RHI Inquiry: Former DUP advisor gives evidence

PA / Q Radio news

The RHI inquiry has heard that there was a "great drive to centralise power" within the DUP in its appointment of special advisers (spads).

The DUP's chief executive Timothy Johnston accepted there was an "element of centralisation" in the appointment process.

The RHI inquiry is probing why costs for Northern Ireland's Renewable Heat Incentive scheme spiralled. The RHI scheme was aimed at encouraging the use of green energy.

The inquiry is also looking into allegations that some DUP spads attempted to delay the introduction of cost control measures in 2015.

Mr Johnston served as a DUP special adviser from May 2007 until January 2017.

The DUP's most senior official, Mr Johnston admitted that the party process in appointing special advisers was not transparent and didn't "comply with the letter and the spirit" of the legislation that was passed in the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Sir Patrick Coghlin, chairman of the RHI inquiry, suggested the process the DUP used to appoint its spads and the code which the Assembly passed, were "two utterly divorced structures".

He said it could not be a "satisfactory situation from a democratic point of view" if the codes were being ignored.

Mr Johnston also said there was a "disparity" in the process from department to department and that it was not done in a "consistent way".

The inner working of government in Northern Ireland- former senior DUP SPAD Timothy Johnston reveals it took ‘a week or ten days’ to produce this two page letter by Arlene Foster & Martin McGuinness to be sent to Theresa May on BREXIT. pic.twitter.com/pOATsAbcS0

— David Hunter (@davidhunter7) 28 September 2018