Martin McGuinness has announced his resignation as Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland in protest at the Democratic Unionist Party's handling of a botched renewable energy scheme.

The Sinn Fein veteran's move, which will come into effect at 5pm on Monday, is likely to lead to a snap Assembly election in the region.

Mr McGuinness announced his decision after his partner in government, DUP First Minister Arlene Foster, repeatedly refused to step down to facilitate a probe into the ill-fated Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) - a scheme that has left Stormont facing a £490 million overspend. </s> Martin McGuinness is to resign at 5pm on Monday as deputy first minister of the Northern Ireland executive in protest against the Democratic Unionist party’s handling of a botched renewable energy scheme, Sinn Féin has said.

In a letter to the speaker of the Northern Ireland assembly, McGuinness said Arlene Foster’s decision not to stand aside over the affair was “not credible or tenable”. He added that Sinn Féin would not nominate a replacement and that there should now be an election. </s> Martin McGuinness is to resign as Deputy First Minister of the Northern Ireland Executive in protest at the Democratic Unionist Party’s handling of a botched renewable energy scheme.

The move means there will almost certainly now be fresh elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Under the rules of the power sharing arrangement between the nationalists and the unionists if either the first minister or deputy first minister quits then the administration collapses.

DUP First Minister Arlene Foster has been facing calls to resign after becoming engulfed in a scandal over the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme that could cost Northern Irish taxpayers £490m.

The RHI, set up by Foster in 2012, was intended to encourage the use of renewable energy but people who applied received more in subsidies than the cost of fuel.

In a statement, McGuinness said: “The first minister has refused to stand aside, without prejudice, pending a preliminary report from an investigation. That position is not credible or tenable,” he said in his resignation letter.

“It is with deep regret and reluctance that I am tendering my resignation as deputy first minister with effect from 5pm on Monday, 9th January 2017.” </s> Martin McGuinness has announced his resignation as Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland in protest at the Democratic Unionist Party's handling of a botched renewable energy scheme.

The Sinn Fein veteran's move, which will come into effect at 5pm on Monday, is likely to lead to a snap Assembly election in the region.

Mr McGuinness announced his decision after his partner in government, DUP First Minister Arlene Foster, repeatedly refused to step down to facilitate a probe into the ill-fated Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) - a scheme that has left Stormont facing a £490 million overspend.

Mr McGuinness said he was resigning with "deep regret and reluctance".

"The First Minister has refused to stand aside, without prejudice, pending a preliminary report from an investigation.

"That position is not credible or tenable."

He made clear that Sinn Fein would not replace him in the role.

As a consequence, the collapse of the institutions and an election are now inevitable.

"We now need an election to allow the people to make their own judgment on these issues democratically, at the ballot box," he said.

Mrs Foster presided over the ill-fated RHI while economy minister.

She has steadfastly refused to accede to Sinn Fein's demand for her to step aside to facilitate an inquiry into her actions.

The fate of the current DUP/Sinn Fein administration in Belfast now hangs on the pivotal issue of whether or not she will stand down.

The state-funded RHI was supposed to offer a proportion of the cost businesses had to pay to run eco-friendly boilers, but the subsidy tariffs were set too high and, without a cap, it ended up paying out significantly more than the price of fuel.

This enabled applicants to "burn to earn" - getting free heat and making a profit as they did so.

Claims of widespread abuse include a farmer allegedly set to pocket around £1 million in the next two decades for heating an empty shed. </s> Northern Ireland’s deputy first minister, Martin McGuinness, resigns from office in protest over the Democratic Unionist Party’s (DUP) conduct over the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme. Speaking to BBC News on Monday, McGuinness told reporters he had tendered his resignation, effective as of 5pm on Monday – a move likely to lead to a Northern Ireland assembly election
• Martin McGuinness resigns as deputy first minister of Northern Ireland </s> Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness has admitted he is seriously ill and has decided to quit frontline politics because he is not “in a physical state” to fight an election campaign.

Mr McGuinness resigned as Northern Ireland's deputy first minister last week in protest against the handling of a botched energy scheme, forcing a snap election.

He has now revealed that after "a lot of thinking" he will not be contesting those elections due to ill health. </s> Martin McGuinness has announced his resignation as Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland in protest at the Democratic Unionist Party's handling of a botched renewable energy scheme.

The Sinn Fein veteran's move, which will come into effect at 5pm on Monday, is likely to lead to a snap Assembly election in the region.

Mr McGuinness announced his decision after his partner in government, DUP First Minister Arlene Foster, repeatedly refused to step down to facilitate a probe into the ill-fated Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) - a scheme that has left Stormont facing a £490 million overspend.

Mr McGuinness said he was resigning with "deep regret and reluctance".

"The First Minister has refused to stand aside, without prejudice, pending a preliminary report from an investigation.

"That position is not credible or tenable."

He made clear that Sinn Fein would not replace him in the role.

As a consequence, the collapse of the institutions and an election are now inevitable.

"We now need an election to allow the people to make their own judgment on these issues democratically, at the ballot box," he said.

Mrs Foster presided over the ill-fated RHI while economy minister.

She has steadfastly refused to accede to Sinn Fein's demand for her to step aside to facilitate an inquiry into her actions.

The fate of the current DUP/Sinn Fein administration in Belfast now hangs on the pivotal issue of whether or not she will stand down.

The state-funded RHI was supposed to offer a proportion of the cost businesses had to pay to run eco-friendly boilers, but the subsidy tariffs were set too high and, without a cap, it ended up paying out significantly more than the price of fuel.

This enabled applicants to "burn to earn" - getting free heat and making a profit as they did so.

Claims of widespread abuse include a farmer allegedly set to pocket around £1 million in the next two decades for heating an empty shed.

Mr McGuinness's move comes hours after Mrs Foster accused him of playing a political game of chicken and warned she would not blink first.

"If he is playing a game of chicken, if Sinn Fein are playing a game of chicken, and they think we are going to blink in relation to me stepping aside they are wrong - I won't be stepping aside," she said.

"And if there is an election, there is an election."

While Sinn Fein had been due to formally call for Mrs Foster to step down in an Assembly debate next week, there had been speculation the party would pull the plug earlier.

Mr McGuinness, who has been experiencing health problems, confirmed that on Monday afternoon.

"It is my firm view that the DUP's handling of this issue has been completely out of step with a public mood which is rightly outraged at the squandering of public money and the allegations of misconduct and corruption," he wrote in his resignation letter to the Assembly's speaker.

"The public are demanding robust action and accountability but the DUP, in particular its leader Arlene Foster, have refused to accept this."

The structure of Stormont's Executive Office means a First Minister cannot hold the position without a co-equal Deputy First Minister. Mr McGuinness's resignation means Mrs Foster will no longer be First Minister.

Mr McGuinness, his voice cracking, said he had informed Mrs Foster of his decision at 1.30pm on Monday.

"We in Sinn Fein will not tolerate the arrogance of Arlene Foster and the DUP," he said

"I believe today is the right time to call a halt to the DUP's arrogance."

The Sinn Fein veteran said his health had not influenced his decision and said he had been deeply involved in his party's response to the affair.

"My health is absolutely nothing to do with this whatsoever," he said.

He said a decision on whether he would stand in the next election was an issue for "a later date".

Mr McGuinness cited other disputes with the DUP, including over the Irish language and stalled mechanisms to deal with the legacy of the Troubles, in explaining the move.

He said the DUP were living in a "Fool's Paradise" if they thought they would be able to return to government with Sinn Fein after an election if the RHI issue was not resolved.

Theresa May's official spokeswoman said: "The Prime Minister has been kept updated on the resignation of Martin McGuinness.

"The Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire is in contact with people there, encouraging all parties to continue the dialogue." </s> Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness resigned from his post on Monday in protest over differences with his power-sharing government partners.

The nationalist (Sinn Féin party) deputy leader resigned in protest at his power-sharing government partners' handling of a botched energy scheme (known as the 'Renewable Heat Incentive').

His resignation plunged Northern Ireland's government into crisis amid already deep tensions with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

In a letter to the Northern Ireland Assembly, he said that Sinn Fein intends to trigger early elections.

The government, formed in 2007 under the terms of Northern Ireland's Good Friday peace agreement, requires support from Sinn Fein and the major Unionist-backed party, the DUP, to survive.

Calls on First Minister Foster to resign

McGuinness's Sinn Fein party had called on First Minister Arlene Foster of the DUP to step aside while an investigation takes place into the controversial scheme it says could cost taxpayers £490 million.

McGuinness argued that Foster has a "clear conflict of interest" in the RHI scandal and her position is "not credible or tenable".

"The First Minister has refused to stand aside. Therefore it is with deep regret and reluctance that I am tendering my resignation as deputy First Minister. We now need an election to allow the people to make their own judgement," McGuinness said in a statement.

McGuinness added in his resignation letter, “Apart from the negative attitude toward nationalism and to the Irish identity and culture, there has been a shameful disrespect towards any other sections of our community,”

"Women, the LGBT community and ethnic minorities have all felt this prejudice. And for those who wish to live their lives through the medium of Irish. Elements in the DUP have exhibited the most crude and crass bigotry," he said. </s> The former deputy First Minister explains why it’s time to go.

Martin McGuinness announces his resignation as deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland in protest at the Democratic Unionist Party’s handling of a botched renewable energy scheme.
Martin McGuinness of Sinn Féin resigns as the NI deputy first minister in protest of handling by the Democratic Unionist Party of a failed energy scheme that cost Northern Irish taxpayers £490 million. His decision will likely lead to a snap election.