RHI: Foster thanks people for support after 'dark moments'

Arlene Foster appeared close to tears as she told the Northern Ireland Assembly what got her through the "dark moments" of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) affair.

The first minister thanked her family who listened to "many people speaking of their wife, daughter, sister and mother in such a disparaging way".

She said they "never stopped believing in me as a person of integrity".

The findings into the RHI scheme were published on Friday.

The inquiry, which was established in 2017, found corrupt or malicious activity was not the cause of what went wrong with the failed energy scheme, but determined that the scheme was a "project too far" for the NI Executive and "should never have been adopted".

• Key findings from the inquiry

Speaking in Stormont for the first time since its publication, the Democratic Unionist Party leader also thanked God and "friends and colleagues both inside and outside" the party.

She told MLAs of her "deep personal regret" over mistakes made, "particularly those opportunities I had or could have taken to address some of the issues that subsequently emerged".

Mrs Foster said it was the allegations of corruption that caused her the most concern and called on those who had made them to publicly accept the findings of the report that corruption had played no role in the failure of the scheme.

She concluded by acknowledging her role "in damaging public trust" and said she was determined to play a full part in rebuilding that trust "and doing all I can to ensure a better way of working as we move forward".

She added "this is not a day for recrimination, it is a day for learning".