Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 2010

CHAPTER 4 SEVERANCE PAYMENTS TO COUNCILLORS

Severance payments to councillors

19.—(1) The Department may, by regulations, provide for the making by an existing district council of payments (“severance payments”) to, or in respect of, persons who—

(a) immediately prior to the start of the prescribed period were members of the council,

(b) ceased, by resignation, to be members of the council before the end of that period, and

(c) satisfy such other conditions as may be prescribed.

(2) The regulations may include provision as to—

(a) the amounts of severance payments and the methods of calculating those amounts;

(b) the procedure for applying for severance payments and for dealing with such applications.

(3) If regulations under subsection (2)(a) provide for the amount of any severance payment payable to, or in respect of, a person to be calculated by reference to any period for which that person was a councillor, then for the purposes of that calculation there shall be disregarded any period in which that person was both a councillor and—

(a) a member of the Assembly (within the meaning of the Northern Ireland Act 1998);

(b) a member of the House of Commons; or

(c) a member of the European Parliament.

(4) In section 4(1) (disqualifications for being elected, or being, a councillor) of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 (c. 9), after paragraph (e) add—

“(f) he has received a severance payment (within the meaning of section 19 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 2010).”.