Northern Ireland

Curb on RHI payments ‘could have been introduced earlier'

Former DUP minister Jonathan Bell has been suspended by the party
Former DUP minister Jonathan Bell has been suspended by the party Former DUP minister Jonathan Bell has been suspended by the party

A curb on payments under the disastrous Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) could have been introduced earlier, a key email states.

In the email dated January 28 this year, Department of Enterprise permanent secretary Andrew McCormick told the head of the civil service that then minister Jonathan Bell had received formal advice on problems with the scheme in July 2015.

But Mr McCormick said plans in the autumn of that year to limit payments had been hit by delays.

"There were delays in introducing the reduction in entitlements in the autumn, as there was some initial reluctance to make the necessary legislative changes (any change to the scheme requires the affirmative approval of the Assembly)," he wrote.

During a tearful interview on the BBC last week, Mr Bell told Stephen Nolan he had wanted to tighten the scheme from October 1 2015 so that claimants could not profit by burning wood pellets.

The Strangford MLA alleged that two DUP special advisers - Timothy Johnston and Dr Andrew Crawford - went over his head and blocked any changes. Both deny the claims.

The rules were not changed until mid-November, by which time a spike of almost 900 new applications had been received at an estimated cost to taxpayers of around £485m.

Ian Knox's interpretation of events at Stormont yesterday:

In her statement to the assembly yesterday, Mrs Foster said DUP officials had not intervened.

"The only decision taken by the minister was in early September to amend the scheme in November," she said.

"The minister was not subsequently overruled by special advisers and I am clear that whatever representations may have been made by anyone on this issue, it was not not being done with the authority of the party.

"I understand from Minister (Simon) Hamilton that the permanent secretary recalls being told at the time that some in the party wanted the scheme kept open.

"He was unaware of the source of this suggestion, but believes it may have been based on the erroneous but widespread view at the time that because the scheme was AME funded (by the British Treasury) that it was possible to maximise take-up without creating a problem.

"I have checked and confirmed that no minister made any such request or took any interest in the decision taken in September 2015.

"The DUP party officers took no interest in this issue and gave no instructions. It is therefore clear that whatever the belief, the DUP did not ask the Deti minister to extend the scheme."

In the email released yesterday, Mr McCormick said the spike in demand before the November changes "was beyond reasonable prediction" but in hindsight he would have sought "a Ministerial Direction at an earlier stage".

The communication was released last night after Mr Bell, who was suspended from the DUP over the weekend, had claimed in the Great Hall in Stormont that he had an email containing critical information.

Arlene Foster speaking to the Irish News in October about RHI:

It came as Mrs Foster faced renewed scrutiny over how she responded to emails from a whistleblower.

The Irish News revealed last week that the whistleblower sent a second email to the then economy minister eight days after an initial contact in 2013.

The first email sent in August 2013, which was published by the DUP last week, simply asked for a meeting with Mrs Foster about RHI.

However, the second email, written on September 3, warned the minister that the scheme was being abused.

The DUP said yesterday there was no record of the email, but there was no reason to believe that it was not sent or received.

It said there is "confusion" over the details of emails but "at all times Mrs Foster sought to follow the appropriate processes in relation to this issue".