Assembly Members' expenses run to £4m a year

Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly claimed nearly £4 million in office and travel expenses in the financial year ending in April 2000.

Details of expenses among the province's 108 assembly members (MLAs) for the year 1999/2000 have been published on the assembly's website.

During this period the 108 MLAs claimed £3,279,175 in office cost allowances, £622,390 for travel expenses, £3,005 in subsistence costs, and £8,541 under other expenses.

The table shows a significant difference between the amounts claimed by assembly members. The highest payout was to Gregory Campbell of the Democratic Unionist Party, who received more than £47,000 in expenses, while Sean Neeson of the Alliance Party claimed £17,075.

Mr Campbell defended the amount. Speaking to the BBC he said it was "not money in members' pockets".

He added: "In other words, if you have an assembly member who is very active and who has a full-time constituency office, then that assembly member's expenses will be higher than another member's who isn't as active and who doesn't have a full-time office."

In most cases the difference between assembly members can be explained by the mileage they claim, which is directly related to the distance they live away from Stormont. Under the rules, MLAs can claim a travel allowance of 50p per mile and Foyle MLA William Hay tops the travel expenses table with a £15,173 bill.

Those not claiming travel expenses include the DUP’s Ian Paisley, Peter Robinson, and William McCrea, Alliance member and Speaker Lord Alderdice, and Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams. However, the Speaker and ministers are entitled to use official cars.

The overall total for expenses is a little more than £3,900,000.

The expenses figures, coupled with salaries, bring the total cost of the 108 MLAs to more than £10 million.

(AMcE)