Patricia Donnelly, head of the NI Covid-19 vaccination programme, gave an update
Mental Health Champion Prof Siobhan O'Neill, briefed members of the Health Committee
MLAS discussed changes to the coronavirus regulations
MLAs continue their inquiry into generating electricity from renewable energy
Image source, ReutersThat's all from Stormont for this week.
We'll be back on Monday at noon for a full plenary session of the assembly.
Do join us then and in the meantime have a great weekend.
Image source, NI AssemblyThat’s all the questions from committee members at today’s inquiry. Before the witnesses leave, chair William Humphrey has his own questions.
He says formulating primary legislation is “crucial” going forward, if lessons are to be learned. He asks Mike Brennan if he’s confident that is going to happen.
“I’m very hopeful that things will get better, chair, is probably the best I could say,” says Mr Brennan.
“All we can do as officials is make sure there’s better cooperation and collaboration between officials in all other departments.”
Mr Humphrey reiterates the importance of a “joined-up approach”, which he says he will be highlighted to the new head of the civil service, when they are eventually appointed.
Cathal Boylan says the NIAO report indicates that "we haven't got it right" in terms of planning and environmental impact.
He asks if any thought was given to possible unintended consequences flowing from the large amounts of slurry and silage required to operate an anaerobic digester.
Mr Brennan says that "ADs will probably have to have a growing future in Northern Ireland" but he adds that he's "not sure the extent to which in the past distortions on prices of silage, or whatever, have influenced the investment behaviour of ADs".
Image source, NI AssemblyThe DUP’s Harry Harvey is up next and his question relates to cost. On average, just how much does a wind turbine cost to an individual taxpayer every year?
Accounting Officer for the department, Mike Brennan says £31, to the delight of the Strangford MLA.
1,209 small scale wind turbines are located across Northern Ireland, according to Mr Brennan.
He says he will get back to the Committee with other exact figures relating to personal cost.
Image source, NI AssemblyUlster Unionist Roy Beggs refers to Mr Brennan's statement that there was no exposure to the taxpayer.
"Would you accept that there's exposure to electricity users?" he asks.
Mr Brennan says this was in reply to a question on rates of return, "what I'm saying in answer to your question is there is no cost to the taxpayer in terms of the Exchequer doesn't make a contribution to the payments to the generating stations but, yes, logically there is a cost to the consumer".
Image source, NI AssemblyFoyle MLA Maolíosa McHugh says there is no doubt about the success of the programme in order to process renewable energy.
However, he points to a claim that a large number of anaerobic digesters and wind turbines which didn’t have planning permission, were still able to avail of the scheme.
Mike Brennan responds, “When OFGEM are aware of issues they do notify LPS (Land and Property Services) and that’s been very, very successful in recouping outstanding rates arrears.”
He adds that the policy responsibility, in terms of the environment or rates, resides with either the Department for Infrastructure or with councils.
Mr Brennan also says that going forward, the department will endeavour to have a more “joined-up” approach with other departments and councils.
Image source, NI AssemblyÓrlaithí Flynn asks when the department hopes to have a clearer idea of the rates of return on the NIRO.
Mike Brennan says he understands there are discussions under way currently with KPMG and Renewables NI in order to get access to the data they need.
"I haven't been told that it's a problem," he says, adding that they hope to have an analysis prepared by the end of May.
Ms Flynn wants to know how the department assures itself that the rates of return are reasonable and not excessive if it doesn't hold the necessary information.
Mr Brennan says that "there isn't a taxpayer exposure to this".
Image source, NI AssemblyMatthew O’Toole from the SDLP is up next.
He asks the officials whether the department’s intention was to mirror the GB scheme in legislation and approach and secondly, was it and does it remain more generous?
“In the round, particularly from around 2010 to 2014, the incentives available in GB remained more attractive than in Northern Ireland,” says Mike Brennan.
He adds that between 2014 and 2016, that changed, after the Small Scale Banding Review, external.
Richard Rodgers adds that the UK government reduced the incentives for the scheme in GB but the DfE kept their support in line with costs in Northern Ireland.
If you're finding this afternoon's session a bit confusing you're not the only one.
Never fear, help is at hand.
There's a helpful explanation of the NIRO scheme, external on the Department for the Economy website.
Image source, NI AssemblyAlliance MLA Andrew Muir refers to recent reports in the media that raised "significant concerns around the capacity and capability of the Department for the Economy to take forward schemes. We've had the RHI scheme and we've got the NIRO scheme".
He wants to hear DfE's response to the criticism.
"My initial response would be that the RHI legacy will always, for some time in the future taint anything to do with energy policy that emerges from this department," says Mr Brennan.
He says he feels it's frustrating that NIRO is "somehow tainted with RHI" and that he feels that what NIRO has achieved "to be a significant success".
Image source, NI AssemblyEast Antrim MLA David Hilditch opens this afternoon’s round of questions.
He asks whether officials believed there was an appropriate number of staff members deployed from the department to work on the NIRO scheme.
Mike Brennan says he believes DETI (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment), as it was formally known, was “adequately resourced” to deliver the scheme. The department later became the Department for the Economy.
“I have come across no evidence of constraints in terms of the department either being able to engage with its key partners OFGEM or the utility regulatory or to feed into the market system," says Mr Brennan.
Officials also confirm that they believe reporting and accountability in relation to the scheme was “accurate and clear”.
They're back...
Mike Brennan begins an opening statement from the Department for the Economy.
He notes that "the Audit Office report recognises that the policy intent of the NIRO scheme increasing the scale of renewable electricity has been achieved with almost 50% of electricity being generated from renewable resources in Northern Ireland".
Mr Brennan says the scheme has created hundreds of jobs, brought significant investment into rural area and contributed to the achievement of decarbonisation targets.
Image source, NI AssemblyHe says there are six recommendations in the report. Three of them fall to the Department for the Economy (DfE) and they are being addressed.
The official says the report says "there is some risk of of excessive returns being generated through the NIRO" but that this was based on one "non-grid connected" generating station.
Mr Brennan says that more detailed data has become available from an independent KPMG report based on 134 stations.
There's a problem in establishing contact with the witnesses so the committee takes a break while the problem is sorted out.
This committee's inquiry into renewable energy follows on from the Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) report on 'Generating electricity from renewable energy' published in 2020., external
Committee chair William Humphrey calls the members to order.
He leads them through some initial committee business.
The main item of this afternoon's meeting is a witness session that's part of the committee's Inquiry into Generating Electricity from Renewable Energy.
Image source, NI AssemblyWe're back from lunch and ready to bring you this afternoon's meeting of the Public Accounts Committee.
Image source, NI Assembly
Colm Gildernew takes the committee into closed session for a consideration of the Severe Fetal Impairment Abortion (Amendment) Bill.
We'll be back at 14:00 with live coverage of this week's meeting of the Public Accounts Committee.
See you then. We're off to grab a quick coffee and a bite of lunch.
Colm Gildernew thanks Ms Redmond for her presentation.
The members then begin their formal consideration of the regulations.
They agree on a number points to be included in a letter to the minister regarding the regulations.
The committee formally approves the amendment to the regulations.
Carál Ní Chuilín highlights concerns about youth diversionary workers not being allowed to engage with vulnerable children because of parts of the regulations.
Ms Redmond thanks her for raising the point.
"If there is an issue around somebody’s health, their wellbeing, their safety, then that’s an exception," she responds.
The Sinn Féin MLA says that a lack of clarity “isn’t sustainable for the mental health of young people."
Image source, NI Assembly
Image source, NI AssemblyPaula Bradshaw of Alliance raises the issue of the pressures Covid has put on young people.
She says she thinks young people are meeting: "I think they are going to house parties", that they feel "like caged animals" and are finding ways of breaching the regulations.
Ms Bradshaw wants to know if there are ways of providing advanced guidance for young people on minimising risk.
Ms Redmond says "there is a workstream of the executive task force looking at adherence and it's looking at the behavioural aspects".
Image source, NI AssemblyDeputy chair Pam Cameron asks the first question.
The DUP MLA says restrictions on click and collect shopping for children's shoes etc. are a big issue for her party.
She wants to know the reaction from businesses that have been allowed to operate on a limited basis.
Ms Redmond says Department for the Economy officials are in regular contact with the "three main retail representative bodies" and that compliance by the businesses that have been opened have been good.