Stormont has been criticised for awarding a catering contract to a company accused of providing "substandard" food services for asylum seekers and prisoners.
US multinational Aramark has been given an up to seven-year contract worth almost £5million to provide catering and other services for Parliament Buildings.
The company has come under fire over its catering for refugees and asylum seekers in the Irish Republic, as well as in prisons in the United States.
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A lawyer representing 230 inmates in a lawsuit in Mississippi said they complained that food was often "spoiled, rotten, moulded or uncooked".
Alliance MLA Kate Nicholl said she was "incredibly disappointed" to learn Aramark had been awarded the Stormont contract, accusing the firm of "substandard" food services.
She questioned whether controversy surrounding the company had been considered in the decision by the Assembly Commission, a body made up of representatives of the main parties which runs Parliament Buildings.
In a letter to the Assembly, the South Belfast MLA said: "Given the outpouring of protest in Ireland and the United States over the Aramark, I am incredibly disappointed that members awarded the Support Services [contract] in Parliament Buildings to the provider.
"I am writing to seek justification for the award of this contract to Aramark, and to ask if the controversy surrounding Aramark had been considered in the procurement process, and if it was not, why members were not informed on this prior to their decision."
In the Republic, Aramark was awarded an Irish government contract to provide meals at hubs for Ukrainian refugees. It also provides catering services to three direct-provision centres for asylum seekers in Athlone, Clare and Cork.
Last year a decision by Dublin's National Gallery of Ireland to award Aramark a contract to run a cafe and provide other catering services drew criticism from staff and artists.
Some artists asked for their work to be pulled from displays at the gallery, while dozens of staff signed a letter criticising the contract due to the company's links to the direct-provision system.
In a statement an Assembly spokeswoman said: "Under the contract awarded, Aramark provide catering, cleaning, porterage and helpdesk services.
"The contract was awarded on 6 December 2022 and services commenced on 9 January 2023. The contract was awarded for an initial five-year term, with the possibility of a single 24-month extension. The cost of the contract is anticipated to be £4,740,829 for the full seven-year term.
"The Northern Ireland Assembly Commission carries out all its tenders under established public procurement rules, assessing the quality and cost of all bidders. The contract was awarded to Aramark, as it provided the best quality/cost bid of all bidders involved in the procurement."
Aramark was also approached for comment. It has previously stressed that it operates to the "highest international standards" and supports asylum seekers by providing "quality services which help make their lives more comfortable".
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