Independent Remuneration Board
Minutes of Proceedings - 22 October 2026
Meeting Location: Room 106, Parliament Buildings
Present:
Alan Lowry, Chairperson
Craig Griffiths, Member (remote attendance)
Robert Herron, Member
In Attendance:
James Gilsenan, Assembly Clerk
Roisin Donnelly, Senior Assistant Assembly Clerk
Krystal Clarke, Executive Assistant
Jonathan McMillan, Head of Legal Services, NI Assembly Legal Services (Agenda item 6)
Helen Smyth, Legal Adviser, NI Assembly Legal Services
(Agenda item 6)
John Hart, Head of Communications, NI Assembly (Agenda item 7)
Suzanne Murphy, Deputy Head of Finance (Members), Finance, NI Assembly (agenda item 8)
Memet Pekacar, Actuary, Government Actuary Department (remote attendance, agenda item 8)
The meeting commenced at 9.29 am.
1. Apologies
There were no apologies.
2. Declaration of Interests
No interests were declared in relation to the agenda items listed for the meeting.
3. Chairperson's Business
There was no Chairperson’s Business.
4. Draft Minutes
Agreed: The Board agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 15 September 2026.
5. Matters Arising
The Clerk provided an update on the Assembly Commission’s ongoing work in relation to security arrangements for MLAs.
6. Draft Determination on Assembly Members’ Salaries
The Board discussed the responses received to its consultation on the Draft Assembly Members (Salaries) Determination (Northern Ireland) 2027.
The Board noted it had received:
- Four statutory consultee responses (Assembly Commission, Assembly Members’ Penson Scheme Trustees, Alliance Party, Sinn Féin,).
- 274 responses to its public consultation survey on Citizen Space; and
- Seven emails from members of the public in relation to the Draft Determination.
The Board discussed its Draft Determination.
Agreed: The Board agreed to amend the Salary section of the Determination to reflect that the annual salary payable to a member, following the 2027 Assembly election, shall be £68,544.
Agreed: The Board agreed to amend the Salary increases for members section of the Determination to reduce the capped percentage increase to 2%.
Jonathan McMillan, Head of Legal Services and Helen Smyth, Legal Advisor, NI Assembly, joined the meeting at 10.45 am.
The Board provided instructions on its agreed amendments to the Draft Determination.
The Chairperson thanked Mr McMillan and Ms Smyth for their attendance.
Agreed: The Board agreed to meet when the amended Determination was available for final review and agreement.
The Board agreed to consider Agenda item 8 before item 7.
Assembly Members’ Pensions
Suzanne Murphy, Deputy Head of Finance (Members), NI Assembly and Memet Pekacar, Actuary, Government Actuary Department (remote attendance) joined the meeting at 10.51 am.
Ms Murphy and Mr Pekacar outlined further pension considerations and, in particular, recommendations regarding the McCloud remedy.
The briefing was followed by a question-and-answer session.
The Chairperson thanked Ms Murphy and Mr Pekacar for their attendance.
Agreed: The Board agreed draft correspondence to be issued to former Members seeking input on matters the Board should consider in relation to a Determination on pensions.
Agreed: The Board agreed to engage legal advice in support of its consideration of issues relating to Members’ pensions.
7. Board Communications
John Hart, Head of Communications, NI Assembly, joined the meeting at 11.17am.
The Board discussed the communication of the Assembly Members (Salaries) Determination (Northern Ireland) 2027.
The Chairperson thanked Mr Hart for his attendance.
8. Correspondence
The Clerk provided an update on the Board’s draft Retention and Disposal Schedule and Privacy Notice.
9. Forward Work Programme
The Board discussed a provisional timetable for progressing its Pensions Determination.
10. Any Other Business
There was no other business.
11. Date, Time and Place of the next meeting
The next meeting was provisionally scheduled to take place online on Monday, 2 November 2026 to discuss the amended Determination.
The meeting was adjourned at 11.49 am.
Chairperson, Independent Remuneration Board
2 November 2026
