Northern Ireland Assembly Commission

TheNorthern Ireland Assembly Commission(usually referred to as theAssembly Commission) is the corporate body of theNorthern Ireland Assembly.The commission is headed by theSpeaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly,currentlyAlex MaskeyMLA.

Establishment

TheNorthern Ireland Act (1998)established a Northern Ireland Assembly. The Act provides for the creation of a Commission to make "arrangements for administrative, secretarial or other assistance" to the Assembly. The Act defines the Presiding Officer (styled Speaker in the manner of the old Parliament of Northern Ireland) as the chairperson of the commission. Legal proceedings taken for or against the Assembly are taken for or against the commission on behalf of the Assembly.

The Assembly staff assigned to this body now form an enlarged Commission Secretariat. The secretariat had a staff of 71 during the 2009-10 session.

Responsibilities

The commission has responsibility for the pay and pensions of members both directly and through tax-payer funded appointees. The first ever Act of the Assembly was to do with members pensions and was taken through its Assembly stages with very little ado by a member of the commission. The members of the commission are party appointees who receive a substantial premium over and above the basic MLA salary. This body also has an interest in the provision of property, staff and services to support Assembly members,Parliament Buildingsandgrounds.

Commission membership

The Commission consists of the Speaker along with five otherAssembly members.

Party		Member
	Independent	Alex MaskeyMLA(chairperson)
	Alliance	Judith Cochrane
	DUP	Peter Weir
	Sinn Féin	Caitríona Ruane
	SDLP	Pat Ramsey
	UUP	Sam Gardiner

See also

• Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body
• Senedd Commission(Wales)

External links

• Assembly Commissionat niassembly.gov.uk
• Office of the Speakerat niassembly.gov.uk