Ulster Unionist Party economy spokesperson, Steve Aiken MLA, has queried why the as yet unveiled plan to mitigate the projected RHI overspend has not been produced, given the length of time the Executive has known about the dire financial implications.

Steve Aiken MLA said:

“We learned today that the DUP Economy Minister Mr Hamilton and the Sinn Fein Finance Minister Mr Ó Muilleoir are meeting to talk about the plan to mitigate the massive overspend on the Renewable Heat Incentive.  This was the plan which we were meant to hear more about yesterday, but seemingly does not exist at the moment. Minister Hamilton assured the public a fortnight ago that sorting out the financial mess in his Department left by the RHI overspend was his number one priority.  Mrs Foster indicated she was going to tell us of her plan yesterday.  Instead, all we got was a party political broadcast.  

“I am sure that the Executive Ministers have been meeting about this, but the Audit Office’s Report qualifying the former Department’s accounts for 2015/16 and identifying the enormous amount of unauthorised expenditure caused by the RHI fiasco was published at the start of July.  The problem came to public attention in February 2016 and we now know that those in positions of authority in the Executive knew there was significant overspend in the autumn of 2015. Therefore, the public will be right to ask, what is keeping them from producing a plan to dig the public finances out of a hole? 

“This plan, we are now promised, will be produced early in the New Year.  The First Minister is confident we will recoup half of the projected overspend.  The plan, whether it is Mrs Foster’s, Mr Hamilton’s or Mr Ó Muilleoir’s would need to be thoroughly robust and legally enforceable.  It is certainly long overdue.”