Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
SPAD: I DIDN’T KNOW OF RHI COST CONTROL BID
Party chief appears at inquiry Johnston denies ordering delay
THE DUP’S chief executive has rejected claims he knew party advisers were working on cost controls for a green energy scheme.
Timothy Johnston also told a public inquiry yesterday he was “absolutely certain” he had not instructed a delay in implementing such measures.
The DUP’S most senior official said he was not aware of the work two fellow special advisers were doing on the Renewable Heat Incentive during the summer of 2015.
The inquiry earlier heard Timothy Cairns claim he sought advice from Dr Andrew Crawford on delaying the A TABLE made from timbers of a Spanish Arfmada ship is expected to fetch up to £2ff00,000 at auction next month.
piece is described as “one of the most important and earliest pieces of
Irish furniture”.
The Armada Table, made of wood from a galleon that was shipwrecked off Ireland’s west coast 430 years ago, will go introduction of cost controls. Mr Johnston said he “couldn’t recall” a phone conversation with Mr Cairns in August 2015 in which they spoke about the matter.
Mr Cairns claimed Mr Johnston was made aware of plans to “seek the latest date officials can live with” in the delay, adding Mr Johnston did not raise any objections to this.
However, Mr Johnston said he had “no under the hammer near Drogheda, Co Louth, on October 16.
Standing at 2.4m in length and 91cm wide, it had to be removed by crane from Bunratty Castle in Co Clare.
Owner Lord Inchiquin of Dromoland Castle said he was selling the table for financial reasons.
Antiques Trade Gazette reported the table’s sale has attracted controversy as it memory” of that conversation and denied receiving an emailed submission from Dr Crawford on RHI.
He added: “I would not have been surprised if the two men were interacting on DETI [Department of Enterprise] business.”
When probed about the email sent by Dr Crawford, Mr Johnston said he never opened it and left to go on is a key attraction at Bunratty after staying at Dromoland from 1660 for 300 years.
There have been calls for Culture Minister Josepha Madigan to save the piece for the nation.
The galleon, part of the Spanish Armada defeated by Elizabeth I’s forces in 1588, foundered like many others off the hazardous coastline of Doonbeg, Co Clare, as it attempted to return to its homeland. holiday. He added: “This goes right to the heart of why I think I am sitting here today and over the last two years I have been scratching my head as to how this has traced back to me.
“I am absolutely certain there was no discussion about RHI or the other issue [tariff control] in that period.”
During the hearing, Mr Johnston was described as the “second most powerful person” in the DUP” behind the leader.
The witness said he has worked within the party structure for a long time and with that came a “greater sense of knowledge”. Clare’s High Sheriff of the time, Boethius Clancy, rescued parts of the ship and its decorative carvings and had them made into a grand refectory table.
It will be included in Adam’s Country House Collections’ auction which is being held at Townley Hall.
Some 27 Armada ships are thought to have foundered off the Irish coast and ship parts are still being salvaged.