Sinn Féin MLA has said the DUP need to explain why they failed to close the disastrous RHI scheme.

The MLA said:

“Contrary to what Edwin Poots today asserted in the Assembly chamber, the science of the burning of wood chips as ‘renewable heat’ is contested.

“This is one of the reasons Sinn Féin has called for the disastrous RHI scheme to be closed, for genuine participants to be compensated and for Treasury funding for RHI to be put into renewable energy schemes that actually effectively help reduce emissions and support people to transition.

“I am also alarmed by the ignorance shown by Minister Poots in claiming that closing the RHI scheme would result in handing money back to the Treasury. 

“Have the DUP learnt nothing? 

“Do they not realise that continuing to hand out excessive RHI payments is a waste of public money and this fill your boots mentality poses a risk of significant losses to our block grant, which would threaten the delivery of public services?

“Three successive DUP economy ministers over the past two years have failed to deliver on the New Decade New Approach commitment to close the RHI scheme and have also failed to bring forward any new renewables schemes in their energy strategy.”