SINN Féin's new northern leader Michelle O'Neill has said she was unaware of how costly the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) was until February last year.
The former agriculture minister insisted she is not answerable in any way for the scandal surrounding the green energy scheme, which she described as "entirely of the DUP's making".
Speaking to The Irish News for the first time since succeeding Martin McGuinness on Monday, Ms O'Neill acknowledged that many farmers availed of the RHI subsidies but said that was "irrelevant" to her role at the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (Dard).
The Irish News previously revealed how more than half of RHI claimants are farm businesses and that they had claimed two-thirds of £50m paid out since the scheme was launched in 2012.
Poultry farmers, most of which supply Moy Park, represent 871 of the 2,000 recipients.
The north's poultry sector has undergone a huge expansion in recent years, coinciding with the roll-out of RHI and Stormont's agrifood expansion strategy.
'Going for Growth' was jointly sponsored by Ms O'Neill's former department and Arlene Foster's Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment.
The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (Cafre), which fell under the control of Dard, had six RHI boilers spread across its three campuses in Loughry, Co Tyrone, Enniskillen Co Fermanagh and Greenmount Co Antrim.
Cafre was also involved in promoting the scheme, holding regular seminars for farmers which were publicised by the Dard press office.
However, Ms O'Neill - who was welcomed by a large crowd in her home village of Clonoe, Co Tyrone last night - rejected any suggestion that she could have been aware that the RHI was flawed.
"The scheme, as it was at that time before there were any problems identified with it, was being advertised – it was a renewable incentive scheme," she said.
"I think we all agree the scheme itself, that was trying to incentivise people."
She added: "There's no link or correlation to me being an agriculture minister."
Ms O'Neill also said she was unaware that hundreds of Moy Park suppliers, many in her own Mid Ulster constituency, were using the scheme to heat their poultry sheds.
She said 'Going for Growth' was designed to "grow all sectors right across the agrifood industry".
"I was concerned about the wider industry growth, how we opened up new opportunities for businesses," she said.
"Moy park is obviously a big employer in the area (Mid Ulster) and they're obviously a big trader internationally but in terms of actually being involved o their day-to-day business, it wouldn't be my job as a minister."
Asked when she became aware that the scheme was flawed, she said: "It's all in the public record whenever it was flagged up in February last year."
Meanwhile, in a statement last night Ms O'Neill said she had spoken to British prime minister Theresa May and told her that her government must fulfil its commitments on equality and legacy issues.
She added: “The British government must recognise that the voice and rights of citizens in the north who voted to remain within the EU must be respected. It is my intention to fight our corner with both governments and the EU to ensure that our entire island secures our position within the EU together."
Mrs May said she looked forward to working with the Sinn Féin leader and hoped that following the election "all parties would be able to come together to find a way forward for Northern Ireland".
DUP leader Arlene Foster also said yesterday that she will "have to work with" Sinn Féin's new northern leader.
"We need now to get to the far side of the election so that we can put these institutions back in place to make them work," she said.
