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RHI: Renewable Heat Association director steps down

Michael Doran has resigned as a director and chair of the Renewable Heat Association
Michael Doran has resigned as a director and chair of the Renewable Heat Association Michael Doran has resigned as a director and chair of the Renewable Heat Association

THE founder of an organisation that launched legal action aiming to prevent the naming of RHI claimants has stepped down.

Michael Doran is no longer chair of the Renewable Heat Association of Northern Ireland (RHANI) and has also resigned as a director.

The high-profile group was formed in January as controversy over the botched Renewable Heat Incentive scheme gathered pace.

It secured an interim court injunction preventing former economy minister Simon Hamilton from identifying hundreds of members who are receiving RHI money.

But the ban was lifted last month and the Department for the Economy later published a list of more than 400 companies and organisations benefitting.

Details of RHI recipients who applied under their own name, rather than a company name, are still to be released.

RHANI is also challenging in the courts measures aimed at cutting government subsidies paid out under the scheme.

A public inquiry has been launched into RHI after it ran a projected £490m over budget amid claims of abuse – including a farmer allegedly heating an empty shed for profit.

The fall-out from the scandal led to the collapse of the executive, a snap assembly election and the ongoing political deadlock at Stormont.

Mr Doran, managing director of charity Action Renewables, has been a prominent spokesperson for RHANI since it was launched.

He was listed as sole director of the firm when files were first lodged with Companies House. Two further directors were later added – farmers John Martin and Tom Forgrave.

Records show Mr Doran resigned as a director of RHANI on March 24, the same day that it appointed another director, Andrew Trimble, a former interim chief executive of the Bar Council.

Mr Doran, who does not have an RHI boiler, did not respond when contacted yesterday.

However, a spokeswoman for RHANI said: "Michael Doran has stepped down as a director and as chair of the Renewable Heat Association of Northern Ireland (RHANI) to focus on his core business Action Renewables.

"Over the last months Michael has dedicated a significant amount of time to RHANI and it was always the director's intention to bring in another chairman."

She added: "Andrew Trimble is a director and the executive chairman of RHANI. An experienced leader, Andrew's previous roles include interim chief executive of the Bar Council.

"Andrew will take the organisation forward and continue the great work which has been carried out to date in representing the interests of RHI scheme participants who are legitimate, ethical users of renewable energy and who were encouraged and incentivised by the department and other government agencies to join this government-promoted green energy scheme.

"RHANI continues its preparations for the association's judicial review of the decision to introduce emergency legislation relating to the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme due to take place in June."

Last week the organisation said some of its members' firms were folding because of cuts to RHI payments as part of attempts by Stormont to reduce the scheme's cost.

The cost controls came into effect on April 1 and will be in place for one year, pending the result of the RHANI's judicial review and permanent measures to be agreed by the assembly.