Further upgrades in the coming weeks are estimated to cost an additional £20,000
Stormont has spent more than half a million pounds upgrading the on-site canteen facilities in recent months.
The figures, which were revealed in response to an FOI from Belfast Live and also in response to questions raised by TUV MLA Timothy Gaston, show that the Assembly has spent £505,278 to date on the refurbishment of the canteen, which is used by MLAs, Assembly staff and the media.
Further works scheduled to take place over the Christmas recess are estimated to cost approximately £20,000.
The initial design meeting for the Blue Flax refurbishment project took place in March 2023. Following its closure on Friday, 4 July 2025, to allow for construction work, the Blue Flax reopened on Monday, 8 September 2025.
Within their response to our FOI, the Northern Ireland Assembly said: “The Blue Flax Restaurant is the most popular dining facility by people in Parliament Buildings, with approximately 72,000 transactions recorded in 2024 alone. It is used by MLAs, their staff, Assembly staff, civil servants, media, and members of the public visiting to meet with their elected representatives.
“The restaurant received a minor refresh in 2008, but has not been updated substantially since 1998. During those 27 years, working and eating habits have changed significantly, with people wanting more flexible and informal options, reflecting more collaborative and ‘away from desk’ working. This agility will be important as the Assembly embarks on a busy legislative period in the second half of its current mandate, with more late evening sittings anticipated, whilst maintaining value for money through more cashless and self-serve options.
“Our new engagement strategy aims to increase understanding and enable participation in the work of the Assembly, including bringing more people to Parliament Buildings. This requires us to maximise the use of our space and having modern, fit for purpose facilities is an important part of that.
“To date, the cost of the refurbishment of the Blue Flax is £505,278. A small number of final elements are still to be addressed. These costs are estimated to be in the region of £20,000 and will be finalised when the project is closed in the next few weeks.”
Breaking down the spend, the Assembly confirmed that to date, it has spent £39,770 on the design scheme, £27,949 on project management and £437,559 on the refurbishment which included preliminaries, alterations, partitions, ceilings, doors, floor finishes, decoration, joinery, furniture, whitegoods, soft furnishing, light fixtures, mechanical and electrical installations and builders work.
Responding to the response that he received, TUV MLA Timothy Gaston said: “Like all MLAs, I use the Stormont canteen, and before the summer recess it was perfectly serviceable. I was taken aback when I returned to find extensive refurbishment work had been carried out. When I asked about the cost in September, I was told the final figure was not yet available.
“I have now received the answer to my Assembly question, and I am frankly appalled. More than half a million pounds has been poured into refurbishing a canteen that is not open to the public and is used almost exclusively by MLAs, their staff, Assembly staff and the press pack.”
Mr Gaston continued: “Stormont has spent the equivalent of two family homes on a canteen while ordinary households across Northern Ireland are struggling with the cost of living crisis, and Executive Ministers claim they have no money for essential public services.
“This is not value for money. This is not responsible government. This is the political class looking after itself while telling everyone else to tighten their belts.
“I have submitted a series of follow-up questions seeking the original cost estimate, details of the procurement process, any contract variations, a breakdown of furniture and equipment costs, and the governance arrangements that oversaw this project. The public deserves to know how on earth a canteen refurbishment came to cost more than most people will ever spend on a home.”
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