Stormont spende mezzo milione di sterline dei contribuenti per i pasti dei parlamentari

£500k tax bill for Stormont canteen

The cost of the Stormont canteen for Northern Ireland’s taxpayers has become the talking point in the corridors of power after it was revealed that meals get subsidised to the tune of £500,000 a year.

Peter Robinson, speaking in his capacity as MLA for East Belfast, called for an end to the subsidy of Stormont meals in a motion debated by the Assembly on Monday.

“We should not be subsidising when people out there are having massive difficulties and in the months and years ahead will have even more difficulties in having money to pay for food bills,” Mr Robinson said.

On Tuesday’s menu, the large homemade soup of the day cost 96p. Pork sausages with onions and torpedo roll cost £1.60 while a roast leg of lamb with rosemary, garlic and mint cost £3.07.

The ‘Why Pay More?’ option includes lasagne with garlic bread and salad for £2.50.

A large portion of freshly cut chips is sold £1.10 while the lemon meringue tart, served with custard, or the mint chocolate cheesecake each cost 90p.

The menu also encourages canteen-goers, including MLAs, Stormont staff and journalists, to “try before you buy” and “ask your server for a sample”.

On Monday, Mr Robinson outlined a series of cost-cutting measures at Stormont.

He has already proposed a two-year pay freeze for civil servants earning over £21,000 per year as one of a series of measures to cut back radically on public spending.

He says Chancellor George Osborne’s spending review will remove £5bn from the Northern Ireland economy over the next four years.

Mr Robinson said: “What I think this motion does is to give the Assembly the opportunity to publicly state that it is going to face the same harsh economic storm along with everybody else and will seek no special or privileged position for itself. This Assembly must be seen to be taking a leadership role.”

SDLP MLA Alban Maginness said it was “rich” of the DUP leader to call for an end to cheap meals at Stormont after claiming expenses for food at Westminster, branding the motion “political grandstanding”.

Mr Maginness says the assembly commission is already looking into ways to cut costs and implement efficiency savings.

“Households out there are suffering the pain of the recession. The assembly with bear some of the pain”, he told UTV.

“It’s right and proper that we look at this seriously and radically and see how in fact we can improve the situation for the citizens out there. Citizens are not here to serve the members of this assembly. The members of this assembly are here to serve the citizens.”

Last month, Sinn Féin called for Stormont salaries and expenses to be cut by 15%.