John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Okay. My final question concerns the knowledge that Mr. Daly and Mr. McDonagh have built up over the years. As Mr. Daly said, he and one other colleague have been in the organisation since the very beginning. This concerns a policy matter so the witnesses can answer me in that way if they wish, though I hope that they do not do so. There are major discussions around vulture funds and how NAMA handled the current debt of mortgages left with the banks. Depending on the timeframe applied and how stretched the mortgages are, that total figure for that debt now amounts to €16.5 billion. What do the witnesses think of that figure? Is there any possibility of the State managing it in the manner of benevolent fund or as a co-op agency? We currently have a Bill on this in the Houses. This would mean that no profit would be made on it but that the State would just help work out that debt. Given the witnesses' experience with the banks and with that particular kind of debt, would they consider this a long-term prospect?