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MLAs have been using free electric vehicle chargers at Stormont, raising questions about use of their paid travel allowance.

The DUP have said their MLAs will not now use the chargers until they have to pay to use them.

Charging points are free for MLAs while visitors to Parliament Buildings have to pay to charge.

MLAs can claim a travel allowance for their commute to Stormont, which, at its highest, is more than £6,500 annually.

An assembly member who attends Parliament Buildings on 72 or more qualifying days a year is entitled to the full allowance, which varies by constituency.

A MLA from Foyle can claim up to £6,450, in West Tyrone £6,560, and in Fermanagh and South Tyrone £6,780 a year.

A DUP spokesman said three of the party’s assembly members have used the electric vehicle charging points at Parliament Buildings.

They said: “Whilst using the facility as it currently operates was within the rules, the party leader has asked those three MLAs to engage with the Assembly authorities to arrange reimbursement for the additional benefit they received through electricity used.

“Parliament Buildings should operate on the same pay-to-charge basis as public charging facilities across Northern Ireland.

“No DUP MLAs will avail of the charging facility until it becomes a pay-to-charge station.”

TUV MLA Timothy Gaston said if members are claiming travel while using EV chargers it would give rise to a “ludicrous situation where the public were effectively paying twice for MLAs to travel to Stormont”.

“It would be intolerable if MLAs were receiving travel money as well as plugging their car in to a free charging point at work,” he said.

“TUV has observed MLAs from various parties using the charging points. Why, therefore, are they refusing to confirm what we know to be true?”

In March this year an independent board agreed a 27% pay rise for MLAs amounting to £14,000 a year.