Mr. Liam Herrick:

We have not looked specifically at the question of NAMA but two public policy objectives arise. One is the protection of the rights of citizens and the second is transparency and access to information by the public having regard to the actions of the State. They are two very different things. There is a danger in some of the language which has been used by Government in bringing forward proposals of this type to present as equivalent the protection of the privacy of the State as an entity and the protection of the privacy of individuals. The fundamental starting point we come from is that they are two completely separate things. The interest we all have in a democratic society in good governance and transparency in the operation of State agencies is a completely different objective to the protection of the privacy of individuals. They are not incompatible; in fact, they are mutually reinforcing. It is not the subject matter that is before us today but we do not disagree at all with the values the Deputy articulates on the transparency of State agencies which have the power to impact on individuals rights. I suppose we are talking about protecting the privacy of individuals from the State, which is a different matter.