On 17 January 2017, deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland Martin McGuinness resigned, and Sinn Féin refused to nominate a replacement. This caused the collapse of the Northern Ireland Assembly, and the end of Arlene Foster's term as First Minister (at least temporarily).
McGuinness and his party effectively refused to work with Foster and the DUP until the enquiry into the so–called 'Ash for Cash' scandal was complete. This centred on a failed renewable energy incentive scheme, under which businesses and other non–domestic users were paid for using renewable energy (including biomass boilers, solar pumps and heat pumps). Successful applicants were paid £1.60 for every £1 spent on heating, meaning that applicants were making money simply by heating their properties. There were reports of claims for heating properties, for example farm buildings, that had previously been unheated.
The scheme came into operation in 2012, and was closed in February 2016. Arlene Foster had been Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment at the time it was set up. She was accused of failing to introduce proper controls, allowing costs to spiral; it was estimated that the scheme would cost the public purse around half a billion pounds. Arlene Foster, for her part, described those calling for her resignation as misogynists and male chauvinists.
There was an election on 2 March, which resulted in the DUP being the biggest party in the Assembly again, but with a reduced number of seats – for the first time ever, there was no overall Unionist majority in the Assembly. Sinn Féin refused to share power with the DUP without significant changes in the latter's approach, including Foster not being First Minister until the 'Ash for Cash' investigation was complete.
The parties failed to reach an agreement before the original deadline of 27 March, and Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire announced that they would be given "a few more short weeks" to do so.
© Haydn Thompson 2017