Renewable Heat Incentive scheme: Nichola Mallon says assembly recall considered

The scheme was meant to encourage businesses to move from generating their heat using fossil fuels to more renewable sources like wood

An SDLP MLA says the opposition parties are looking at the possibility of recalling the assembly over the issue of the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme.

The failed scheme, meant to encourage users to switch to biomass heating systems, could cost taxpayers £400m.

It was run by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI), led at the time by current First Minister Arlene Foster.

The SDLP's Nichola Mallon described it as a "total and utter fiasco".

Speaking on the BBC's Sunday Politics programme, she added: "All that I can see is inaction from this executive.

"This executive fails to take ownership of issues, it fails to take responsibility and there's a serious lack of accountability. All three of those need to be fundamentally addressed.

"Certainly it's one of things we're looking at [recalling the assembly]. The SDLP have been very clear that the first minister needs to appear before the Public Accounts Committee.

"She should do the right thing and appear, but if not, she should be compelled to appear."

The SDLP's Nichola Mallon said that Arlene Foster should appear before the Public Accounts Committee

Last week, Economy Minister Simon Hamilton said that Mrs Foster "did not ignore" warnings by a whistleblower over the energy scheme.

Mrs Foster dealt with the the issue "entirely appropriately", Mr Hamilton said, adding that she referred the issue to civil servants but the warnings were not acted on.

The whistleblower outlined serious flaws with the scheme in an email to the department in 2014.

Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt has said Mrs Foster should consider her position over the controversy, but Mr Hamilton accused him of "stuntery".

Abuse allegations

The scheme paid out more in subsidies than the fuel cost, meaning users could earn more money by burning more fuel.

Arlene Foster, then enterprise minister, was warned about the scheme in 2013

The email was not acted on and the scheme continued until it closed earlier this year amid accusations that it was being abused.

Mrs Foster, now the first minister, has not commented on whether she made any effort to follow up on the whistleblower's claims.

She also pointed out that the permanent secretary of the economy department had said she acted "entirely appropriately".

But, she acknowledged that investigations into the claims "should have highlighted the failings of the scheme and actions should have been taken".