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A FORMER NORTHERN Ireland Minister has claimed that First Minister Arlene Foster reacted hostilely to news that a government energy scheme was being abused, and refused to shut it down.
The scheme which was to promote the use of renewable energy in Northern Ireland was found to have serious flaws in half of installations inspected by the North’s Public Accounts Committee.
The idea was that businesses would be paid for the amount of renewable energy they used – but this prompted businesses to keep heating on all year round and to earn more money.
In a BBC Northern Ireland interview, Bell alleged that Foster knew about the scheme and staunchly defended the scheme.
The Deputy Permanent Secretary of my department asked me something that was highly unusual and only done once, in the five years I sat on the executive.
He asked to meet the minister as he’s entitled to do, to whistleblow on a one-to-one basis.
“[He said that] the purpose of me being here today and for you not having even your own special advisor with you, is Minister we have to advise you that without your knowledge, the special advisor of your department has been asked by the other special advisors to remove references to Arlene Foster, the First Minister, and to the department of Finance and Personnel.”
When Arlene Foster was appointed the minister for the Northern Ireland department for finance in May 2015, Jonathan Bell succeeded her as the Minister for Energy Trade and Investment.
I was ordered to appear in front of the First Minister. In the strongest terms possible, both in volume and force, Arlene Foster overruled me and told me to keep the scheme open.
“Hostile, fear, and abusive,” is how Bell described the meeting with Foster.
When asked “abusive in what way,” he answered ”She walked in and shouted at me that I would keep this scheme open.”
Arlene Foster denies any involvement keeping the flaws of the scheme hidden, and told Irish News in a video interview that she had actually reported the flaws to the relevant people once she was made aware.
Although she regrets the flaws in the scheme that lead to its abuse, she defended the idea of a renewable energy scheme.
It’s thought the scandal will cost Northern Ireland taxpayers £400 million.
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She’s lying through her teeth. The DUP are up to their necks in this mess but according to them it’s everyboy else who’s to blame. Who’s constituency is the company supplying these pellets based in? Who signed up during the spike in applications? Why no monetary cap? Why delay closing the scheme? DUP fingerprints all over this debacle.
@MaryLou But this story isn’t about SF is it? It’s about a party who has an overspend of £485m on a renewable energy scheme. The same party do not believe in climate change. You couldn’t make this sh¡te up
It seems greed is an all Ireland, all 32 counties problem.
Why close it? Why not just close the loopholes. Green energy incentives are a good idea, but , like any money based scheme, anti fraud measures need to be built in. I would thought that would be a basic. If controls were deliberately left out then it’s time to question those that drafted it.
Sure we just read the artical which stated (more or less) that they tried to wipe Arlene Fosters fingerprints off the paperwork. A lot of fingerprint wiping on both sides.
The DUP, rotten to the core like some down here.
@Paul Mc: More like a politician who is stringing out a lie in the hope that attention turns to anorher scandal.
Foster’s support for uda chief Dee Stitt and his 35k a year pay packet funded by the taxpayer tells you all you need to know about Foster.
The chief constable is spot on when he says their has been a rise in uda activity lately in Est Belfast so therefore Foster needs to stop ignoring the police and review all public funding for organisations such as Charter NI.
@Greg The non-domestic side of this scheme is scandalous. IMO it should have been stopped/suspended and investigated in 14/15 when a PwC report into it said that only 46% of heat being generated through the scheme was in accordance with the rules. Instead the word was spread about the loopholes (covertly) allowing another few hundred to jump on the bandwagon and fill their boots.
DUP fingerprints? Well yes. Conflicting versions from two ministers. Both DUP. Seems more of a conflict within that party as to who will carry responsibility.
Exactly Terry. Arlene needs a scapegoat, someone to fall on their sword, but Jonathan’s not playing ball.
The DUP have constantly refuted the claim that they are to blame. They are trying to point the finger at the permanent secretary and senior civil servants. This has been their stand from the get go hence the request from Spads to remove the fingerprints of DFP/FM off the record in relation to this scheme. They circled the wagons and tried to keep this quiet but because they failed Jonathan Bell had to be the fall guy. He knew this and came out fighting (and praying). There isn’t really conflict in the party, more they’re are trying to cover their asses.
@Annie Howe: Sinn Fein does believe in climate change. I can prove climate change is a scam and so can many more, Climate change allows every racket to precede. Maybe its the DUP you refer to, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/energy/windpower/11323685/Wind-farms-paid-1m-a-week-to-switch-off.html
and
She’s a very unlikeable character. It’s easy to believe she’s a bully with a filthy temper.
Hope it all comes crashing down on the witch!
Aren’t one of the biggest producers of pellets just outside enniskillen. Balcas. Slap bang in fosters constituency
Arlene should be pushing for a United Ireland.
She’d fit right in down here.
I found Bell’s point about being bullied by advisers very interesting. It’s worth noting that advisers (SPADs) are not Civil Servants, rather appointees by the political parties..
@Stephen Duffy: she seems like a bit of a thug.
are you saying she can appoint her own thugs as advisors to ensure others will take the “advice” being given?
Well she id a fine big strong lump of an agricutural irish girl
The point is we need to know exactly who took up the scheme and their affiliation to the DUP and/or Free Presbyterian church. The Irish News revealed yesterday that Colin Brimstone, one of the chief DUP spads, his brother and brother in law were all in it. Several Free P churches have had these boilers installed. The Hurste car sales group, also close to the Unionist establishment, have them. It looks like a massive slush fund the DUP/Free Presbyterian group and its supporters
The knowledgeable investigator Jamie Bryson ;-) has just outed one of the DUPs biggest donors. The chicken farmer in question apparently built a £1m factory to provide wood shavings for pellets. Conveniently the pellet factory isn’t too far away and in the same constituency……
Time for an election and a referendum for all the people of northen ireland regarding brexit and autonomy to decide on an all island Ireland
Hostile, Fear & Abusive”" all the hallmarks of the DUP
Arlene is in trouble here, she will be forced out, and be replaced with what?.
Renewable energy is a scam. Govts make huge amounts of money available to companies that promise the UK electricity can be generated by 100% renewable.
Here is the truth, in real time, of just how useless windmills and solar arrays are.
Bookmark, and watch!
http://www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk/
@Buster VL: Great for keeping Ferraris warm, though http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/public-money-could-heat-northern-ireland-ferrari-showroom-for-next-20-years-35286617.html
Folks. In the case of Raragh Wind Farm near me, 49 people have invested 250,000 euros in it. Most are Dublin based Doctors. That is just one small one. Thousands of people have invested and Barry Cowan r=told me personally that the government cannot halt them. Green rackets are seen as a safe investment , they think they will replace conventional generation. Why are ESB power workers not worried about their jobs?
If the media allowed the likes of me to report the scandals , it would end soon. This would never have discovered had there not been a whistelblower and BBC Spotlight not did a program on it.
Scotlands the same , surprised it hasn’t come forth on the back of this ?
As much as i despise Arlene i find this all a bit strange.
Bell’s interview was very animated, like a pantomime. Hes a far right Christian – old school Paisleyite. Arlene is a former UUP convert to the DUP, and not remotely on the same religious scale as Bell. If there is a split in the DUP then its the old religious roots in bed with the Caleb Foundation and right-wing christian groups verses the more open less religious Arlene side.
The Caleb foundation pulls the strings in the DUP, insisting on members being given ministerial positions, with Arlene’s government the number of Caleb ministers has dwindled.
I assume Bell was going to take the fall for this scheme – he knew it and the Calebs knew it. Losing another right-wing christian nut-job was the last straw – the paisleyites along with the christian groups are attempting a coup.
If Arlene goes, we could be looking at a stronger Christian control of the DUP.
…Just my thoughts on it.
@Meanderingsz:
Also Bell didnt seem to hear ‘god’ telling him to ‘tell the truth’ before the sh11t hit the fan.
Well one sue thing if she was down here are certainly wood not be resigning she prob wood have boy a lovely number in Europe.
@John Scott: Is the “wood” you write about the same that was burned to get the subsidy?
If the proper assessments had been carried out under the SEA Directive this would have been identified and prevented. There has been a rush to the idea that fossil fuel can be saved by wind, solar and biomass which a total fabrication of the truth. My association have been trying to get someone in authority to listen to no avail. I addressed the N.I. Energy committee but they did not want to know. I personally informed each southern Energy Minister but got a blank stare.
Last week Minister Naughton admitted in answer to a question from Richard Boyd Barrett that the SEA Directive does apply. This is what we have been saying all along. 400 million pounds was wasted on this scam. Last week a wind Turbine makers admitted liability for seven families having to leave their homes due to noise. That is nothing to the bill facing taxpayers North and South when the suing start due to non compliance. You can bet your life no media outlet will run a feature on it. Consumers are paying millions to turn off turbines, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/energy/windpower/11323685/Wind-farms-paid-1m-a-week-to-switch-off.html
A bitter twisted hatefull woman
This Bell fellow isn’t all that he seems either, apparently he has had it in for Foster for a long time since she demoted him.
But yet he’s calling for a full independent inquiry presided over by a judge, hardly something you’d ask for if you were making it all up.
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