by Sam McBride
Butler, Patrick, 149, 276, 284–5
Cairns, Timothy, 116, 139, 154, 182, 186–7, 190, 192, 203, 214, 239, 278; and the closure of RHI, 196, 197, 206, 215, 266; as a conduit for DUP policy, 161, 187, 280; and delays to the end of the uncapped scheme, 186–7, 200, 254; and Moy Park, 141, 160; and relations with Andrew Crawford, 126, 135, 141–2, 143, 144, 154, 157, 160, 164, 281; and relations with Jonathan Bell, 125–8, 129–30, 131, 132–3, 134–5, 165–7, 169, 183, 204, 215, 331, 339; and tariff controls to subsidy payments, 134, 136–7, 156–7, 159, 161–2, 164, 281, 283; and testimony to the public inquiry, 131, 139, 141, 160, 162, 214, 278, 281, 282, 333, 351
Cameron, David, 168
Campbell, Gregory, 249
capping of the RHI scheme, 63, 64, 137, 174, 185, 209, 308, 311; and the absence of a cap as an incentive to abuse, 70, 71, 123; lucrativeness of an uncapped scheme, 72, 95, 147, 179–80, 188, 297
Carbon Trust, the, 89, 93
Carragher, Kathleen, 2, 7, 13
Castro, Luis, 56
Celtic Green Energy Ltd, 297
CEPA (Cambridge Economic Policy Associates), 25, 27–30, 32, 33, 34, 40, 43, 44, 45, 60, 74, 80, 104, 188; and the addendum report, 41–2, 43, 50; warnings to DETI on operating costs, 74
Cerberus (US vulture fund), 152–3
challenge fund (grant-based scheme), the, 27, 28, 29–30, 31
Challenger tank, the, 293
Charity Commission, the, 230, 231
China trade mission, the, 232, 233
Chinese links and security protocols on email servers, 342–3
CHP (Combined Heat and Power) Plants, 182, 306, 307–8, 310
civil servant complaints about media intrusion, 227, 249
Civil Service (Special Advisers) Act (Northern Ireland, 2013), 339
Clarke, Alan, 51, 291, 347–50
Clarke, Jim, 95–6
Clarke, Trevor, 317
Cleland, Ken, 7, 9–10, 11, 18, 218
client scepticism in the RHI scheme, 66
Clifton, Teri, 91, 110, 240, 241, 243, 245
Clinton, Hilary, 343
Cluff, Denzil, 239
Clydesdale, Alison, 21, 22, 35, 36, 37
Cockburn, Mark, 25, 28, 32
Coghlin, Sir Patrick, 12, 28, 42–3, 96, 115, 131, 134, 152, 164, 175, 215, 228, 231, 282; and Moy Park, 159, 205; and the setting up of the public inquiry, 273, 274–8, 279
Colton, Justice, 309, 310
conditions for formal re-approval for RHI, 117
Connolly, Sam, 38–9, 41
constitutional status quo of Northern Ireland, the, 353, 355
consultancy reports on renewable heat, 21–3, 25, 27–9, 32, 40 (see also CEPA (Cambridge Economic Policy Associates))
Cooper, Trevor, 117–19, 120–1, 133, 162, 189, 190–1, 327
Corby Biomass Systems, 250
Coren, Giles, 275
cost controls, 22, 37, 84, 90, 109, 137, 145, 156; and awareness of the need for, 72, 81–2, 93; and delays to, 10, 14, 15–16, 75, 83, 100, 103, 111, 135, 139, 156–7, 160, 161–2, 164, 184, 186, 189, 200, 209, 254, 281, 321; and the DUP desire for an alternative to, 131, 132; and Ofgem recommendations for, 58, 103; and plans to cut after closure of subsidies, 267–8; speculation on deliberateness of, 45–6, 287 (see also tiering of tariff rates)
cost estimates and recommendations, 27, 30–1, 32, 33, 34
Cox, Sarah, 245
Crawford, Andrew, 3, 23, 33, 62, 68, 70, 83–4, 98, 99–100, 136, 182, 197, 199, 227, 228, 282–3, 288, 306; and Alan Clarke on, 347, 348, 349–50; and assistance to Stephen Brimstone, 238, 239; and attention to detailed knowledge, 141, 161; and the belief in extracting Treasury money, 32, 51–2, 142, 163, 192, 322, 323–4; and communications with Foster about problems with RHI, 152, 153–4, 187, 201, 336; and discontinuation as Foster’s spad, 195, 346; and insider tip-offs, 147–8, 149–51, 210–12, 249, 265–6; and knowledge of forthcoming cuts, 144–7; and links to Moy Park, 100–1, 137, 141, 154, 155, 159, 205, 210–12, 291–2, 294, 299, 302; and the non-recording of meetings and email security, 46, 113, 114–15, 284, 341; and relations with Mark Anderson, 228, 272; and relations with Timothy Cairns, 126, 135, 141–2, 143, 144, 154, 157, 160, 164, 281; and resignation, 264–5; and role in delaying cost controls, 8, 9, 16, 100, 157–8, 160, 161, 253, 260, 261, 263; and the signing-off on RHI approval, 47, 48; and testimony to the public inquiry, 28, 48, 50, 51–2, 100, 113, 145–51, 153–4, 205, 228, 277, 323–4; and the UFU, 61
Crawford, James, 144, 146, 147, 155, 265
Crawford, John, 144, 147
Crawford, Richard, 144–6, 148
crony capitalism and preferential treatment, 305
Cushnahan, Frank, 153
cuts to other government schemes, 255
DCI Energy Ltd, 174
de minimis rule for low-level state aid, the, 89
deadline before introduction of tariff rates, the, 144, 156, 170, 213
Deane, Michael, 290
DECC, 36, 37, 40, 41, 54, 56, 71, 72, 105–6, 116, 163
defamation award to Goodfellas Pizzeria restaurant, 275
DEL (Stormont budget), 192
delays in reining in RHI scheme (see cost controls)
Dennison Commercials Ltd, 180–1
department figures on payment rates and returns, 313
Department of Agriculture, the, 64–5, 123–4, 170
Department of Finance, the, 117, 190
DETI (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment), the, 19–20, 24, 68, 73, 84–5, 202, 280, 347; and advice to the McGuckian CHP plant, 306, 307; and awareness of a problem, 81, 95, 104–5, 156, 163, 170, 188, 319; and contact with Janette O’Hagan, 78–80, 81; and draft document on funding and expenditure forecasts, 133–4; estimate of economic benefits, 188, 189; expertise of officials, 24–5, 29, 84, 85; and higher payments for larger boilers, 65–6, 103; and the ignoring of consultants’ recommendations, 21, 22, 29–30, 32–3, 53, 54–5, 56, 57–8; and intentions to prevent abuse, 154–5, 180, 181; and internal audit, 218–19; and leaks from, 172–4, 176–8, 211; and misinterpretation of funding, 163, 187–8; and the need for the curtailment of spending, 109–10, 121–2, 125, 136–7; on the performance of RHI, 75; and personnel changes, 85–7, 97; plans to introduce a domestic scheme, 73–4, 76, 81, 83; and planted Assembly question about RHI levels, 99–100; and pressure to cut budget spend, 91, 110–11; and resistance to countering overspend, 160–1; and reviews and the irregular spending of public funds, 117–21, 140, 187–9, 218–19; and staff changes, 85–7, 97; and tariff rates, 41, 104, 322; and tariff reviews, 88, 90; and time pressure to go ahead with the RHI scheme, 57, 61, 62; and warnings about a spike in applications, 171, 181 (see also RHI (Renewable Heat Incentive) scheme, the)
Devenport, Mark, 2, 15, 235, 265
devolution collapse, 18, 80, 257, 271
devolved government and independence from Westminster, 20–1
DfE (Department for the Economy), the, 220, 242, 259, 284–5, 305, 309, 310, 311, 313
Dobbin, David, 61
Dodds, Diane, 335
Dodds, Nigel, 194, 217–18, 247, 333, 345, 347
Dolan, Elaine, 351
domestic applications to the RHI, 73–4, 92–3, 144, 162–3
Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme Regulations (Northern Ireland) Act (2014), 92–3, 94
Donaldson, Jeffrey, 345
Donnelly, Kieran, 219, 309, 328
Doran, Michael, 230–1
Douglas, Thomas, 312
draft changes to a RHI submission, 205–6
draft document on forecasted RHI expenditure and funding, 133–4
DRD (Department for Regional Development), the, 108
‘dry heat’ systems, 300
DSO (Departmental Solicitor’s Office), the, 285
Dunne, Gordon, 98–9
DUP, the, 17–18, 24, 25–6, 31–2, 50, 139, 160, 181–2, 220, 223, 244–5, 254–5, 273, 290, 3
26, 354; and accusations of delays, 9, 14–15; accusations of waste of money, 2–3; and Assembly elections, 251, 263, 270–1; and attitude to the Irish language, 255, 270; and governing with Sinn Féin, 34, 208, 216, 251, 252–3, 257, 269, 284, 324, 326, 353; and internal rivalries, 5–6, 17, 68–9, 124; and measures taken to minimise criticism, 263–4, 266; and the media, 13, 68, 232, 235, 248, 249, 262–3; and non-recording of meetings and private email accounts, 34, 46, 58, 112, 113–16, 236, 267, 287, 327, 339–40, 348; and perceptions of corruption, 152, 249, 262, 266, 316; and spads, 128–33, 331–5, 339 (see also Bell, Jonathan; Crawford, Andrew; Foster, Arlene; Robinson, Peter; spads)
Eco Biomass NI Ltd, 180
Edgar, Leona, 232–3
Eglinton (Timber Products) Ltd, 87
election literature and design, 333–4
electricity bills and the funding of Moy Park expansion, 293–4
Elliott, Neil, 63, 64, 65, 213
Ellis, Cathal, 123, 124, 138–9, 302
email from Cairns to Johnston about deviation from the GB tariff scheme, 281–2
email records, 228, 333; list of civil servants who delayed the introduction of cost controls, 260–5
Empey, Sir Reg, 347
Energywise, 189
Enterprise, Trade and Investment Committee, the, 58–9, 182, 183–4
environmental impact, 71
environmental investment funding, 89
environmental laws and the agri-food sector, 289–90, 292–3, 300
EU energy directives, 19, 20
EU environmental directives, 290
EU state aid law, 89, 138, 163, 268, 304, 305, 312, 313
European Union Referendum Act (2015), the, 168
external pressures on the public inquiry, 279, 280
false document claiming that RHI was a success, 214–15
farmers and take-up of the RHI scheme, 64, 65, 271–2
farmers’ payments from Moy Park, 295, 296, 300
Farmers Weekly (newspaper), 289
feed conversion ratio, the, 300
Finance Committee of the Northern Ireland Assembly, the, 224
Finucane, Pat, 273
five-minute delay of live-streaming of the public inquiry, 277–8
Flanagan, Phil, 60, 335
Fleming, Lorraine, 348
FoI (Freedom of Information) Act, the, 113, 115, 263–4, 328; and requests under, 349
Forbes (magazine), 288
Ford, David, 347
Forgrave, Tom, 137, 139, 294–5, 311
Foster, Arlene, 4, 18, 26, 28, 66, 72, 87, 95, 98, 115–16, 143, 152, 199–200, 208, 221, 236, 243, 258, 264–5, 269–70, 308, 337, 344–6, 348–9, 353, 355; appointed as Finance Minister, 112, 182; and awareness of the extent of overspend and ‘gaming,’ 57–8, 101, 126, 136, 153–4, 187, 197, 201, 220, 223, 254; and the closure of RHI, 196, 205, 216; and contacts from Janette O’Hagan, 78, 80, 223, 247–8; and cost controls, 38, 58, 82–3, 97, 186, 321; and culpability, 50, 68, 97, 112–13, 206, 224–5, 249, 336, 351; and the domestic RHI, 83, 84; election as DUP leader and First Minister, 18, 194; and funding, 32, 35, 38, 46–9, 52, 212–13, 324; and the media, 12–13, 14–15, 233–4, 235; and Moy Park, 294, 298, 299; and pledge to stand over a twenty year guarantee, 67–9, 308; priorities as First Minister, 347–8; and recall of events, 33–4, 58, 60; and relations with Jonathan Bell, 14, 15, 68, 132, 195–6, 202, 207, 216–18, 278; and request to stand aside as First Minister, 252, 253, 257, 270, 356; on RHI, 220, 346–7; on the RHI performance, 75–6; and the setting up of a public inquiry, 252, 256; and the setting-up of RHI, 3, 20, 22, 23, 24, 30, 33–4, 38–9, 47, 52–3, 55, 60–2; and testimony to the public inquiry, 15–16, 46–9, 52–3, 57, 60, 135, 195, 201, 218, 346–7, 351–2; and trade missions, 232, 288, 289; and warnings to about perverse incentives, 70, 78, 80
Free Presbyterian Church, the, 248
Fresh Start agreement, the, 193
Frew, Paul, 352
Fullerton, Karen, 203
funding of the RHI, 35–9, 44–6, 47, 51–2, 105–6, 108–9, 111, 133–4, 153, 219–20; belief that the Treasury was funding, 23, 27, 31, 38, 45, 48, 52, 91, 105–6, 109, 116, 133, 136, 142, 163, 191, 218, 306, 322; and the extent of actual funding by the Treasury, 30, 74, 90; realisation that the budget was not being funded by the Treasury, 4, 191–3, 212–13, 218; and the return of monies to the Treasury due to underspend, 84, 98; and the twenty year payment guarantee, 97, 124, 187, 231, 308–9, 312
Gaelectric, 151
Gallagher, George, 199–200, 201, 220, 280
GB heat subsidy scheme, the, 20, 22, 33, 53, 54, 81, 281, 297, 312–13, 322; and British legislation as basis for the RHI scheme, 39, 54–5, 56, 209; and comparison of uptake with NI, 75–6, 90, 91, 92–3, 310, 312–13; and the degression system, 37–8, 72, 81, 182, 210; and funding based on proportion of NI size, 36, 116, 181, 310; and Moy Park, 297, 302, 305, 313; tariff rates, 38, 39, 40–1, 44–5, 49, 55, 72, 77, 93, 98, 103, 104, 158, 171, 318 (see also DECC)
Gibson, Alan, 211, 289, 291
Gibson, Brian, 154, 291
Gilliland, John, 61–2
Givan, Paul, 255
Glees, Prof Anthony, 342–3
Good Morning Ulster (radio show), 220, 221, 226
Goodfellas Pizzeria restaurant review, the, 275
Gordon, David, 12, 13, 14, 251, 266
government criteria for grant approval, 71–2, 90
government spending rates in Northern Ireland, 320, 322, 325
grace period before the implementation of tariff rates, lobbying for a, 175, 208
grains as a biomass fuel, 102
‘grandfathering’ of tariff rates, 49, 67–8
Gray, Sue, 355
Green, Richard, 151
Greenmount Agricultural College, 315–16
Greenvale Hotel, Cookstown, the, 222, 223
Gregg, Wallace, 147, 306
guarantee of payments for twenty years, the, 97, 124, 187, 231, 308–9, 312
Hamilton, Alastair, 288
Hamilton, Simon, 11, 16, 69, 112, 220–1, 226, 235, 244, 248, 260, 261, 263, 267, 268, 269, 273, 298, 306–7
handover for DETI replacements, 86–7, 107, 218–19
Harnack, Matthew, 57
Harron, Stephen, 186
Hart, Sir Anthony, 276
Haslett, Brian, 249–50
Hastings, Howard, 155, 291
Haughey, Charles, 354
Hayes, Maurice, 325–6
heat subsidies, 20, 21, 23, 25, 40–1
heatboss heating control system, the, 77, 79
Hegan, Alan, 179, 213, 318–19
Hegan Biomass Ltd, 186, 318
Hegarty, Fergal, 174, 175, 260
Hepper, Fiona, 29, 42–3, 55, 57–8, 62, 67, 74, 80, 104, 227, 329; and departure from DETI, 84, 88; on lack of need for project management, 86; and level of expertise, 24–5, 79; and the nature of the funding, 34–5, 37, 38–9, 47; and regulatory impact assessment submission document, 47, 50, 327; and the setting up of RHI, 19–20, 23; and steering towards a NI RHI, 33–4; and tiering of RHI, 40, 49, 97
Hobson, Paul, 271–2
Hood, Brian, 65–7, 179
Housing Executive, the, 238
Howell, Ted, 267–8, 269
Hughes, Claire, 162–3
Hughes, Seamus, 85, 89, 102–3, 105–6, 108, 122, 123, 173, 183, 215, 218, 219; and alleged supply of insider information to the poultry industry, 175, 176, 177–9, 259–61; and perception of budgeting and funding, 109, 111, 173–4; and RHI expansion, 88, 104; on usage and RHI applications, 124, 141, 171–2; and warnings of RHI abuse, 139, 140, 175
Hutchinson, Peter, 24, 57, 70, 72, 79, 85, 107, 122; and the CEPA recommendations, 29, 30, 41–2; and the Ofgem recommendations, 54, 55, 56; on the overuse of boilers, 80, 86–8; and RHI marketing events, 64, 73
incentivisation of waste, the, 77–8, 79, 88
incinerator plan for Moy Park by Lough Nea
gh, 290–1
Innasol Ltd, 173
Inquiries Act, the, 148, 149, 256, 273, 276
inspections of boilers, 62, 241, 245–6, 272, 314
Invest NI, 94–5, 96–7, 170–1, 288, 289, 303, 347
Irish Farmers’ Journal (newspaper), 61
Irish language, the, 255, 270
Irish News, The (newspaper), 194, 224–5, 230, 249, 275
Irish Open golf championship, the, 291
Irish unification, 353, 356
irregular spending on RHI, 117–21, 140, 187–9, 218–19
Irwin, William, 99, 100, 161–2
JBS, 288, 299
Johnson, Boris, 216–17
Johnston, Chris, 228
Johnston, Peter, 7, 227
Johnston, Timothy, 3, 4, 8, 13, 152, 195, 221, 242, 264, 339; and the delaying of cost controls, 135, 200, 254, 280, 281–2; and delaying the closure of RHI, 162, 207–8; and influence in the DUP, 128, 331–6, 337; on Jonathan Bell, 15, 128, 168, 217; and relations with Timothy Cairns, 128, 129, 130–2, 166, 196
Kearney, Declan, 256, 273
Keelagher, Paula, 174, 260
Kelly, Kevin, 13
Kernoghan, David, 317–18
Kerr, Sean, 125, 128, 166, 198, 203, 299
Kirke, Chris, 297
Kula, Adam, 68
Larkin, John, 276
Larmour, Peter, 95
Lavery, Ronan, 195
Lawson, Neil, 209–10
leaks from DETI, 172–4, 176–8, 211
legal deficiencies and potential for fraud, 60, 65, 71–2
legislation for the Irish language, 270
legislation for tiering of RHI tariff rates, 182–3
legislation to cut RHI costs, 267, 268–9
Leroux, Marcus, 292–3
Lightsource, 151
Líofa bursary scheme, the, 255
Little-Pengelly, Emma, 129–30, 340
live-streaming of the public inquiry, 277
loan repayment burdens for claimants, 312, 316–17
loan scheme for sustainable treatment solutions, 293
lobbying, 305, 308; against cost controls and payment reductions, 137–9, 172–4, 211, 263, 264; by Gareth Robinson, 94, 130, 150, 151–2; by Moy Park, 211, 292, 293–4, 305, 307, 313
Logan, Phillip, 250
loopholes in regulations, 246
lucrativeness of boiler installations, 175, 179–80, 200, 220, 222–3, 231, 249–50, 272, 296, 302, 317 (see also multiple small boilers and the maximising of subsidy rates)