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| RHI: 'No corruption' in failed NI heating scheme | RHI: 'No corruption' in failed NI heating scheme |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Corrupt or malicious activity was not the cause of what went wrong with Northern Ireland's failed energy scheme. | Corrupt or malicious activity was not the cause of what went wrong with Northern Ireland's failed energy scheme. |
| The findings into the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme were published on Friday. | The findings into the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme were published on Friday. |
| It found the scheme was a "project too far" for the NI Executive and "should never have been adopted". | It found the scheme was a "project too far" for the NI Executive and "should never have been adopted". |
| The scheme, which opened in 2012, paid businesses to switch from oil and gas to environmentally-friendly heating. | The scheme, which opened in 2012, paid businesses to switch from oil and gas to environmentally-friendly heating. |
| The 656-page report said that while there was "unacceptable" behaviour by some officials, ministers and special advisers, what went wrong was a "compounding of errors and omissions over time and a failure of attention". | The 656-page report said that while there was "unacceptable" behaviour by some officials, ministers and special advisers, what went wrong was a "compounding of errors and omissions over time and a failure of attention". |
| Set up to encourage the use of renewable energy sources, the RHI closed to new entrants in 2016 amid concerns about the potential cost. | Set up to encourage the use of renewable energy sources, the RHI closed to new entrants in 2016 amid concerns about the potential cost. |
| Those boilers used wood pellets, but the subsidy payment was higher than the cost of the fuel, creating an incentive to use the boilers to generate income. | Those boilers used wood pellets, but the subsidy payment was higher than the cost of the fuel, creating an incentive to use the boilers to generate income. |
| It became known as "cash for ash". | It became known as "cash for ash". |
| The scheme was introduced by then Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster. | The scheme was introduced by then Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster. |
| Mrs Foster, now the first minister, told the inquiry that she did not read the regulations before bringing them to the assembly. | Mrs Foster, now the first minister, told the inquiry that she did not read the regulations before bringing them to the assembly. |
| The inquiry found: "The minister, in presenting the regulations to the assembly and asking for their approval, should have read them herself. | The inquiry found: "The minister, in presenting the regulations to the assembly and asking for their approval, should have read them herself. |
| "Not least because in the inquiry's view to so do is a core part of a minister's job." | "Not least because in the inquiry's view to so do is a core part of a minister's job." |
| However, it has found that as enterprise minister, Mrs Foster was given inaccurate and misleading information. | |
| The report also criticises the arrangement between Mrs Foster and her special advisor Andrew Crawford. | |
| It said the division of responsibility between them for reading and digesting important documents was "ineffective and led to false reassurance on the part of the minister". | |
| The Northern Ireland Civil Service, and in particular the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI), have come under heavy criticism. | |
| The report finds that at the development stage "insufficient care was taken within DETI to weigh properly the whole-life costs" of the scheme. | |
| No minutes | |
| A draft regulatory impact assessment presented to Mrs Foster in 2012 "lacked necessary cost information". | |
| The report noted that at this point she had already been "incorrectly" told by officials that the scheme provided "the highest renewable heat output at the best value". | |
| The lack of record keeping was also highlighted. | |
| It emerged during the Inquiry that many meetings had not been minuted by civil servants. | |
| "Basic administration and record keeping, normally the bedrock of the Civil Service, was on too many occasions lacking within DETI," it said. | |
| "This contributed to uncertainty as to what discussions had actually taken place." |