Independent Remuneration Board
About the Board
The Assembly Members (Independent Financial Review and Standards) Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 (“the 2011 Act”) created an independent body to determine the salaries, allowances and pensions payable to Members of the Assembly.
In September 2025, the 2011 Act was updated by the Assembly Members (Independent Remuneration Board) Act (Northern Ireland) 2025 to create the Independent Remuneration Board (“the Board”), making changes to the powers and governing framework of the previous body (Independent Financial Review Panel).
The function of the Board is to determine the salaries and pensions payable to members of the Assembly. The Board comprises a Chairperson and two other members who are appointed for a five-year term. The Board is independent of the Assembly and Assembly Commission.
The Board will make its determinations on salaries and pensions only once in respect of each Assembly, however the 2011 Act does make provision for exceptional circumstances.
Members of the Board
Alan Lowry
Alan Lowry is Executive Chair of Environmental Street Furniture, the award-winning global exporter of street furniture, he established with his wife Caroline in 2012. He is also chair of the Federation of Small Businesses in Northern Ireland and on their UK wide policy board since 2021.
Mr Lowry currently serves on the UK Government Small Business Growth Forum, and as an Export Champion for the Department of Business and Trade, as well as regular TV, radio and press interviews and monthly columns in many local, and national publications.
He previously served as Chair of the Electrical Wholesalers Federation, and the Institution of Lighting Engineers. He is currently a guest lecturer in Ulster University Business School.
Mr Lowry is currently Chair of the charity Zimbabwe Orphan Care, a role he had held since 2006, supporting feeding, education and orphanage programmes in Harare, Zimbabwe, and operating the ‘Jabulani’ children home.
Over an almost 40 year career in business, Mr Lowry has spent the last 13 years guiding and directing Environmental Street Furniture to global success in 30+ countries, opening an office in the USA, and winning the Queens award for international trade in 2022. Previously he was a director with WT Burdens, where he oversaw global expansion with offices opened in Australia, UAE and USA.
Craig Griffiths
Craig Griffiths is the Head of Members’ Business Support with the Senedd Commission, overseeing teams that administer allowances and that provide generalist HR support to Members of the Senedd. Prior to taking up this role, Craig was a lawyer with the Senedd’s Legal Services team, where he provided legal advice on a range of business and corporate matters, including to the Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd.
Now a non-practising solicitor, Craig practiced public and commercial law for 18 years, working in local government and private practice.
Robert Herron
Robert Herron is a Presbyterian Minister. He served as Clerk of the Presbytery of Omagh from 2004 to 2023. He is a past President of the Irish Council of Churches. Currently, he is a Trustee of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, a Charity Trustee of the General Investment Fund (PCI), a Charity Trustee of the Presbytery of Omagh, Chair of the Presbyterian Herald Oversight Panel (the official magazine of PCI), a member of the Council for Public Affairs (PCI), and Convener of the State Education Committee (PCI). He represents the Presbyterian Church on the Transferor Representatives’ Council.
Robert is a former Chair of the Western Education and Library Board, and a past President of the NI Association of Education and Library Boards. He was appointed to the Board of the Education Authority in 2015 and served until 2025. During his membership of the EA, he was Chair of the Resources and People Committee, the Remuneration Committee, the Membership and Teaching Appointments Committee, the Education Committee, and a member of the Strategic Planning and Policy Committee. He has forty years’ experience as a school governor and in 2015 was awarded an OBE for services to education.
How to contact the Independent Remuneration Board
If you wish to contact the Independent Remuneration Board please contact: remunerationboard@niassembly.gov.uk
