The budget for the Low Pay Commission is €474,000 for 2016. This is broken down into pay and non-pay elements. The pay budget is €244,000 and covers salaries for the secretariat and members’ fees. The non-pay budget of €230,000 covers research and administration costs.
The secretariat has a designated staffing complement of three full time staff. The Commission has also entered into a 3 year research partnership with the ESRI.
I believe that the resources allocated are sufficient to deliver the Commission’s work programme for 2016.
I understand that the UK Low Pay Commission has a budget of Stg£827,000, and eight full time staff members. While the remit of both bodies is broadly similar in nature, the work of the UK Commission covers a wider geographical area and a significantly greater number of stakeholders to engage with.