Sinn Féin MLA Máirtín Ó Muilleoir has called for an urgent meeting with Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) Kieran Donnelly after "significant concerns" were raised over the botched Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme.

Mr Donnelly published his report over the scheme which revealed "serious systemic weaknesses in controls that have facilitated the possibility of funding that is at best not in line with the spirit of the scheme and at worst is fraudulent".

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Mr Ó Muilleoir said: "Many ordinary people will be shocked to get confirmation that the RHI scheme cost us £27m in 2016/'17 and is on course to cost us a further £2m in this financial year.

"The £2m cost shows that Arlene Foster's pledge in January to bring forward a zero cost solution to RHI was worthless.

"The projected costs up to 2037 for the north are around £70m and aprroximately £400m to the British Treasury.

"The C&AG raises serious questions about the viability of the DUP plan to rectify the RHI scheme, including the fact that the site inspections crucial to identifying abuse have not taken place.

"These revelations about the squandering of public money underline the vital role of Judge Coghlin's public inquiry in getting to the truth of the RHI scandal."

(CD/LM)