MLAs to get £2,000 pay rise from May

Northern Ireland Assembly members (MLAs) are set to receive a more than £2,000 pay rise next year, bringing their annual salary to £69,216.

The increase will take effect from the first sitting day of the new assembly mandate next May, under draft proposals by Stormont's Independent Remuneration Board.

The proposals follow MLAs being awarded an almost 27% uplift in their annual wages in April - a rise more than £14,000.

Alan Lowry, chair of the board, said that was a "corrective measure" after years of no substantial rises - but future increases would be expected to "reflect inflationary and other pay trends".

"MLAs carry out a wide range of important duties, from representing constituents and scrutinising legislation to holding ministers and departments to account," he said.

He said it was "right that their remuneration recognises the complexity and importance of those responsibilities, while ensuring that financial considerations do not discourage people from seeking elected office".

He added: "As we look ahead to the assembly election next year and the start of a new mandate, it is important that we put in place a structured and transparent mechanism that links MLA pay to changes in earnings in Northern Ireland.

"This approach ensures that pay remains aligned with wider developments in society, while providing certainty and maintaining public confidence in the process."

Under the proposals, while the basic MLA salary will increase in line with earnings growth, payments for different office holders will remain unchanged throughout the 2027-32 mandate.

Lowry said: "In making this draft determination, we are increasing the transparency of our decision-making and making it easier for the public to understand how remuneration is structured.

"The board will now consult with our statutory consultees - MLAs, the Assembly Commission and the Assembly Members' Pension Trustees, over a four-week period.

"It is also inviting views from members of the public during this same timeframe.

"After that, we will take some time to reflect on the responses received and present a final determination to the Assembly Commission for publication and implementation."

The proposals come as Stormont ministers face pressure from trade unions over public sector pay, with some health workers taking part in strike action in recent months.

The health minister at the time said he was unable to implement pay awards in the absence of an agreed Stormont budget.

Northern Ireland's four-party devolved government has yet to set a budget five months into the financial year.

Stormont departments are facing a shortfall of up to £1.6bn, according to a spending watchdog.

With no agreed plan, public services have been operating under contingency arrangements.

The parties have been holding talks with the UK government and Treasury in recent months in a bid secure additional funding.

Members of the Scottish Parliament receive £77,711 while members of the Welsh Parliament earn £79,817 a year.

At Westminster, MPs earn £98,599 a year while members of the Dáil (lower house of the Irish parliament) earn €119,467 (£102,334).

The three-member panel was set up with the sole remit of setting MLAs' pay and pension entitlements.

It was established under legislation passed last year.

The body replaced the Independent Financial Review Panel (IFRP), which had made decisions on both the wages and expenses provisions for MLAs.

However the tenures of its three members ended in 2016 and they were never replaced.

MLAs at the time took issue with some of the rules the panel imposed, including limits on salaries for constituency office staff and other matters such as office signage.

The bill which established the Independent Remuneration Board was backed by the Assembly Commission - a body which handles the running of Parliament Buildings and involves representatives of Stormont's main parties.

But some MLAs criticised the bill, arguing it would lead to assembly members receiving significant pay rises.