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Gildernew family issue statement on use of domestic RHI

A wood-burning stove
A wood-burning stove A wood-burning stove

THE family of former Sinn Féin agriculture minister Michelle Gildernew have issued a statement to "clarify and correct" recent press reports around the Renewable Heat Incentive, which it said were "misleading".

In December, after The Irish News asked all Stormont's parties whether any elected representatives or their immediate family were benefitting from the green energy scheme, Ms Gildernew revealed that her brother was a claimant of the domestic RHI, which is less generous than its non-domestic counterpart.

According to Wednesday's statement, the former Fermanagh & South Tyrone MLA informed the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), of which she was a member until last week, that her brother had applied to the RHI domestic scheme. This was done "in the interests of transparency and accountability".

The statement said Ms Gildernew's brother has a log-burning stove in his living room and to date has spent £406 on fuel, receiving a £158 subsidy from the RHI domestic scheme.

"The fuel needed for the stove is kiln-dried wood blocks, which are much more expensive than ordinary firewood," the statement said. "He has not profited from his involvement in the domestic scheme and has merely been able to recoup a proportion of his costs."

The Gildernew family said they were concerned about press reports that stated the former MP's brother was a recipient of the scheme, without clarifying that he is in the domestic scheme rather than the non-domestic scheme.

"We want to make it clear that we as a family have not profited in any way from this scheme," they said. "We would request that the press stop using our involvement as a distraction, and desist from further misleading reporting."