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Arlene Foster has been urged to consider her position as First Minister over a botched green energy scheme set to cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of pounds.

The Renewable Heating Incentive (RHI) aimed to cut the cost of green energy to encourage people away from fossil fuels but ended up landing ministers with a massive overspend.

It encouraged the installation of costly eco-friendly heating systems by paying a tariff per kilowatt of heat burned over a 20-year period.

However, unlike in the rest of the UK, in Northern Ireland no cap or payment tier system was placed on the money that could be claimed in proportion to the size of boiler and the hours it was operated.

It was rolled out by the former Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI).

It was finally closed earlier this year, with a likely overspend of £400m and potentially even more.

Former DETI minister Ms Foster has been called on to consider her role over the department’s handling of the scheme.

Ulster Unionist leader, Mike Nesbitt, said: “This happened on Arlene Foster’s watch in the then Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment. To date, her only defence is that she cannot be across ‘every jot and tittle’ of her Department’s operations, but this is no jot or tittle.

“This is the biggest financial foul-up in the history of the country. We will be paying for this for the next 20 years so there are children not yet born who will become mothers and fathers before this debt is paid off.

“What is now in the public domain proves hundreds of millions of pounds were wasted needlessly, the department was dysfunctional, unaware of the rules, and hapless in seeking solutions.

“This is a scandal prone Executive and on this occasion, it comes to a fundamental tenet of democratic government called Ministerial Accountability. If Arlene Foster believes in it, she must consider her position.”

DUP MLA Alastair Ross criticised comments by opposition representatives about the scheme as “predictable political attacks” which he claimed prejudge the outcome of the ongoing PAC investigation into the issue.

He said: “The failings of the RHI scheme have been have been acknowledged as shocking. It is a matter of extreme regret to everyone involved in government.

"In July the Economy Minister acknowledged the systemic failures and opportunities that were missed to remediate the situation by those directly responsible for administering the scheme.

"It is vital the future costs to the taxpayer are reduced where possible and the Minister of the Economy has indicated that a proposal will come to the Assembly in the New Year aimed at achieving that objective.

"The Public Accounts Committee is still working to get to the bottom of this issue and it is vital they are able to continue with this process. There is little surprise however that some parties have been unable to resist the temptation to prejudge the outcome of that inquiry and have already launched the predictable political attacks.

"The public have a right to expect that not only are the failures of this scheme exposed and investigated, but that evidence in the investigation is judged fairly and without party bias.

"That evidence has included clear statements from the Permanent Secretary that appropriate Ministerial action was taken when concerns were raised by a ‘whistleblower’.

"There are parties now expressing grave concerns over the costs incurred, particularly at the very end of the scheme when the ‘spike’ in applications had occurred.

"However the same parties criticised the scheme’s closure and called for its continuation. Amongst those issuing statements with grave concerns include some of the 34 MLAs who voted against the scheme’s closure when it was brought before the Assembly.

"Cost issues surrounding the scheme were made clear at that time, but they voted to keep the scheme open for longer. The party politicking that marked the debate at that time continues today unfortunately. There are few facts that cannot and will not be ignored by these parties in their desire to score points and latch onto a headline.”

BBC’s Spotlight last night revealed an email worth hundreds of millions of pounds to the taxpayers of Northern Ireland was ignored by the Department of Enterprise.

The programme said a whistleblower sent the email to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in 2014. It warned them that the RHI was seriously flawed.

But the warning was not acted on and the scheme continued. It was closed earlier this year.

Yesterday, Economy Minister Simon Hamilton said criminal prosecutions should be brought against anyone who abused the green energy scheme.

Mr Hamilton has also rejected claims his predecessors were “asleep at the wheel” when the RHI was rolled out.

Mr Hamilton said: “I am absolutely adamant that where there is proof and evidence of abuse of the scheme, that appropriate action including, if required, criminal proceedings should begin against anybody who has abused the scheme or defrauded the scheme.”

Management of the scheme is currently being examined by MLAs on Stormont’s public accounts committee.

Mr Hamilton said new measures were being put in place to mitigate any costs to the public purse and revealed that a consultation is expected to be brought forward early next year.

He added: “These are serious, serious issues which I am very seized of the importance of and am dealing with on an ongoing basis to try and find a resolution to many of the issues that have flowed from the allegations and concerns there have been with regards the Renewable Heat Incentive.

“My department is currently developing a proposal for changes to the Renewable Heat Incentive which, if accepted, would lead to significant reduction of future costs to the Northern Ireland Executive.”

Thousands signed up to the RHI - a deluge that ultimately forced its closure, but not before Stormont had been left exposed to a huge overspend.

Mr Hamilton added: “It is very clear to me that the ministers followed all advice given to them and because that advice was wrong; it was based on bad grounds the scheme was badly designed.

“Nobody has denied, least of all me, that this was shocking and we need to deal with those problems.”