RHI scandal: Are departments themselves using scheme?

The News Letter had asked the question last Friday.

It is is one of a number of outstanding queries posed to the department, which runs the scheme.

The failure to answer leaves open speculation that the public sector itself is taking part in a scheme which looks set to put a large dent in the Province’s public finances.

For instances, there had been an inaccurate rumour that one may be in place at Stormont itself.

But in response to this specific enquiry, the Department of Finance – which owns and manages the Stormont Estate – said: “There is a biomass boiler on the Stormont Estate which was installed over five years ago. It has no connection to the RHI scheme.”

It has been reported that the names of businesses in receipt of RHI subsidies could be named in January.