920 health staff on £100,000 plus

A further 2492 health service, social care and public safety workers are paid between 50,000 and 100,000 every year.

The bare minimum bill the public foots to pay all these people is over 216m.

The staff are employed by a range of public health agencies including the Western Health and Social Care Trust (WHSCT) the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service and the Ambulance Service (NIAS).

The revelation follows an Assembly research paper published last month which showed 253 Western Trust managers alone are earning over 38,851 a year.

The paper produced by Dr Janice Thompson and Helena Maginness revealed 152 managers in WHSCT are earning between 38,851 and 46,621; 62 between 45,254 and 55,945; 34 between 54,454 and 67,134; and 5 between 65,270 and 80,810.

None of these managers earned over 77,079 according to the research though a number of directors are in receipt of salaries in excess of that figure.

Dr Thompson's report showed that Western Trust Chief Executive Elaine Way is paid between 115,000 and 120,000.

The salaries of a range of other directors are also highlighted, such as Mr J. Doherty (90,000 - 95,000); Mrs L. Mitchell (80,000 - 85,000); Mr A. Corry Finn - Director of Acute Services from 18/11/08 to 17/05/09 (80,000 - 85,000); Dr A. Kilgallen (100,000 - 105,000); Mr J. Lusby - Deputy Chief Executive/Director of Planning and Performance Management to 17/05/09 and Director of Acute Services (from 18/05/09 to 30/10/09) - (95,000 - 100,000); Mrs N. Sheerin (75,000 - 80,000); Mr T. Millar (60,000 - 65,000); Mrs S. Groogan (60,000 - 65,000); Mr A. Moore (60,000 - 65,000).

In total the cost of paying managers at the Western Trust last year was 18,239,000, which was 3.37 per cent of its annual income and an improvement on the 20,815,000 management costs in 2009 (4.31 per cent of total income).

According to Dr Thompson's report, which was presented to the Stormont Health Committee last week the "Western Trust advised that, in addition to corporate managers, these figures include a number of clinical staff who are paid on the AfC Band 8, including certain Pharmacists, Clinical Psychologists, and Nurses.

"The Trust was not in a position to provide detail on job titles for all of these posts but outlined the range of titles used at this grade – Heads of Service, General Managers and Assistant Directors."

The Assembly report does not take account of the salaries of leading doctors and consultants working in the Western Trust whose basic salaries range between 74,504 and 100,646.

Last year the total cost of paying staff at the Western Trust was 298,586,000.

Elsewhere, eleven staff at agencies and 'arms length bodies' of the Departments of Justice and Regional Development also breach the 100,000 ceiling.

Eight similar staff at DEL; seven at OFMDFM; three at DSD; two at the Department of Education (DE) and at the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) and one each at DfP, DETI and DCAL all receive a 100,000 salary.

Only at the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) and the Department of Environment (DoE) are there no staff on more than 100,000 a year.

The Minister of Finance and Personnel Sammy Wilson revealed these details in response to an Assembly Question.