The Northern Ireland Civic Forum today faced new demands for it to be scrapped after an Ulster Unionist claimed it was too costly.
Ulster Unionist Assembly member Lord Kilclooney called for the Forum's closure after he was told in a House of Lords answer the body had spent more than half a million pounds between 2000 and 2002.
Most of the money went on salaries, administration and members' expenses.
"No-one in Northern Ireland knows anything about the Civic Forum," the Strangford MLA said.
"It is an irrelevant institution."
The Civic Forum was originally proposed in the Good Friday Agreement and had 60 members drawn from the business, trade union and voluntary sectors.
It first met in October 2002 under the chairmanship of Dr Chris Gibson.
It has been consulted on a number of issues, including the review of post primary education and strategies for helping victims of the Troubles.
However Lord Kilclooney said: "The Civic Forum is a luxury which the people of Northern Ireland cannot afford.
"It should be abolished during the forthcoming review of the Belfast Agreement."