by Gareth Cross
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is set to take advice on cutting MLAs' salary after the latest impasse at Stormont.
James Brokenshire made the announcement after the DUP and Sinn Fein missed another deadline to restore the power-sharing Executive at Stormont.
"I will also be seeking independent advice on what steps should be taken to reflect the current circumstances in MLA pay," he said.
The NI Assembly collapsed in January 2017 following a decision by deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness to resign his position following the RHI scandal and equality issues.
Sinn Fein and the DUP have continued to clash over marriage equality and an Irish Language Act during recent negotiations.
MLAs' elected following the March 2017 election continue to receive their full salary of at least £49,500 per year plus expenses.
They can claim expenses for a wide range of services including constituency offices rent and staff.
MLAs' can also claim for mobile phone expenses and constituency and assembly travel expenses.
Those who serve in Ministerial roles or other roles with added responsibility receive a higher salary.
The highest paid members of the Assembly are the First and deputy First Minister who are entitled to a salary of £121,500.
Salary rise
MLA's are currently scheduled to receive payrises of £500 every April until 2020.
Speaking after the latest round of talks Mr Brokenshire said that while progress had been made an agreement could not be reached.
He said he would bring forward a Budget Bill at Westminster in the coming weeks to stop the civil service running out of resources to keep vital public services running.
However, the Labour Party's Shadow Secretary of State Owen Smith has said that MLAs' should continue to receive their full salaries.
"It is a short term and populist step," said Mr Smith.
"Ultimately it will be a long term dis-benefit to the people of Northern Ireland unless you subscribe to the view we don't need politicians and want to leave the running of things to the civil servants.
"But long term if people thought about that, they wouldn't want it either.... ultimately people want decisions to be accountable."
The Shadow Secretary said that Mr Brokenshire's decision to introduce a budget bill would be 'tantamount to direct rule'.
Poll
In a straw poll donated on The Derry News's social media accounts the public made their feelings known on MLA salaries.
The results were overwhelmingly in favour of cutting all MLAs' salaries going forward (77%).
A small number (15%) said that it should just be the DUP's salaries which are cut, with under than a tenth (7%) saying that MLAs' salaries should remain unchanged.
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