THE fast-tracking of legislation to bring in drastic cuts to the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) has led Northern Ireland politicians to criticise Westminster - for different reasons.
The cuts will see annual returns for most boilers reduced from £13,000 to £2,000 with the legislation which will be passed in the Commons because of the continued absence of the devolved assembly.
The mishandling of the so-called 'cash-for-ash' scandal was among the issues leading to collapse Stormont in 2017.
Claimants have warned the cuts will threaten some businesses which invested heavily in the scheme, but the UK Department for the Economy maintains firms have already got back more than they put in.
Sinn Féin assembly member Conor Murphy said "most people will find it staggering" that the British government is "prepared to introduce legislation for the politically toxic RHI scheme but not on issues like Marriage Equality, Acht Gaeilge, the legacy bodies, inquests and compensation for victims of institutional abuse".
"The RHI scheme has become a byword for everything that was wrong in the political system here in the north," he said.
"The DUP's involvement in the RHI scandal drastically undermined public confidence in the power-sharing institutions and led to a shambolic waste of taxpayers’ money.
"Despite this and against our advice to close it, the Department of Economy has decided that it should remain open and the British Government has agreed to fast track legislation for the new tariffs."
DUP MP Ian Paisley was also critical of the government, but because he believes the tariff cuts are "grossly unfair", comparing it unfavourably to the Republic's policy.
The North Antrim politician said many RHI claimants feel "taken advantage of".
He told the Belfast Telegraph: "The cut is incredibly severe, not in line with what happened in the Republic or in the rest of the UK. Why should Northern Ireland people, because of the history of RHI, be treated differently from how the RHI works elsewhere?"
