▁p oul try ▁far mer , ▁benefits ▁from ▁the ▁R HI ▁scheme . ▁In ▁a ▁statement , ▁Andrew ▁C raw ford ▁denied ▁ex ert ing ▁pressure ▁to ▁keep ▁the ▁scheme ▁open . ▁ ▁McC orm ick ▁also ▁revealed ▁that ▁D f E ▁contact ed ▁the ▁R HI ▁applic ants ▁to ▁ask ▁them ▁to ▁consent ▁to ▁their ▁ident ities ▁being ▁released ▁to ▁the ▁public . ▁ 9 0 % ▁of ▁ 1 , 4 0 0 ▁people ▁object ed ▁to ▁this ▁request . ▁The ▁list ▁of ▁applic ants ▁for ▁the ▁R HI ▁scheme ▁was ▁later ▁released ▁by ▁D f E , ▁al beit ▁individuals ▁and ▁not ▁companies ▁were ▁with h eld ▁from ▁the ▁public ▁domain . ▁▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁Assembly ▁snap ▁election ▁ ▁The ▁Northern ▁Ireland ▁Assembly ▁election ▁was ▁held ▁on ▁ 2 ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁across ▁Northern ▁Ireland . ▁The ▁election ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁election ▁to ▁feature ▁a ▁reduction ▁in ▁seats ▁from ▁ 1 0 8 ▁to ▁ 9 0 ▁ML As . ▁The ▁D UP ▁and ▁the ▁U UP ▁both ▁suffered ▁elect oral ▁losses ▁as ▁the ▁D UP ▁returned ▁with ▁ 2 8 ▁ML As ▁and ▁the ▁U UP ▁with ▁ 1 0 ▁ML As , ▁down ▁from ▁ 3 8 ▁and ▁ 1 6 ▁respectively . ▁S inn ▁F é in ▁returned ▁ 2 7 ▁ML As ▁and ▁the ▁SD LP ▁returned ▁ 1 2 ▁ML As . ▁Alliance ▁maintained ▁their ▁ 8 ▁ML As . ▁The ▁election ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁election ▁in ▁the ▁history ▁of