Debate contribution: The draft Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024
Debate contribution by Mr Conor Murphy on .
- MLA
- Mr Conor Murphy
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 21 October 2024
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Executive Committee Business
- Heading
- The draft Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4603636
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I beg to move
I seek the Assembly's approval of the draft Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024. The 'New Decade, New Approach' document, which was published in 2020, states:
"RHI will be closed down and replaced by a scheme that effectively cuts carbon emissions."
The current Executive have agreed to the closure of the scheme, with an interim increase in tariffs. That decision was taken by the First Minister and deputy First Minister over the summer and under urgent procedure. The scheme closure will include a payment mechanism that is fair to scheme participants and to the public purse. Work is ongoing to develop the proposals. When that work has been completed, I will bring the matter back to the Executive and, subsequently, to the Assembly for approval. The draft legislation relates to the interim increase in tariffs. The current tariffs for small and medium biomass boilers were introduced in 2019 using information that was available at that time. However, substantial volatility in fuel prices means that it is appropriate to increase the tariff. The draft regulations therefore substitute a new schedule 5 into the principle regulations, the effect of which will be to increase tariffs for accredited biomass boilers within the small, lower-medium and upper-medium biomass bands from 1 November 2024. The tariffs represent a significant increase: for example, the tier-1 tariff, for owners of lower-medium biomass installations — a group that represents the vast majority of boiler owners — will be uplifted from 2·1p per kilowatt-hour to 5·1p per kilowatt-hour. That is over double the current tariff and an increase of in the region of £5,000 per annum for a typical participant in that band. The revised tariffs are based on updated assumptions. In particular, fuel cost assumptions have been based on a fuel reference period over a number of years, as opposed to a spot price, in an attempt to provide greater accuracy. It is important that the higher tariffs are introduced and are in place from 1 November in time for the winter period. If the tariffs are not in place by 1 November, the next opportunity to increase them will be well into 2025. I hope that Members agree that enabling participants of the scheme to benefit this winter is an urgent priority. The increase is calculated in a way that is fair to the taxpayer and scheme participants. I hope that Members agree to provide those participants with a substantial uplift to the tariffs as we work towards the scheme's closure.
421 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not qualifying”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.02 (qualifying needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not qualifying).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.89).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- The overall probability was at or below the not-qualifying threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.02 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.01 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.89 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.02 | At or below not-qualifying threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-related subject | 1.00 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.00 |
| Sport (including the GAA), the arts and cultural bodies | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:25 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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