“We will aim to submit our 2026 Northern Ireland Report to you in late July.” That line, in a letter from Prison Service Pay Review Body chair Tijs Broeke to Justice Minister Naomi Long dated 19 May and published on GOV.UK on 27 May 2026, gives operational prison staff their clearest sign yet of when this year’s pay round may shift from evidence-taking to decision time. For a service that has seen settlements drag on before, even a month on the calendar carries weight. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)

The published exchange is only a page long, but it shows the process has moved on. Broeke said the oral evidence sessions had now concluded, thanked Long for attending the 18 May session, and asked that his thanks be passed to Northern Ireland Prison Service director general Beverley Wall and her team for their written and oral evidence. Under the GOV.UK notice, the Northern Ireland Government will decide when it responds to the final report and when that report is published. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)

Stormont formally kicked this round off on 5 March 2026, when Long asked the review body for recommendations covering 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. Her activation letter set clear limits: stay within the body’s terms of reference, keep in step with Northern Ireland public-sector pay guidance, maintain consistency with wider public-sector policy, and make sure any rise in pay or allowances fits the Department of Justice budget at a time of affordability pressure across departments. She also said she hoped the timetable would “allow for an early settlement too”. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)

That timing point is not academic. Long said the 2024 pay award was not implemented until January 2025, while the 2025 award was implemented in August 2025. Last summer the PSPRB endorsed, in full, a deal agreed between the Northern Ireland Prison Service and recognised unions, including a 3 per cent award for governor grades, Senior Officers, Custody Prison Officers and Main Grade Officers, 4 per cent for Night Custody Officers and Prisoner Custody Officers, and 6 per cent for Operational Support Grade staff and PECCS managers, alongside changes to allowances and on-call payments. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)

Why does a short official letter matter this much? Because the review body’s own 2025 evidence showed a service under strain: staffing headcount stood at 1,386 on 1 April 2025, the leaving rate had risen to 7.2 per cent, sickness absence still averaged 26 days lost, the prison population had reached a record 2,009, and assaults on prison staff were up 82.5 per cent. In that context, pay is not a side issue. It sits alongside retention, safety and whether governors can keep experienced people on the landings and in support roles. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)

What happens next is plain enough. The Prison Service Pay Review Body says it is aiming to place its 2026 Northern Ireland report with Naomi Long in late July 2026, after oral evidence concluded in May, and Stormont will then decide when to answer and publish it. For prison staff, that means another wait, but at least with a date attached. In a debate too often treated as admin, this is one of the practical public-sector decisions that shapes staffing, morale and day-to-day working life far from Westminster headlines. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)