Statement by TUV Comber Councillor Stephen Copper:
“Following her appointment as an MLA TUV called on Emma Pengelly to refuse or repay the golden handshake (which was in excess of £45,000) she received when she left her position as a Special Adviser in OFMdFM to become an MLA for South Belfast.
“We pointed out that the huge severance payment will leave a bad taste in the mouth of many members of the public, particularly when one considers that she left a generously paid taxpayer funded job to serve in public office.
“The arrangements pertaining to Special Advisers in Northern Ireland are in need of urgent overhaul, some of which would have happened had the DUP and Sinn Fein/IRA not teamed up to block TUV’s Private Members Bill.
“Now that Mrs Pengelly has been appointed a Junior Minister just weeks after becoming an unelected MLA I would renew TUV’s call for her to refuse or repay her SpAd severance payment.”