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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
National
Brendan Hughes

One in seven MLAs employ family members in their offices

One in seven MLAs employ family members in their constituency offices.

Thirteen of the 90 members of the Stormont Assembly declared having relatives on the payroll, according to the latest register of interests.

The DUP has the most MLAs who employ relatives with eight, followed by the UUP with two and the Alliance Party with one.

Read more: DUP's Edwin Poots tells NI secretary to 'bring it on' after MLA pay cut warning

TUV's sole MLA, party leader Jim Allister, and independent unionist Alex Easton also each employ a family member in their constituency offices.

The overall figure is two fewer than in 2019, when 15 MLAs had relatives on the payroll.

Stormont's expenses rules were changed in 2016 to limit to one the number of family members who could work for an MLA.

The move saw a significant reduction in the number of MLAs employing relatives. In 2011, around two-fifths of MLAs employed family members.

Former DUP First Minister Paul Givan employs his father as a research assistant in his Lagan Valley office, according to the latest register of interests.

DUP Education Minister Michelle McIlveen's brother works as a researcher in her office in Strangford, while DUP North Antrim MLA Paul Frew, a former Economy Minister, employs his wife as an office manager.

Former UUP leader Steve Aiken's spouse is a part-time research officer in his South Antrim constituency office, while UUP East Belfast MLA Andy Allen employs his wife's aunt's husband as a communications officer.

Alliance South Belfast MLA Paula Bradshaw employs her husband as a part-time parliamentary officer.

TUV leader Jim Allister employs his daughter as a part-time receptionist and constituency case worker for his North Antrim constituency office.

DUP East Belfast MLA Joanne Bunting employs her aunt as a part-time constituency assistant.

DUP South Antrim MLA Trevor Clarke employs his wife as an office administrator, while fellow DUP representative for the constituency Pam Cameron employs her daughter is a part-time administration clerk.

DUP Strangford MLA Harry Harvey employs his wife as an office manager, and the party's Newry and Armagh MLA William Irwin employs his daughter as an office assistant.

Independent unionist MLA Alex Easton's wife works in his constituency office in North Down.

Meanwhile of Northern Ireland's 18 MPs, four declare on their registers of interest employing family members.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson employs his wife as a secretary and DUP North Antrim MP Ian Paisley employs wife as a part-time administrative assistant.

DUP East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell employs his wife as a part-time secretary, while DUP East Belfast MP Gavin Robinson employs his father as a part-time office manager.

The DUP, UUP, Alliance, TUV and Mr Easton were approached for comment.

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