Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

They were there from earlier on. The NAMA board held a normal scheduled meeting. What was recorded was that Lazard was to be appointed and simultaneously PIMCO was to continue on with NAMA's permission to examine the portfolio in parallel with NAMA going out to Lazard. The final sentence stated that this was as much to give protection to PIMCO about the integrity of the process. Mr. Long should tell me if I am wrong. From that and from what Mr. Long has said today, I am presuming that NAMA never wanted to lose PIMCO. I am making a statement it was set up to give an illusion that there was competitive tension, that even before Lazard got into gear, NAMA was continuing with its investigation and that when Lazard came in, it was allowed to have two or three bidders to protect PIMCO. Does Mr. Long agree with that statement?