Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Can I ask you in relation to testimony that we’ve had from Mike Aynsley at the inquiry here, and this is in relation to your Department and yourself? He said in evidence to the committee:

I was shocked in January 2013 when I received an email memorandum from one of my direct reports at the Bank who had a detailed discussion on recovery activities with a DoF official. [...] The email details the DoF official stating as part of a discussion that a major asset sale transaction should not have been completed simply because the buyer was a named Irish businessperson or his company. The Bank Executive then moved the conversation to the possible sale of another major business asset, and asked the DoF official whether he would be in agreement with a certain price and the sale process from the same Irish businessperson or his company or alternatively €100 million less from another party. The response from the DoF official was that the lower price would be preferable and that he believed that the Minister for Finance would also be supportive of that position.

Can I ask you a number of questions from that first of all? Are you aware that the Department of Finance was suggesting to IBRC to sell assets to individuals substantially below the valuation because of a sensitive, named Irish business person or his company and that the view was being expressed that you supported it? And can I ask you did you ever have any conversation in relation to a named Irish business person or his company in relation to the purchase of assets from IBRC and your opinions on that?