Public Accounts Committee Expresses Concern Over Slow Implementation of RHI Report Recommendations

The Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has written to the Department of Finance - expressing concern that a significant number of recommendations in the RHI Independent Public Inquiry report are still to be fully implemented.

A second report* on RHI from the Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO), published this month, assesses the progress made to date on those recommendations. It concludes that while 26 (or almost 62%) have been fully implemented, the work done on five (or almost 12%) is ‘unlikely to meet the Inquiry’s recommendations in full’.

An Independent Public Inquiry into the Non-Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme in Northern Ireland was established in 2017. In 2020, the Inquiry published a report with 314 findings and 44 recommendations to address the deficiencies it had found.

It also said that the NIAO should be involved in assessing and validating the progress made on realising the Inquiry’s recommendations, as well as reporting regularly to the Assembly and the wider public. 

Daniel McCrossan MLA, Chair of the Public Accounts Committee said: “We are concerned by the Northern Ireland Audit Office findings and are seeking clarification from the Department on a number of points.

“Having considered the NIAO report, we note that the ‘overall pace of implementation has been slow’ and so we have written to the Finance Department to express our concern at the lack of progress.

“It is also worrying to discover that the Audit Office experienced delays in its work because of difficulties in getting timely access to records.  We look forward to receiving a prompt response to our correspondence.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

• *The NIAO report - Assessing progress with the implementation of the RHI Public Inquiry recommendations, was published on 15 October 2024.
• The Non-Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) Scheme was launched in 2012 to encourage a switch from conventional to renewable heating technologies.
• The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is a Standing Committee. It is the statutory function of PAC to consider the accounts, and reports on accounts laid before the Assembly. View further information on the Committee Membership, its work and remit.

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