Date set for preliminary hearing of inquiry into Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme

The public inquiry into the non-domestic renewable heat incentive scheme (the RHI Inquiry) will hold a preliminary hearing at 11.00 am on Thursday 27th April 2017. 

The hearing will take place in the Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings, Stormont.

The Chairman, Sir Patrick Coghlin, will introduce his panel and team and make a statement in which he will describe the preparatory work undertaken by the Inquiry to date.

He will also give more detail about how the Inquiry is gathering evidence and addressing the Terms of Reference and he will set out the procedures under which the Inquiry intends to operate.

This preliminary hearing is open to the public.

The 'cash for ash' scandal is set to cost the Northern Ireland taxpayer £490m over the next 20 years if a solution is not found.

The aim of the scheme was to encourage businesses to use more renewable energy.

Businesses taking part in the scheme ended up receiving more in funding than the cost of fuel and the scheme became oversubscribed.