The Northern Ireland Secretary is also set to delay the deadline for calling a new assembly election.
Image source, PA MediaNorthern Ireland politicians at Stormont are to have their salaries cut by almost a third due to the stalemate over the establishment of an executive, BBC News NI understands.
The executive has been blocked from meeting since February due to the DUP’s Northern Ireland Protocol protest.
NI Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris will make an announcement later.
He is also expected to extend a deadline for calling an assembly election by an initial six weeks.
This means an election would need to take place at the start of March.
However, there is also expected to be an option in the legislation for a further six-week extension.
Assembly members (MLAs) currently receive an annual salary of £51,500 a year.
In 2018, they saw their pay cut by 27% following a review undertaken by former assembly chief executive Trevor Reaney.
He recommended a pay cut until a functioning executive was restored.
Karen Bradley during her time as Northern Ireland secretary then imposed a pay cut in two stages.
Election delays
On Friday, Mr Heaton-Harris ruled out a Christmas poll, after insisting an election would be called as power-sharing at Stormont had not been restored.
Devolved government has not functioned since February, with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) blocking the formation of the ruling executive.
The party has taken that stance in its protest against the post-Brexit trading arrangement known as the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Sinn Féin won the most seats in May’s election, entitling the party to nominate for the position of first minister.
The party’s vice-president, Michelle O’Neill, has accused the DUP of refusing to return to power-sharing because an Irish nationalist would take up the post.
Heaton-Harris’s election approach
- May – After the assembly election the DUP refuses to take up the position of deputy first minister as part of its ongoing protest over the Northern Ireland Protocol. As a result, no Northern Ireland Executive is formed.
- 4 October – Newly-appointed Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris says he will call a fresh assembly election if no executive is formed by the legal deadline of 28 October
- 18 October- He says he “cannot be clearer” that an election will be triggered if the executive is not restored by 00:01 on 28 October.
- 19 October – He defends his plans
- 28 October- The legal deadline passes. Mr Heaton-Harris says he will hold an election, but does not set a date.
- 4 November – It is announced there will be no election before Christmas.
- 9 November – BBC News NI understands the deadline for calling an election will be extended by another six weeks, with the option for a further six week extension after that.
The protocol was designed to ensure free trade could continue across the Irish land border, but it has led to new checks on some goods moving between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
It had been expected that a poll could be held on 15 December and electoral staff had been preparing for that date.
But on Friday, Mr Heaton-Harris said having heard concerns about the impact and cost of a snap election, it would not take place “ahead of the festive season”.
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Mr Heaton-Harris is also likely to indicate that he will pass a budget for Northern Ireland via Westminster and provide additional powers to Stormont civil servants to allow them to take some decisions in the absence of ministers.
On Tuesday, Derek Chollet, counselor of the US Department of State, said he had spoken to Mr Heaton-Harris and reaffirmed his administration’s support for the restoration of Stormont and the Good Friday Agreement.
He added the US hoped “negotiations on the implementation of the NI Protocol will bring agreed solutions”.
Read more: Stormont crisis explained