Ad Hoc Committee on the AssemblyMembers (Remuneration Board) Bill

Minutes of Proceedings - 25 February 2025

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Meeting Location: Room 30, Parliament Buildings

Present:

  • Phillip Brett MLA, Chairperson
  • Cathy Mason MLA, Deputy Chairperson
  • Paula Bradshaw MLA
  • Pádraig Delargy MLA
  • Gary Middleton MLA
  • Daniel McCrossan MLA

Apologies:

  • John Stewart MLA

In Attendance:

  • Jim McManus, Committee Clerk
  • Roisin Donnelly, Assistant Committee Clerk
  • Carla Campbell, Clerical Supervisor

The meeting commenced at 1:00 pm in public session.

 

1. Apologies

Apologies as above.

 

2. Chairperson’s Business

There was no Chairperson’s business.

 

3. Declaration of Interests

The Chairperson advised members of their requirement to register their interests under Standing Order 69(5).

Agreed: The Committee agreed that as the Ad Hoc Committee has been established to scrutinise a Bill that relates to MLA salaries, allowances and pensions, the minutes should reflect that all members of the Committee have a financial interest in the work of the Committee.

 

4. Draft Minutes

Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 20 February 2025.

 

5. Matters Arising

There were no matters arising.

 

6. Assembly Members (Remuneration Board) Bill – oral briefing from Assembly Research and Information Services

Ray McCaffrey, Research Officer, NI Assembly Research and Information Service, joined the meeting at 1:02 pm.

Cathy Mason joined the meeting at 1.03 pm.

The research officer briefed the Committee on the regimes governing the pay and allowances of members of the Senedd, Scottish Parliament, House of Commons, Dáil Eireann and Seanadd Éireann.

The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

The Chairperson thanked the research officer for his attendance.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that the RaISe Briefing Paper is published on the Committee’s webpage.

 

7. Correspondence

There was no correspondence.

 

8. Forward Work Programme

The Committee considered a draft Forward Work Programme.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to meet at the earlier time of 10.00 am on Tuesday, 11 March to receive oral evidence on the Bill from the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority.

Members discussed the different regimes governing the pay and allowances of members of the other legislatures and those that aligned more closely to what is provided for in the Assembly Members (Remuneration Board) Bill.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to invite the Senedd Remuneration Board to provide oral evidence on the Bill.

Agreed: to reconsider the decision to invite the Oireachtas Commission to provide oral evidence and to consider receiving written evidence from the Oireachtas Commission.

 

9. Any Other Business

There was no other business.

 

10. Date, Time and Place of the next meeting

The next meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee was scheduled to take place at 1:00 pm on Tuesday, 4 March 2025 in Room 29.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 1.33 pm.

Phillip Brett MLA

Chairperson, Ad Hoc Committee on the Assembly Members (Remuneration Board) Bill

4 March 2025