'Double-Jobbing' Salaries Top £4.7m

Salaries and expenses ranging from just under a quarter of a million pounds up to £360,000 are being paid to 16 local politicians.

All are 'double-jobbing' representatives, being MLAs and MPs and almost half are paid over £9,000 in allowances as councillors as well.

In all the taxpayer has funded the top 16 politicians to the tune of more than £4.7m last year in pay and expenses. It worked out at £4,753,431, or £290,000 on average.

It's also a family business in many cases as eight currently register the employment of family members.

Gregory Campbell's wife works for him, part-time and Nigel Dodd's wife - the DUP's candidate in the forthcoming European elections is employed - while Jeffrey Donaldson's wife also works part-time for him.

Rev William McCrea employs his son; Dr Alasdair McDonnell has his niece on the payroll and Ian Paisley pays two daughters and son Ian Jnr, as a part-time assistant.

However, the First Minister's family is the most family-orientated organisation as Iris Robinson employs her daughter-in-law part time and her own son full time.

The Stormont Executive's most senior member, Peter Robinson, (pictured above) while well down the 'double-jobbing' salary league, in 13th place - earning just under £275,000 - employs both a daughter and a son.

However, this may soon change, as decisions have still to be taken on proposed expenses reforms tabled by the independent Senior Salaries Review Body.

Its report on Assembly remuneration has recommended a thorough review into Northern Ireland politicians holding dual mandates.

It also proposed a limit on the constituency office expenses currently available for MLAs who are also MPs.

They can currently claim some £107,000 a year from Westminster to staff and operate offices, as well as £72,000 from Stormont.

Last year, NI Finance Minister Nigel Dodds had the highest individual sum with £359,395 as an MP, MLA, Stormont Minister and Belfast City councillor.

Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness were both well up the table too, reflecting their enhanced pay levels as the most senior Ministers.

However, Mr McGuinness and his fellow Sinn Féin MPs do not take their Commons seats and receive no pay from Westminster, but are permitted to claim parliamentary expenses.

All other 'dual mandate' MPs already have their Assembly pay cut by two thirds.

Sinn Féin's Pat Doherty is bottom of the table, 16th in the MP/MLA pay league, with a combined salary of £245,000, or £115,000 less than the top paid politician, Assembly Finance Minister, Nigel Dodds.

Last month, NI Environment Minister Sammy Wilson said councillors/MLAs should have their council allowances cut from the current £9,500.

The DUP man said they should only get a proportion of this amount and is considering a change in the law so that councillors who double up as MLAs should get a third or even a quarter of this allowance.

However, Mr Wilson himself earns over £323,000 (third place) from his double-jobbing as an MP/MLA and councillor.

See: Cut Councillors' Allowances: MP/MLA

(BMcC/JM)