Councillors vote for 5% pay increase

Derry City and Strabane District councillors have voted to increase their pay in line with the Consolidated Councillor Allowances circular issued by the Department for Communities.

The circular, which was discussed at Wednesday’s meeting of Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Governance and Strategic Planning committee, was issued on April 2, 2025. 

It reflected an increase of 5% in the maximum rates for Basic Allowance from April 1, following the Minister Gordon Lyons’ decision, with Executive agreement, on his consideration of the recommendations in the recently published ‘Review of the Role and Responsibilities of Councillors’ report. 

The revised Scheme means the Annual Basic Allowance for a Councillor will increase from £17,456 to a maximum of £18,329.

The Department is also seeking an amendment to the relevant legislation to transfer responsibility for setting the rate of this allowance paid to councillors to the Department.

Ald Derek Hussey (UUP), said he was proposing the recommendation even though it fell “very far short” of the recent review carried out into allowances for elected councillors; it was seconded by Cllr Rory Farrell (SDLP).

The Sinn Féin bloc and Cllr Gary Donnelly (Independent) abstained when the vote was taken. 

Ald Hussey added: “Members may be interested to know that the Minister for Communities considers that the working hours of a councillor is 20 hours per week; I find that absolutely ridiculous. The man has not got a clue on the work that is done by councillors. He simply hasn’t got a clue.”

Ald Keith Kerrigan (DUP) agreed that the allowance increase was “well short of the recommended figure”. 

Cllr Sandra Duffy (Sinn Féin) said her party had taken a “principled stand a number of years ago not to vote on our own pay rise within this chamber”.

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“It is still the position of Sinn Fein but I understand where people are coming from,” she added.

“I do welcome the change in the legislation from the Department where the Department will take that decision and I think that is the right place for a decision to be taken.”

Subsistence allowances for councilors remain unchanged from 2015 and Travel Allowances remain at the 2017 rates. 

The updated Scheme also notes that the allowances for the Mayor and Deputy will continue to remain fixed at the July 2019 rates pending a Council decision to modify.