some of the behaviours that staff displayed and when concerns about staff behaviour were reported by you or identified by other members of staff, we did not use the systems or processes we had in place robustly enough to ensure your voice was heard.

"We should have ensured that those responsible should have been removed from their roles immediately."

Reverend Mark Jones, representing the Irish Church Missions, said: "These were crimes that could have been detected and should have been prevented.

"We recognise that such violations robbed you of your childhood and that you continue to live with the consequences to this day."

The Nazareth Home where Kate Walmsley was abused no longer exists but memories of the place continue to haunt her.

She said: "You might as well say I lost my life because I went in there as a little girl that knew she lived in a family and all of a sudden she was traumatised.

"I was totally traumatised and sometimes I don't like to look back there."

Kate and the other survivors welcomed the State apology but were far from persuaded by the words from Religious Orders.

Margaret McGuckin, who led the campaign for a public inquiry, said: "It's easy to read off a script. They were made and forced to come to this stage today."

Jon McCourt, another survivor, added: "If what happened today was the best that the church could offer by way of an apology, they failed miserably."

The Northern Ireland Historical Abuse Inquiry was the largest of its kind in the UK and found shocking levels of abuse in 22 children's homes between 1922 and 1995.

Inquiry chair Sir Anthony Hart outlined a series of recommendations after he revealed shocking levels of sexual, physical and emotional abuse in the period 1922 to 1995.

The recommendations included that those abused in state, church and charity run homes should be offered compensation as well as an official apology from government and the organisations which ran the residential facilities where it happened - and a memorial.