Unusually contrite Arlene Foster says sorry for her RHI ‘errors’

In comments made during the first Assembly debate on the report of Sir Patrick Coghlin’s public inquiry into the scandal, the First Minister also spoke about the personal impact of the controversy on her, becoming emotional as she spoke about the support she had received from her family and friends.

Just six weeks ago, when asked during her appearance on RTE’s Late, Late Show if there was incompetence involved in the RHI scheme, Mrs Foster said: “No, there wasn’t incompetence involved.”

But, speaking from the back benches today, Mrs Foster adopted a considerably more contrite tone than in her previous comments about RHI.

Sir Patrick’s report found that corruption or malicious activity did not play any role in RHI running out of control.

However, he set out a series of serious failures both by civil servants and by others, including by Mrs Foster who did not bother to read the RHI legislation when she brought it to the Assembly to ask MLAs to pass it into law.

Today Mrs Foster said: “A lot has been written about the RHI scheme. But this is the definitive account, based on the fact, rather than the headlines”.

She told MLAs that she had “deep and personal regret at the mistakes that were made in this scheme – particularly those opportunities that I had or could have taken to address some of the issues that subsequently emerged”.

The DUP leader went on: “Having the right motivation does not prevent mistakes, oversights or omissions and I must learn from what has been pointed out by the inquiry.

“But when I look back, it was the allegations of corruption that were of the utmost concern. To allege that someone is corrupt is among the most damaging accusations to be levelled against anyone. I therefore welcome the clear and categorical finding by Sir Patrick that corruption played no role in the failure of this scheme.”

In an apparent allusion to former DUP minister Jonathan bell and Sinn Féin members who alleged corruption in the scheme, she said: “To those who made such claims, they should now publicly accept this finding, and as a lesson to everyone on these benches – and the benches opposite – for the future, before questioning anyone’s integrity, wait for the facts.

“Don’t look on a subject as a political rival – look at them as a father, mother, son or daughter who at least deserves to have a fair hearing.”

She said: “None of us is perfect. We will make mistakes. For the errors, I apologise. For my role as First Minister, I will learn the lessons and for the future all criticised must act and do better.”

Mrs Foster added: “I acknowledge my role in damaging public trust, but I am determined to play a full part in rebuilding that trust...”

Becoming emotional, she said that during “dark moments” she had been sustained by “my faith in almighty God and the acknowledgement that his grace is sufficient in all things; the love and support of my friends and colleagues both inside and outside this great party; and my precious family who had to listen to so many people speak of their wife, daughter, sister and mother in such a disparaging way, but who never stopped believing in me as a person of integrity.”

UUP MLA Doug Beattie accepted Mrs Foster’s “gracious and humbling” apology as genuine but he was alarmed that the scandal could be repeated.

TUV leader Jim Allister said that the report “pulls its punches”, yet the elementary nature of so many of its recommendations -such as the recommendation that a minister should read legislation before asking MLAs to vote it into law – “just tells us what a quagmire we were in, in terms of governance in this place”.

Green Party leader Clare Bailey said there was a general sense “that this report gives us little more than we had already learned through the inquiry”.

Speaking on behalf of the Alliance Party, North Down MLA Andrew Muir said: “I am particularly grateful to the whistleblowers and journalists who brought these issues to light.”

Much more should be done to ensure that whistleblowers’ allegations are properly considered and investigated, whilst journalists should never have to face the barrage of criticism and attempts to exclude them just because they were reporting awkward allegations.”

He said that those who were mentioned in the report “should not be walking away thinking that they have been vindicated for past misconduct and that that is somehow acceptable”.

The RHI Inquiry’s finding that former Sinn Fein finance minister Máirtín Ó Muilleoir asked for consent from an unseen senior republican before taking a key decision as minister was also raised in the Assembly.

Friday’s report did not accept that Mr O’Muilleoir, was – as he said – merely consulting Ted Howell, an influential republican in Sinn Fein, about the timing of retrospective cost controls on the stricken scheme.

Instead, the inquiry found that the minister had sought Mr Howell’s consent to the plan.

The report was referring to a episode late in the saga, in January 2017, as power-sharing was on the brink of collapse, and the RHI scheme was long since known by the Executive to have ballooned in cost.

Mr Howell, who was a member of the Sinn Fein ard chomharile (National Executive), had been said to have “been brought out of retirement” by the late Martin McGuinness.

The inquiry said of Mr Howell: “He did not hold accountable elected office.

“The inquiry finds that the wording of the 24 January email was not limited to approving the timing but also encompassed seeking Mr Howell’s consent to the proposed course of action by an Executive minister.”

The report noted that Mr Ó Muilleoir was giving Mr Howell his place as head of a Sinn Fein “crisis committee” and asking him about the timing rather than permission to sign off.

It noted his comment that “this is a political world, and we cannot divorce what was happening from the collapse of the Executive”.

Today the issue was raised by two unionist MLAs.

UUP MLA Doug Beattie said: “The issue with Máirtín Ó Muilleoir is truly scandalous.

“That he would not just go out and give a running commentary to somebody who is unaccountable and unelected, but would actually ask him for permission to act – and that is what he did. He asked for permission to act.

“And that is shameless, when you’re in a position of authority, to do that.”

TUV leader Jim Allister said that it was “one of the most startling revelations in this report”.

The North Antrim MLA said that the report showed that when looking at a business case on the future of RHI, Mr Ó Muilleoir “wasn’t able to make a decision, wouldn’t make a decision, until he consulted with – not just consulted with, until he got the consent of – a shadowy figure, Mr Ted Howell.”

He sent him an email – ‘would you be content’; would you, would you, Mr Howell, be content, ‘if I signed off the business plan on Wednesday’.

“That was how government was being conducted in this place.

“Is it still how it’s being conducted?

“Does that explain the transformation of last Thursday from Michelle O’Neill supporting the first minister to Friday morning repudiating what had been decided about schools?

“Was there another communication with another shadowy figure?”