MLAs Urged to Justify £14,000 Pay Rise
Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) in Northern Ireland are being called upon to "do better" in order to justify a proposed £14,000 salary increase set to take effect from April, according to Rita Devlin, head of the Royal College of Nursing in Northern Ireland.
On Thursday, the board responsible for determining pay and pensions for assembly members recommended a salary increase of nearly 27% for MLAs.
Rita Devlin expressed that while she supports MLAs achieving "parity" with their political counterparts across the United Kingdom, they must demonstrate tangible improvements in the lives of people in Northern Ireland.
She also raised concerns regarding the timing of the pay rise, questioning whether MLAs would receive the increase promptly, especially in light of nurses having to threaten strike action previously to secure pay uplifts promised by the executive.
"Will MLAs have to wait a year and threaten to go on strike to get the money or will it slide into their pay packet very quickly?"
"And what are they doing to deserve that increase because they need to be better, we depend on the politicians of Northern Ireland to make life better and I don't see that happening at the minute."
Pay Rise Considered Fully Justified by Former Panel Chair
Currently, MLAs earn £53,000 annually, which is lower than the salaries of their counterparts in Scotland and Wales.
Pat McCartan, former chair of the Independent Financial Review Panel (IFRP) that previously set pay levels and expenses for MLAs, stated that the proposed increase is "fully justified."
McCartan was one of three panel members whose terms ended in 2016 and were not replaced until a new panel was established last year following new legislation.
Speaking to BBC's Good Morning Ulster, McCartan expressed confidence in the accuracy of the proposed pay rise figure.
"I am in no doubt at all that the board had got the figure for the proposed rise correct."
He acknowledged that the number of MLAs might be reduced from the current 90 and recognized that politicians currently have low popularity.
Comparative Salaries of Politicians in UK and Ireland
Members of the Scottish Parliament receive £74,507 annually, while members of the Welsh Parliament earn £76,380.
At Westminster, Members of Parliament (MPs) earn £93,904 per year, and members of the Dáil, the lower house of the Irish parliament, earn €118,284 (£103,416).
