Free electric car charging for MLAs despite travel pay

Northern Ireland Assembly members (MLAs) who drive electric cars are able to receive free charging at Stormont despite already being paid travel expenses.

Electric vehicle (EV) charging points have been installed behind Parliament Buildings for assembly members and staff.

MLAs are already entitled to an annual allowance for attending Stormont worth almost £7,000 for those travelling the furthest distances.

Critics described the situation as "ludicrous", but the Northern Ireland Assembly said it "supports more sustainable travel choices".

The Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) said the current arrangement could mean the public was "effectively paying twice for MLAs to travel to Stormont".

An assembly spokesperson said the growth of EVs was a "relatively recent development" and the matter was expected to be "considered in future reviews of member allowances".

Six EV charging points are located in an upper car park not accessible to the general public.

MLAs, party support staff and assembly employees can use them under a daily booking system.

"The charging points are free of charge to users," the assembly confirmed to BBC News NI in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.

It said no "metered data" was held from the EV chargers to confirm total costs to the public purse.

An assembly spokesperson later added that records were only held on a "short-term basis" and bookings for one week in May cost about £325.

A nearby visitors' car park on the Stormont estate has two EV charging points which are not free to use.

Revenue is collected by the assembly, with a tariff of 32p per kilowatt hour (kWh) - an estimated £20 to charge a medium-sized battery.

Under Stormont expenses rules, MLAs can claim an annual travel allowance for journeys to Parliament Buildings.

It can range from about £660 for MLAs in the constituencies nearest to Stormont, while those furthest away can claim up to £6,780.

The amount they can claim is also reduced depending on their attendance levels.

Stormont ministers do not receive the assembly travel allowance because they have official cars for executive business.

In its FOI response, the assembly said a record of who had booked slots for the charging points in recent years was "not retained".

BBC News NI understands a number of MLAs' cars have been seen using the six free charging points in recent weeks.

Stormont's five main parties were approached for comment.

They were asked to confirm whether any of their MLAs have been using the free EV charging points while also claiming assembly travel allowances.

A Sinn Féin spokesperson said the party "does not hold any information in relation to MLA modes of transport".

A Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) spokesperson said that "after almost a decade, free public on-street charging in Northern Ireland ended in April 2023" and that "the Parliament Buildings charging facility should move to a similar charging system".

"We will propose this is changed to a pay-to-charge facility similar to on-street facilities," they added.

"Until such changes are made our members will not be using the 'free' facility."

The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) said none of its MLAs has an electric vehicle and that "no staff member can access the free EV charging car park".

The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) said it "does not hold records" of the vehicles driven by its members.

"The policy should be changed so that MLAs and staff members using the Parliament Buildings EV charging facility pay the same rate as the public, in alignment with the Department for Infrastructure's on-street charging policy," a UUP spokesperson said.

People Before Profit said none of its elected representatives or staff "have ever used the free EV charging points at Stormont".

TUV MLA Timothy Gaston claimed his party had "observed MLAs from various (other) parties using the charging points".

He called on them "to be clear with the public" and that "failure to do so will profoundly undermine confidence in MLAs".

Gaston added the EV charging arrangements created a "ludicrous situation" where the public could be "effectively paying twice for MLAs to travel to Stormont".

"Coming so soon after MLAs received a pay rise worth more than 27%, this controversy will only deepen the growing public perception that Stormont has become a gravy train for the political establishment."

In a statement, the NI Assembly said MLAs charging EVs at Parliament Buildings "does not affect entitlement to travel allowances".

A spokesperson said MLA travel allowances were "designed to cover the general costs of travel" including vehicle taxes, insurance and maintenance.

They said the Assembly Commission - which oversees the running of Parliament Buildings and involves MLAs from the five main parties - was "committed to minimising environmental impact across its operations".

"The provision of charging facilities at Parliament Buildings supports more sustainable travel choices," the assembly spokesperson added.

Parliaments in other jurisdictions have different policies on EV charging points.

The House of Commons said on the parliamentary estate, MPs and peers have access to 14 fast EV charging bays which have a payment system for users.

The Scottish Parliament said a number of EV charging points were available for elected members to use.

It said there was "currently" no fee for using them, but it was "developing proposals with the manufacturer to implement a billing system".

In the Republic of Ireland, the Oireachtas (Irish houses of parliament) said TDs (Teachta Dála, Irish MPs) and senators pay to use EV chargers.

The Welsh Parliament was also approached for comment.