The RHI inquiry into the scheme which trashed Stormont, has started

[jjmack]

I have little or no doubt that some minion will get the rap for this.

Well said. 

[CMcG]

The inquiry is starting to get to the crux of things.

1. Arlene Foster gave the go-ahead for RHI based on the costs set out in a draft report, written by external consultants and sent to her by civil servants.

2. Only a few weeks later, the external consultants produced a final version of the report in which the costs has gone up by more than £100 million.  The senior civil servant in charge (called Fiona Hepper), 'did not think it necessary to go back to Mrs Foster with the new numbers.' 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-42398826

[belle]

Brace yourself Fiona

[CMcG]

Brace yourself Fiona

God love her, Fiona is  currently a Deputy Secretary in the Department of Education, the last departmental accounts (2016-17) show her total annual remuneration, including pension benefits, to be £115,000 - £120,000.

So not short of a few bob... for now.

[belle]

For sure she's not eating her finger nails..for now...She really ought to grow them though. She's about to become unemployed

[James James]

"14th December 2016"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-politics-38312906

"Foster 'intervened to keep heat scheme subsidy open' "

[White dee]

Greed,

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5185129/Civil-servants-Dept-Work-Pensions-pocket-44m.html

[belle]

Greed,

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5185129/Civil-servants-Dept-Work-Pensions-pocket-44m.html

shame it doesn't filter down to the work force.

[jillyfred]

The way the world works these days Fiona will either get a salary increase or a large sum
on departure.
 

[CMcG]

The way the world works these days Fiona will either get a salary increase or a large sum
on departure.

 

I don't know about a pile of money, but she's definitely in a pile of something right now.

[JackM]

The inquiry is starting to get to the crux of things.

1. Arlene Foster gave the go-ahead for RHI based on the costs set out in a draft report, written by external consultants and sent to her by civil servants.

2. Only a few weeks later, the external consultants produced a final version of the report in which the costs has gone up by more than £100 million.  The senior civil servant in charge (called Fiona Hepper), 'did not think it necessary to go back to Mrs Foster with the new numbers.' 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-42398826

Hear, hear. Looks like Arlene is in the clear. 

[James James]

  Yep,... so now all she's got to do, is to convince the enquiry that although she knew that she was reading an interim report,... that she had no need or duty to read the final report,... and she had no need or duty to monitor and be aware of the actual costs of the scheme during the subsequent years of it's operation.

[James James]

[CMcG]

Sticking to the factual detail emerging from the Inquiry, another cracker today.

'A senior civil servant has conceded that missing a basic sum that showed the fundamental flaw in a green energy scheme, does "not look too clever".  Fiona Hepper was giving evidence to the Renewable Heat Incentive inquiry ... ... ...

She said her team did not spot that the subsidy rate offered to businesses switching to biomass boilers was higher than the cost of the fuel. That created the "burn to earn" incentive.'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-42408843

Right at the very crux of what went wrong, there's that name again, Fiona Hepper.  You couldn't make this up.

[belle]

You couldn't make it up

Tick tock Fiona...