Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Last week I raised with the Leader that the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, should attend the House to discuss the current issues surrounding him. The main issue I am concerned about is not so much the peripheral issues in the media but the focus that the chief police officer in the country gave politically sensitive information to the Minister for Justice and Equality. Neither the Minister nor the Garda Commissioner has made any statement as to how that arose and why it happened. It raises serious questions about both the Garda Commissioner and the Minister. I invite both of them to make a statement to clarify the situation. It is getting to the stage that both men will need to reflect on their positions.

Senator Higgins made a very important intervention on the Order of Business earlier. I too read the recent newspaper report on the National Asset Management Agency, NAMA, and I am concerned that senior highly-paid executives in the agency are moving to more lucrative positions because the private sector sees gains for itself to be made. If they are made, they could well be made at the expense of the taxpayer. NAMA is fundamental to the recovery of our property market and is also important to our fiscal recovery. A significant investment has been made in NAMA. If it makes significant losses, these will impact on taxpayers who are already carrying a burden they should not be. Will the Minister for Finance be brought into the House to discuss what protocols are in place with regard to people leaving NAMA and to inhibit NAMA from dealing with these individuals and the companies they subsequently join with regard to its property portfolio. It is time markers were put down. If it is not dealt with, down the line we could have major scandals and major losses to NAMA which I do not want to see happen.