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Stormont rilascia i dettagli sulle spese dei parlamentari

Stormont releases details of Northern Irish assembly expenses

Map, weedkiller and binbags among £8m worth of items claimed for by NI politicians

A £100 map of county Fermanagh, weedkiller and binbags were among the £8m worth of items claimed by members of the Northern Ireland assembly in expenses last year.

Figures released today reveal that the claims made between April 2008 and March 2009 include an £861.35 bill for a walnut desk by the Ulster Unionists’ Basil McCrea.

Democratic Unionist Alastair Ross claimed £165 for the “framing of constituency pictures”.

The assembly member who claimed the most in expenses was the SDLP’s Pat Ramsay. He claimed back £94,787 on office costs, travel, subsistence and other allowances.

Sinn Féin’s junior minister Gerry Kelly claimed £8.94 for a toaster, while the DUP MP and minister Nigel Dodds put £525.00 on expenses for a sofa.

Peter Robinson, the first minister, claimed £375 to “remove and replace the leather” on his desk at Stormont.

His party colleague Trevor Clarke made claims of £3.44 for a calendar, £2 on binbags and £44 on office fans.

Among the other expenses were claims for Sky TV subscriptions, £550 for a television and a stand, double-sided tape and wipes for cleaning computers.

Willie Hay, the assembly’s Speaker, said the claims were published in order to make devolution more open.

“The assembly commission agreed in June that, from the end of September 2009, it would be placing more information about MLAs’ expenses into the public domain.

“Improving transparency does not stop here: we are in the process of making all expenses and office cost allowances available on the Northern Ireland assembly website from the end of November 2009,” Hay said.

Overall, the 108 assembly members cost £13m per year – £5m in wages, £8m in expenses – for a province with a smaller population than that of Greater Manchester.

Within the next month, another report is expected to be published detailing how many of the MLAs at Stormont employ members of their own families.

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René Querin

Di professione grafico e web designer, sono appassionato di trekking e innamorato dell'Irlanda e della sua storia. Insieme ad Andrea Varacalli ho creato e gestisco Les Enfants Terribles.

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