REVEALED: Stormont special advisers and their salaries confirmed

The total annual salary pay bill is £876,498, which the Department of Finance says is below the annual salary pay bill in 2017 of £1,162,894.

The Department says the average salary for special advisers has decreased by 14% since then with the average salary now almost £10,000 less than the 2017 equivalent.

Some of the most notable inclusions are Emma Little-Pengelly, the former DUP MP for South Belfast who lost her seat at last year’s general election, and is now a special adviser in the Executive Office with a salary of £78,000.

Alastair Ross, the former Stormont minister and ex-DUP MLA for East Antrim who left politics some time ago, will be in the Department of the Economy earning £65,000.

Two former DUP councillors are also appointed to the Executive Office, Philip Weir, a doctor from the Craigavon area, and ex-Dungannon mayor Kim Ashton.

Details of Special Adviser appointments: Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs - Mr Mark Beattie - Pay-band 1; Communities - Mr Ronan McGinley - Pay-band 1; Economy – Mr Alastair Ross* - Pay-band 2 £65,000; Education - Mr Peter Martin - Pay-band 2 £60,000; Finance - Mr Eoin Rooney - Pay-band 1; Health - Mr Mark Ovens - Pay-band 2 £60,000; Infrastructure - Ms Tanya McCamphill - Pay-band 1; Justice - Ms Claire Johnson - Pay-band 1; Executive Office - Mr Stephen McGlade - Pay-band 3 £78,000; Executive Office - Dr Dara O’Hagan - Pay-band 3 £78,000; Executive Office - Mr John Loughran - Pay-band 2 £67,000; Executive Office - Dr Philip Weir - Pay-band 3 £78,000; Executive Office - Ms Emma Little-Pengelly - Pay-band 3 £78,000; Executive Office - Mrs Kim Ashton - Pay-band 1.