18/10/2017

Taxpayers Fork Out Almost £300,000 For Catering Services At Stormont

Taxpayers have paid out almost £300,000 to subsidise catering services in Stormont, despite the suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

TUV leader Jim Allister also said the Assembly has "taken no steps to address the situation".

He said: "With the public subsidy totalling £290,909.77 for Sept 16 – August 17, it is running at over £1000 per day for every day the facilities are open. The fact that the Assembly isn't sitting has not altered the arrangement whereby the subsidy meter continues to run.

"The public are simply expected to pay up and look cheery. It could only happen in Stormont."

An assembly spokesperson said the subsidy continues under a contractual agreement and that in recent months it had been working with the contractor to review the service and minimise costs.

(CD)

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