by Sam McBride
Lunny, Donal, 101, 102, 152, 231, 266, 276, 281–2, 296, 297
Lynch, Martin, 268
Lyttle, Chris, 60
Macauley, Conor, 224, 279, 284
MacLean, Dr Keith, 43, 48, 158–9, 188, 276, 351
Magee, Tracey, 232–3, 234
maintenance contract extension for Red Sky Ltd, the, 238
Manley, John, 224
Marfrig, 288–9
Mark, David, 106–7, 138–9, 141, 154–5, 205, 211, 291, 295–6, 298
Maxwell, Amanda, 316
Maxwell, Fred, 315–16
May, Theresa, 344
Maze Long Kesh Development Corporation, the, 9
McAdam, Noel, 270
McAfee, Rachel, 29
McAleer, Ryan, 180
McArdle, Mary, 337–8
McArthur, Catherine, 57
McAteer, Aidan, 207–8, 209, 338, 339
McBride, Sam, 263
McCann, Brendan, 247
McCann, Eamonn, 244, 252
McCausland, Nelson, 238
McCay, Davina, 84, 88, 104, 105
McClughan, Patrick, 151
McCollum, Janet, 210, 296, 297, 298
McCormick, Dr Andrew, 12, 13–14, 16, 85, 127, 164, 165, 190, 196, 198, 201–2, 209, 254, 269, 305, 337; on Crawford, 9, 100, 101, 160, 161, 260, 264, 265–6, 323; and the list of names leaking insider tip-offs, 260, 261, 263, 265; and the Public Accounts Committee, 226, 317, 322; and regrets, 160, 329–30; and relations with Jonathan Bell, 8–10, 11, 204, 217; and the request by Cairns to delay subsidy reduction, 186, 187; and RHI funding and budgeting, 116, 117, 163, 193, 212, 220, 322; and testimony to the inquiry, 248, 263, 323–4
McCracken, Terence, 173–4
McCrea, Ian, 250
McCrossan, Daniel, 224
McCullough, Susie, 348
McCune, Rodney, 108
McCutcheon, Joanne, 24, 54, 55, 57, 70, 79, 84, 86
McDonald, Mary Lou, 255
McElhatton, Michael, 222, 223
McFarland, Clive, 14, 68–9
McGleenan, Tony, 308–9
McGlone, Patsy, 59, 93, 94, 184–5
McGuckian, Barney, 306–8
McGuckian, Liam, 306–8
McGuinness, Martin, 5, 18, 205, 207, 208, 232, 255, 256, 257, 267, 328, 353; request to Arlene Foster to stand down, 252, 253, 270
McIlveen, Michelle, 204
McIlween, David, 258
McIlwrath, Lavelle, 99
McKibbin, Sir Malcolm, 199, 200, 201–2, 205, 208, 227, 232, 327, 338–9
McMullan, Connel, 175–6
McNaughton, Sean, 301
media coverage, 248
metering, 74, 96
Middleton, Gary, 250
Mills, John, 85, 108, 122, 127, 133–4, 156, 164, 165, 189, 190, 215, 327; and cost controls, 90, 99, 136–7, 157, 321; and culpability, 98, 193; and disagreements with the DETI Finance department, 117, 120; and dismissal of a different NI tiering system, 159, 160; on funding and budgeting, 163, 193, 219–20, 321; and leaks of sensitive information to outside companies, 172–3, 177–8; and RHI expansion, 82–3, 84; on RHI uptake, 76, 84
ministerial directions, 160, 186, 281, 330
Moloney, Ed, 268
Moore, Oliver, 56
moral hazard and government expenditure, 320–1, 325
Morelli, Emer, 153
Morrow, Iain, 28, 29, 32
Morrow, Lord, 217, 282
Moy Park Ltd, 69, 106, 138–9, 144, 158, 173, 176, 287–8, 289–95, 315, 318; and benefits from RHI, 296–300, 303–4, 307; and expansion plans, 300–1, 302–3; and links to the DUP and Executive, 100–1, 137, 141, 154, 155, 159, 205, 210–12, 291–2, 294, 298–9, 302, 303–4; and lobbying, 211, 292, 293–4, 305, 307, 313; and payments to farmers, 295, 296
Mullan, Mike, 211, 291, 298
multiple small boilers and the maximising of subsidy rates, 54, 65, 70, 95, 96, 103, 137, 148, 158, 180–1, 186, 209–10, 250, 313–14 (see also lucrativeness of boiler installations)
Murdoch, Rupert, 94
Murphy, Conor, 208, 215, 255
Murphy, Shane, 30–1, 116, 121, 122, 189
Museum of Free Derry project, the, 348–9
mushroom farming and biomass boilers, 305
NAMA, 152
nepotism, 149, 150
net employment generated, 188
New York trade mission, 203–4
Newell, Colin, 306
Newman, Richard, 226, 229
News Quiz, The (radio show), 258
Newton, Robin, 59, 253
Ní Chuilín, Carál, 337–8
Nicol, Alastair, 96–7
NIRO (Northern Ireland Renewables Obligation), the, 29, 52, 125, 127, 143, 151, 152, 190, 196
NITB (Northern Ireland Tourist Board), the, 291, 347, 350 (see also Clarke, Alan)
Nitrates Directive, the, 290
no-confidence motion in Arlene Foster, 254
Nolan, Dermot, 245
Nolan, Stephen, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6–7, 12–15, 169, 234, 247, 249
Nolan Show, The (TV show), 7, 12, 16, 234, 247, 249
non-recording of government meetings and decisions, the, 34, 46, 58, 112, 113–16, 236, 267, 287, 327, 348 (see also private email account use)
Northern Ireland Assembly, the, 94, 243–4, 251; elections to, 263, 269, 270–1, 344
Northern Ireland Audit Office, the, 70, 123, 160, 219–20, 221, 222, 224, 226, 242, 309 (see also audits)
Northern Ireland Civil Service, the, 11, 19, 23–4, 31, 84–6, 119, 325–30, 354, 355
Ó Muilleoir, Máirtín, 208, 224, 267, 268, 269, 273–4, 280, 338, 341
oats as biomass fuel, 102
O’Brien, Dame Una, 118, 130, 177, 246, 276, 329, 351
O’Dornan, David, 5
O’Dowd, John, 254
Ofgem, 72–3, 89, 96, 97, 171, 172, 210, 286; and boiler inspections, 62, 209, 223, 245–6, 314, 315; and budgeting issues with DETI, 91, 110–11; and investigation of Stephen Brimstone, 240–2, 243, 245–6; and recommendations for cost controls, 53–8, 86, 103; and usage updates to DETI, 91, 110, 123, 124
O’Hagan, Janette, 77–81, 86, 87–8, 104–5, 107, 121, 178, 179, 222, 223, 234, 235, 247–8
Oliver, Jamie, 300
O’Neill, Julian, 349
O’Neill, Michelle, 64–5, 123–4, 208
O’Neill, Tony, 292
order for Routemaster buses from Wrightbus, 216–17
Osborne, Christopher, 101–2, 137, 138, 172, 212
OSI group, the, 288
Overend, Sandra, 60
overspend in budgets, 35, 84, 109, 120, 160–1, 182, 183, 219, 229–30, 266, 270, 309–10; and AME, 36, 37–8; awareness of by Arlene Foster, 187, 197, 220; overstatement of the scale of, 313 (see also funding of the RHI)
Owen, Kirby, 43–4
PAC (Public Accounts Committee), the, 11, 43, 223–4, 226, 262, 264, 317, 322, 326
Paisley, Ian, 3, 31, 203, 257
Paisley, Ian (Jnr), 16–17
Palmer, Jenny, 238
Panorama (TV show), 268
Parker, Jon, 36, 105, 191
Partridge, Jeff, 109
Patel, Akhil, 37–8
Patton, Gareth, 315
payment calculations for boilers, 89
People Before Profit, 251–2
Phoblacht, An (newspaper), 256
Pilgrim’s Pride, 288
political attractiveness of RHI, the, 31–2
political satire, 258
Poots, Edwin, 9, 151–2, 258, 271, 290
Porter, Marcus, 55, 56
Post-it note communications, 115
poultry farmers’ usage, 124, 137, 138–9, 144, 301, 311, 312, 314–18 (see also boiler usage)
poultry industry and biomass heating systems, the, 106, 139–40, 177, 205; and tip-offs to ahead of ministerial decisions, 176–8, 212, 259–62, 263, 265
poultry
litter, 290–1, 293, 303, 304
poultry manure technology, 69–70
prerogative powers, 251
press office, the, 327
Priestly, Paul, 326
private email account use, 197–8, 221, 283, 284, 339–42
private member’s bill on spads with criminal records, 338
project management to ensure continuity in the RHI scheme, 85–6
Provisional IRA, the, 181, 257, 267, 268, 345
PSNI, the, 243
public consultation process, the, 32–3, 40, 122
public inquiry into the RHI scandal, the, 21, 32, 39–40, 56–7, 95–6, 152, 169, 175, 208, 221, 231, 243, 246, 279–84, 299, 329–30, 335; and calls for, 252, 255–6, 273; cost of, 285–6; and external pressures on, 279, 280; and O’Hagan emails, 107; and political U-turns on calls for it, 273; and powers and remit of under Sir Patrick Coghlin, 69, 274–8, 279; testimony by Andrew Crawford, 28, 48, 50, 51–2, 100, 113, 142–3, 145–51, 153–4, 205, 228, 277, 323–4; and testimony by Arlene Foster, 15–16, 33–4, 38, 46–9, 52–3, 57, 60, 135, 195, 201, 218, 346–7, 351–2; and testimony by Fiona Hepper, 42–3, 58, 80; testimony by Jonathan Bell, 11–12, 131, 197–8, 276, 277–8, 280–1; and testimony by Stuart Wightman, 176–8, 190; and testimony by Timothy Cairns, 131, 139, 141, 160, 162, 214, 278, 281, 282, 333, 351
public perceptions of Stormont, 354
public spending budgets, 23, 109, 110–11 (see also funding of the RHI; overspend in budgets)
publication of the list of RHI claimants, 271–2
PwC (Price Waterhouse Coopers), 108, 124, 178, 303
Pyper, Jenny, 24
Reconnect grant scheme, the, 30, 37
Red Sky Ltd, 238, 354
regulatory impact assessment documents, 47, 48, 214
Reid, Paul, 250
REM (Renewable Energy Manufacturing) Ltd, 69, 70
Renewable Heat Association, the, 73
Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme Regulations (Northern Ireland) Act (2012), the, 58–60
renewable installers at Department of Agriculture events, 64
Republic of Ireland scheme, the, 313
resignations and reappointments within the Stormont Executive, 181–2
resources available to the civil service, 327–8
responsibility and efforts to remove culpability, 201–2, 225, 235; and Arlene Foster, 50, 68, 97, 112–13, 206, 224–5, 249, 336, 351
retrospective approval for boilers, 188, 190
RHANI (Renewable Heat Association of Northern Ireland), the, 308–9, 311, 312–13
RHI (Renewable Heat Incentive) scheme, the, 2, 20, 31–2, 51–2, 71–2, 288, 294, 354–7; amendments to the scheme, 82, 86; closure of, 192–3, 195–6, 205, 207–8, 210–11, 214, 216, 228, 303; and expansion of, 73–4, 91, 92–3, 94, 103–4, 306; lack of monitoring or amendments to the scheme, 62, 64–5, 67, 72, 80, 90–1; marketing of the RHI scheme, 66, 73, 89, 90, 139, 170, 171, 250; and Moy Park, 294, 303; recommendations by DETI for, 29–30, 33; and resources for, 24, 108; and retrospective cuts, 266, 307, 308, 309, 311–12; reviews of, 97–9, 118–21; and take-up by farmers, 64, 65, 271–2 (see also DETI (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment), the; funding of the RHI)
Rial, Sergio, 289
Robinson, David, 154
Robinson, Gareth, 94, 130, 150, 151–2
Robinson, Gavin, 166
Robinson, Iris, 9, 252–3
Robinson, John, 11, 69, 242, 261–2, 263, 264–5, 284, 332, 334
Robinson, Jonathan, 17
Robinson, Peter, 9, 136, 151, 153, 280, 328, 332, 335, 336, 339, 341; and the breakfast row between Bell and Cairns, 129, 131; and relations with Jonathan Bell, 6, 10, 17–18, 168–9, 195, 207, 217, 218, 278; resignation as First Minister, 252–3, 345; retirement of, 194, 252–3, 345
ROCs (Renewable Obligation Certificates), 143
Rooney, Eugene, 133, 162, 209
Rose Energy, 290
R&S Biomass, 154
Rudd, Amber, 125
Rural Generation Ltd, 61, 62
sale of property loans to a US vulture fund, 152–3
Saville inquiry, the, 283
Scappaticci informer affair, the, 268
scepticism about green energy, 25–6, 93, 221
Scoffield, David, QC, 4–5, 11–12, 38, 40, 48, 60, 175, 276, 278, 299, 323, 351
Scott, Michelle, 153
SDLP, the, 224, 253, 338
Secret History of the IRA, A (book), 268
Section 21 of the Inquiries Act, 148, 149, 276
security protocols and private email accounts, 340–2
Shaw, Elaine, 305
Simpson, John, 229
Sinn Féin, 15, 24, 31, 64, 153, 193, 196, 207, 220, 266–9, 270, 271, 273, 290, 327, 331, 340, 341; and governing with the DUP, 34, 208–9, 216, 251, 252–3, 255–7, 269, 284, 324, 326, 353; and spads, 335, 337–9
Slugger O’Toole (blog), 45, 49–50
Smith, Alan, 188–9
Solmatix Ltd, 73, 139, 140
Somerville, Neil, 250
Source Material (website), 292–3
Spackman, Conor, 226–7, 229, 230
spads (special advisors), 51, 128–9, 195–6, 208, 217, 221–2, 331–7 (see also Brimstone, Stephen; Cairns, Timothy; Crawford, Andrew; Johnston, Timothy; McAteer, Aidan)
Spence, Thomas James, 180
spending recommendations for a renewable heat scheme, 27–8
spike in demand ahead of tariff control legislation, 8, 133, 141–2, 156, 157, 161, 171–2, 176–7, 179, 181, 185, 191, 205, 211–12, 213, 216, 249, 260
Spotlight (BBC show), 5, 194, 224, 226–8, 229–30, 232, 234, 243, 247, 249, 357
staff changes in DETI, 85–7, 97
Stalford, Christopher, 169
statutory powers of MLAs, 94
Sterling, David, 34, 85, 87, 193, 202, 252, 269, 323, 326–7, 329, 348, 349–50
Stewart, Chris, 85, 160–1, 165, 178, 181, 186, 196, 205, 206, 331; and budgets and expenditure, 116–17, 133, 191–2; and cost controls, 136–7, 156–7; and receiving rumours of RHI abuse, 162, 190
Storey, Mervyn, 135–6, 210, 248–9
Stormont Executive, the, 7, 20, 181–2, 208, 250, 251, 252, 327–8; and links to Moy Park, 302
submission to shut down the RHI and NIRO, 195–7
subsidies and EU state law, 304
subsidy rates and the cost of fuel, 40–1, 42–4, 49, 62, 63, 65, 66–7, 68, 70–1, 138, 171, 230, 318–19; and cuts, 154, 283; and maximising subsidy payments with multiple boilers, 54, 65, 70, 95, 96, 103, 137, 148, 158, 180–1, 186, 209–10, 250, 313–14
Sugden, Claire, 256
Sunday World (newspaper), 68
Swann, Robin, 223, 224
Talkback (radio show), 334–5
tariff rates, 99, 119, 125, 302; and tariff reduction, 72, 82, 106; and tiering in the GB scheme, 38, 39, 40–1, 44–5, 49, 55, 56, 72, 77, 93, 98, 103, 104, 158, 171, 209–10, 246, 318; and tiering of, 38, 39, 40–1, 42, 44, 49, 59, 122, 137, 140, 156, 158, 173, 174, 182–3, 184–5, 209, 246
taxpayer costs, 2, 23, 30–1, 45, 67, 92, 110, 163, 183, 185, 187, 189, 207, 209, 220, 229, 231, 245, 307, 322, 324, 325, 328; and cost of the public inquiry, 285, 286; and the funding of spads’ salaries, 51, 222, 333, 334, 335–6; and impact of the spike in RHI applications, 172, 179–80; and the impact of tiering, 15, 38, 72; subsidising of Moy Park, 155, 211, 212, 293, 300, 304
technology costs and subsidy levels, 72
television interviews with Foster, 233–4, 235
Thatcher, Margaret, 336
Thompson, David, 5, 13
Thompson, Wallace, 348
Thomson, David, 58, 85, 303–4, 348
‘tip-offs’ to the poultry industry ahead of ministerial decisions, 176–8, 212, 259–62, 263, 265
Tourism Ireland, 350
trade missions, 203–4, 288–9
Travers, Ann, 338
Travers, Mary, 337–8
Treasury, the, 320, 325 (see also funding of the RHI; philosophy of maximising Treasury funding to Ulster)
TRIM data management system, the, 72, 86
Trimble, Andrew, 308
Troubles and government spending, the, 320
Tughans (law firm), 152
Turnbull, Samantha, 243
Turton, Andrew, 22
TUV (Traditional Unionist Voice), the, 168, 335 (see also Allister, Jim)
UFU (Ulster Farmers’ Union), the, 61, 101–2, 137, 138, 139, 140, 162, 172, 176, 212, 263–4
Ulster Unionist Party, the, 26
underspend of funds available, 37, 91, 191, 313; and the return of money to the Treasury due to, 84, 98 (see also AME (Annually Managed Expenditure); overspend in budgets)
Unionist perceptions of the Republic of Ireland, 353–4
usage updates, 91, 106; from Ofgem, 91, 110, 123, 124 (see also boiler usage; poultry farmers’ usage)
UTV, 232–3
UUP (Ulster Unionist Party), the, 26, 224, 344, 345
Verbatim Communications, 150
View, The (TV show), 352
Villiers, Theresa, 217
Wallace, Mick, 152
Ward, Edmund, 73, 86, 240
Ware, John, 268
Wells, Jim, 112
Wightman, Stuart, 83, 85, 107, 118, 120, 138, 156, 190, 218–19, 238, 303, 306, 329; and awareness of abuse, 139, 140; and budgeting and expenditure, 106, 109, 116, 133, 134, 140; and leaking of changes to outside industry, 173, 174, 175, 176–9, 259–61; and the misrepresentation of DETI’s performance, 119, 120, 214–15; and presentation of misleading information to the enterprise committee, 182–4, 188, 327; and reining in RHI, 109–10, 122; and self-belief, 108, 119; and testimony to the inquiry, 119, 120, 189, 190; on uptake and usage, 106, 119, 123, 156, 181; warning to Ofgem of pressure to cut budgets, 91, 111
Wilkinson, Tomas, 219
Wilson, Padraic, 267, 268
Wilson, Sammy, 26, 66, 93, 168, 221, 258
wind farms, 52
wood chip and pellets for biomass boilers, 61, 67, 74, 102, 138, 174, 222, 228, 237, 238, 240–1, 260, 272, 306, 312, 319
Woods, Michael, 218–19
Yangdong, Madam Liu, 232
Yes, Prime Minister (TV show), 114
Young, David, 224
Senior civil servant Fiona Hepper briefed Arlene Foster as RHI was designed.
Young DETI official Peter Hutchinson was key to designing the scheme.
This chart from the NI Audit Office shows how the tiered GB scheme became less generous – while Stormont’s became more lucrative.
