The figure for paper usage – which does not include paper used in ad hoc jobs – means a small forest is being felled each year to keep Stormont in paper.


The Assembly said some of the paper was from recycled sources and the rest was from sustainable forests but last night MLAs, environmentalists and a tax pressure group urged the Assembly to set an example by slashing its paper use.


Figures released in a recent Assembly written question from South Down MLA Willie Clarke, covering the seven months following devolution on May 8, 2007 show that 7,525 reams of office paper were used in the period along with 370 reams of Assembly-crested paper and 2,546 reams of Assembly publications.


At 500 sheets of paper in each ream, and with 5.2 million pages of reports, written answers, order papers and other Assembly publications printed during the seven-month period — that equates to 8.9 million pages over the course of a year.


Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "It is staggering that this amount of paper is used each year. Sending duplicate copies of irrelevant reports to MLAs is a clear symptom of a disorganised and chaotic bureaucracy.

"In the age of email, it is amazing that paper usage is at such record levels. Stormont staff should make better use of IT and electronic storage – given the amount of taxpayers' money spent on computers, that should not be difficult to do.


"The management of the Assembly clearly needs to be streamlined, and the distribution of reports should be radically rethought."
DUP MLA Jim Wells said vast numbers of documents landed on his desk which were entirely irrelevant to his South Down constituency
"Every annual report published comes to all 108 MLAs, whether we ask for it or not — the paper we receive is absolutely staggering," he said.


"I think it would be much better if a list was sent around and we could select reports we are actually interested in because this waste is unnecessary.


"There is also a vast amount of energy wasted – no one ever turns anything off at Stormont. It's a notoriously inefficient building."
Mr Wells said MLAs had a duty to set an example of energy efficiency to the public.


A spokeswoman for the Assembly said: "All copier paper, headed paper and compliment slips are made from recycled paper.
"Other paper used for printed publications is environmentally friendly whereby trees are planted for those removed. In line with environmental sensitivities the Assembly plans to carry out a root and branch review of printing requirements in early 2008."


Friends of the Earth campaigner Declan Allison said the paper usage was "staggering".
"MLAs and Assembly officials could clearly do more to reduce their paper use," he said.
"The general public is told to reduce, reuse and recycle – let's see our elected representatives show us the way."