FIRST Minister Arlene Foster is being accused of being in denial amid further revelations about the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal.
The DUP leader said she would not resign over failings in the green energy scheme which could cost the public purse as much as £400 million over the next two decades.
She insisted she would "deal with the issues" caused by a failure to cap the money businesses could claim when the scheme was created during her time as head of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment.
Mrs Foster also defended her handling of a whistleblower's concerns and said all claimants would be inspected, although the cost and timescale of such a review is unclear.
However, opposition parties were scathing of the comments.
Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt accused Mrs Foster of "blaming everyone but herself", while SDLP leader Colum Eastwood claimed a failure to take responsibility meant her position is "rapidly becoming untenable".
Mrs Foster also revealed on Monday that former DUP special advisor Stephen Brimstone was an RHI claimant, although she said this was not connected to his departure from his role last month.
The DUP did not respond to requests for comment from The Irish News regarding when and on what basis Mr Brimstone applied to the scheme.
The first minister meanwhile said she wasn’t aware that a brother of Andrew Crawford, who was her special adviser at the Department of Enterprise, had been a claimant.
Mr Eastwood said he was calling for the Public Accounts Committee to "convene an urgent meeting which compels Arlene Foster to answer all relevant questions".
