Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It was not for me to look behind commercial decisions. It is a very good question but the Deputy should put it to NAMA, not to me because I cannot help her on that. As I pointed out in my speech, section 12 of the Act bestows the NAMA board with the powers to "sell or dispose of the whole or any part of the property or investments of NAMA, either together or in portions, for such consideration and on such terms as the Board thinks fit." That is what Oireachtas Éireann put in place - rightly I believe - in the NAMA Act. The primary concern was to keep politicians out of it and that commercial decisions would be made on their merits.