Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

First, NewERA is not being given any executive functions. These are a matter for Government.

It is appropriate that Ministers should have the best possible commercial and financial advice available to them on all issues, including the acquisition or sale of assets. Once the decision to acquire or sell is made, Ministers should equally be able to use available expertise, so that would be a decision of the Government rather than NewERA. This is purely a mechanism for carrying out what would generally have to be a decision of the Oireachtas in the first place. In other words, if the Government decided to do something, it would be debated in the Oireachtas and I presume it would be-----