Renewable Heat Incentive scheme: Economy minister reverses report decision

The scheme paid subsidies to businesses that switched from oil or gas, to burning wood pellets

The economy minister has reversed a decision to withhold a report into fraud allegations concerning a lucrative green energy scheme.

In July the the audit office found the renewable heat incentive scheme was poorly controlled.

It also found it was open to abuse and had left taxpayers in Northern Ireland with a massive bill.

Simon Hamilton announced an audit of installations to check the fraud allegations.

Earlier this week, his department said the report would not be published.

But now Mr Hamilton says he intends to make the information available.

The scheme paid subsidies to businesses that switched from oil or gas, to burning wood pellets.

But the subsidy rate was too generous and amounted to significant payments over the 20-year term.

The UK Treasury capped its contribution, leaving the taxpayer in Northern Ireland to pick up the rest.

The shortfall could amount to £20m a year for the next 20 years.

Economy Minister Simon Hamilton says he intends to make the information available

In addition, a whistle-blower alleged that some businesses had abused the scheme.

Among the claims were that firms and a farmer were heating empty sheds to claim the subsidy.

In a statement, the Department of Economy said there were no plans to publish the report.

However, later Mr Hamilton said he would make the investigation's outcome public.

He said he took the fraud allegations very seriously and experts had begun unannounced site visits to check installations.

"While I don't want to get into publishing every single detail of each of those site visits I do want to make public the overall outcome of the inspections and I will do that in due course," he said.

If there was fraud it would be highlighted and dealt with, and if there wasn't the public would be told, he added.