13/01/2017
Details Of RHI Participants 'Not Disclosed'
The Department for the Economy has not disclosed information regarding participants of the controversial Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme, the BBC has reported.
The BBC is understood to have contacted the department for information regarding RHI participants. The request was made on 17 December, 2016, but almost a month later, it is yet to receive a response.
The decision comes despite boiler owners being told that the information would be "freely available" to the public.
Under the rules, officials could provide detailed information about the installations. However, it is understood the details involve location, installation capacity, accreditation date, technology type and subsidy; but it does not include the names of claimants.
There have been calls to publish recipients' details, with Economy Minister Simon Hamilton writing to Northern Ireland's political parties asking if they would support a publication of the names of those who took up the scheme.
While Mr Hamilton admitted that details should be published in "order to be as open and transparent as possible about how public money is being spent", he added that the Department had an obligation to protect the confidentiality of participants and privacy under data protection laws.
The Department for the Economy is currently taking legal advice about whether it can publish a list of the participants.
(JP/MH)
The BBC is understood to have contacted the department for information regarding RHI participants. The request was made on 17 December, 2016, but almost a month later, it is yet to receive a response.
The decision comes despite boiler owners being told that the information would be "freely available" to the public.
Under the rules, officials could provide detailed information about the installations. However, it is understood the details involve location, installation capacity, accreditation date, technology type and subsidy; but it does not include the names of claimants.
There have been calls to publish recipients' details, with Economy Minister Simon Hamilton writing to Northern Ireland's political parties asking if they would support a publication of the names of those who took up the scheme.
While Mr Hamilton admitted that details should be published in "order to be as open and transparent as possible about how public money is being spent", he added that the Department had an obligation to protect the confidentiality of participants and privacy under data protection laws.
The Department for the Economy is currently taking legal advice about whether it can publish a list of the participants.
(JP/MH)
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