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Renewable Heat Incentive Inquiry

Completed

RHI Inquiry

Chair Sir Patrick Coghlin Judge / Judiciary
Established 01 Jun 2017
Final Report 13 Mar 2020
Commissioned by Northern Ireland Executive

Northern Ireland inquiry into the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal which led to collapse of power-sharing. The flawed scheme cost the public purse nearly £500 million.

Evidence & Impact
The Renewable Heat Incentive Inquiry examined the design and operation of the Northern Ireland Non-Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive scheme, which led to significant overspend of public funds. Sir Patrick Coghlin's report, published in March 2020, made 45 recommendations addressing policy development, governance, ministerial accountability, and civil service capabilities.

The Northern Ireland Executive responded in October 2021, accepting 43 recommendations in full, one in principle, and rejecting one concerning an independent mechanism to assess special advisers' compliance. The Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) has published two progress reports, in June 2022 and October 2024, assessing implementation.

According to NIAO's October 2024 assessment, 29 recommendations (64%) show evidence of completion, while 15 (33%) have no recent updates. Key legislative changes include the Functioning of Government Act 2021, which established statutory requirements for ministerial declarations of interest and gave the Assembly Commissioner for Standards powers to investigate code breaches - addressing a recommendation the Executive had initially rejected.

Significant institutional reforms are documented, including establishment of the Better Business Cases NI framework, the Making a Difference policy guide for officials, revised codes of conduct for ministers and special advisers, and creation of a Raising a Concern framework with trained investigators. The NICS has established a Project Delivery Profession and People & Organisational Development Group to address capability gaps.

However, NIAO identifies several recommendations as 'unlikely to be fully implemented'. These include requirements for regular record-keeping audits, departments reviewing governance systems in practice, and ensuring ministers sufficiently familiarise themselves with legislation. The Department of Finance has indicated it considers existing arrangements sufficient for some recommendations or that further action would be 'disproportionate'.

The evidence indicates substantial structural and procedural changes have been made, particularly in business case processes, policy development guidance, and accountability frameworks. However, implementation of recommendations requiring behavioural or cultural change appears less complete, with NIAO seeking evidence that new guidance is being rigorously applied in practice.
Reforms Attributed to This Inquiry
- Functioning of Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 2021 established statutory framework for ministerial declarations of interest and gave NI Assembly Commissioner for Standards powers to investigate ministerial code breaches
- Better Business Cases NI framework (November 2020) redesigned business case approval processes
- Making a Difference policy guide (February 2023) launched to 900+ officials addressing policy development skills and resource assessment
- Revised Ministerial Code of Conduct and Code of Conduct for Special Advisers (January 2020, updated August 2021) covering record-keeping, conflicts of interest, and accountability
- Raising a Concern Policy Framework established with 17 trained investigators through Government Internal Audit and Fraud Investigation Service (GIAFIS)
- Managing Public Money NI updated (November 2023) reinforcing value for money requirements
- Project Delivery Profession established within Northern Ireland Civil Service
- People & Organisational Development Group established (November 2022) to lead fundamental HR reform
Unfinished Business
- Recommendation 28(2) on regular record-keeping audits - DoF confirmed it believes existing arrangements sufficient with no firm commitment to regular audits
- Recommendation 32a on departments reviewing how governance systems work in practice - NIAO found no evidence of specific action
- Recommendation 39 on ensuring Ministers sufficiently read legislation they present - DoF stated it is 'unclear what further actions can be taken'
- Recommendation 9(2) on guidance for handling commercially sensitive information - NIAO found reliance on individual training insufficient
- Recommendation 13 on external board members and Strategic Investment Board engagement - DoF maintains monitoring operational implementation would be 'disproportionate'
- Recommendation 42(1-2) on ministerial responsibilities and Ministers actively questioning advice - current Ministerial Code does not include requirement for Ministers to take active role in questioning official advice
Generated 18 Mar 2026 using claude-opus-4. Assessment is indicative, not authoritative.
2 years, 9 months Duration
£12m Total Cost
63 Witnesses
114 Hearing Days
1,200,000 Documents
656 Report Pages
Inquiry Website
Government Response
Accepted 43
Accepted in Part 1
Not Accepted 1
Total Recommendations 45
Data last updated: 15 Oct 2024 · Source
Data verified: 23 Mar 2026 (import)
How to read this

Government Response tracks what the government said it would do (accepted, rejected, etc.).

Full methodology

1 question since Jun 2020
Written Question Renewable Heat Incentive Inquiry: Northern Ireland
Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party)
08 Jun 2020
All Activity (1)
24 Jan 2017
Inquiry Announced
01 Jun 2017
Inquiry Established
13 Mar 2020
Final Report Published
Clear

Recommendations (1)

RHI-38
Accepted in Part
Assembly Committee Scrutiny
Recommendation
The Inquiry recommends that the Northern Ireland Assembly should strengthen the scrutiny role of Assembly Committees, reviewing whether the existing balance between legislative and scrutiny work is appropriate, and considering whether Committees should have greater research capacity and whether there … Read more
Published evidence summary
According to the NIAO Second Progress Report, October 2024, the Northern Ireland Assembly has considered strengthening the scrutiny role of its Committees, with the Chairpersons' Liaison Group publishing a 'Report on Strengthening Committee Scrutiny' in March 2022. According to the same source, the Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) noted in October 2024 that structural reforms to committee powers or research capacity have not been formally implemented, despite active engagement by the Public Accounts Committee.
NI Assembly (Primary)
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