MLAs have backed an almost 10% increase in the Stormont assembly’s running cost and higher pay for themselves.
The budget for the regional legislature will increase from April by £5.7m to £64.2m, after an overwhelming majority of MLAs voted in support of next year’s spending plan.
People Before Profit’s Gerry Carroll was the sole opponent of the motion, which was moved by Sinn Féin’s Sinéad Ennis on behalf of the Assembly Commission, the body that oversees the running of the assembly.
Mr Carroll criticised his fellow MLAs for giving themselves an “unnecessary and unjustifiable” pay increase.
The rise in costs includes more money for political parties, increased spending on MLAs’ security measures, and a salary boost for senior assembly staff, some of who earlier this year received wage increases of between 12-15%.
More funds are also needed for ICT and additional security at Parliament Buildings, with the Assembly Commission blaming the “stop-start nature” of the Stormont administration in recent years for previous under-investment.
The MLAs’ vote for the budget increase came ahead of Tuesday’s publication of an Audit Office report which found the Assembly Commission spent some £0.5m more than it was supposed to on repairs to the roof of Parliament Buildings.
According to auditor general Dorinnia Carville, the commission “expended more resource than the assembly had authorised”, forcing MLAs to vote to increase the repair costs by more than 22% from an original estimate of £2.2m.
In the 2025-26 budget voted through on Monday, the assembly’s overall salary costs will increase by £2.4m to £26.2m.
Each MLA is expected to receive a wage increase of £500, which will take their basic salary to more than £53,000.
The overall cost of the increase is projected to be £185,000 taking the total cost of MLAs’ salaries to £7.2m.
The total assembly members’ wage bill is £419,000 greater than the Welsh Senedd but around half that of the Scottish Parliament, which has 129 members compared to Stormont’s 90.
MLAs voted to increase annual constituency costs by £688,000 to £13m.
Mr Carroll criticised the level of pay increase for MLAs while “working class families are struggling to pay bills and afford life’s basic essentials.”
“Teaching unions are balloting members who are waiting on a fair pay deal, while health and social care workers are still fighting for pay parity – far too many ordinary workers are forced to fight tooth and nail for a livable wage.”
“Instead of fighting for better pay, terms and conditions for these workers, executive parties are content to wave through a budget that enriches MLAs. Stormont has once again shown that it is out of touch with ordinary people.”
The Assembly Commission was approached for comment.
