Martin McGuinness calls on First Minister Arlene Foster to ‘step aside’ during ‘Cash for Ash’ probe

MARTIN McGUINNESS has called on First Minister and DUP leader Arlene Foster to “step aside” during the investigation into the so-called ‘Cash for Ash’ renewable energy incentive scheme over-run that could cost taxpayers £400million.

And Sinn Féin also announced late on Friday evening that its “leadership team and key activists” will meet in Derry on Saturday to discuss the scandal. 

The call by the Sinn Féin deputy First Minister came after he had spoken by phone on Friday afternoon with the First Minister.

The call by the most senior Sinn Féin figure in the North’s governing Executive piles more pressure on the DUP leader ahead of her scheduled statement to the Stormont Assembly on Monday.

The DUP is reported to have insisted that the First Minister will not step aside.

Martin McGuinness’s intervention came after the BBC’s Stephen Nolan broadcast interviews on Thursday night with Bell and Foster with contrary accounts about the process, their own roles, the actions of “SPADs” (Ministerial Special Advisors), and where the blame rests for the scandal.

The interviews also included controversial claims of records being altered by SPADs and bullying.

In a statement issued on Friday evening, Martin McGuinness said that, in his call to Arlene Foster (pictured):

“I outlined my serious concern that the credibility of the political institutions is being undermined by the serious and ongoing allegations surrounding the design, operation, abuse and ending of the Renewable Heating Incentive Scheme.

“This includes allegations from a former DUP minster that there was corruption.

“This scheme has directly impacted on the public purse. Taxpayers’ money wasted in this scheme needs to be retrieved.

“It is my belief the only way to establish the truth and rebuild the reputation of the institutions is to urgently establish a fully independent investigation into this matter.

“In addition, I also said that, in the public interest, she should stand aside from the role as First Minister while that investigation is underway and at least until an initial assessment had been concluded into the veracity of all the allegations.

“That is what I would do if I was in this situation.

“I asked the First Minister to take the time and consider this suggestion carefully.”

◼︎ THE Renewable Heating Incentive (RHI) was set up in 2012 by the Executive to help to try and increase consumption of heat from renewable sources. But, as the BBC says, “over-generous subsidies meant the more claimants burned, the more they earned”.

The announcement of the pending closure of a scheme that had underspent led to a spike in applications in a two-week gap and a huge over-run which DUP ministers are scrambling to shift blame for.

The RHI scheme was run by then Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment – then headed by DETI Minister Arlene Foster. (It now comes under the Department for the Economy.)