Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Okay. There are sprawls outside a lot of towns in Donegal but there is serviced land on the edge of the town. There are 46 acres, or 21 ha, of land. That is what we are talking about here. By any stretch of the imagination and in normal circumstances, even if it is full of rushes, when the value of that land is totted up, we are looking at a value of somewhere between €5 million and €7 million for that portfolio of properties. Here we have a situation where it is sold for this amount. We know that National Asset Management Agency, NAMA, staff and auctioneers and valuers were intimidated. We know the liquidator felt intimidated. We know that it is possible the tenants felt intimidated and possibly local authority staff. With the power of this State and An Garda Síochána and everything else, I cannot accept that this can happen and for us to sit back at accept the situation. I cannot accept that this kind of bail out would happen.

I want to develop this a bit further. I read some of the detailed information we received on this. At any time, did officials in NAMA pick up the phone and talk to the chief superintendent in the area? I am not suggesting getting involved. The members of An Garda Síochána are the experts and it is their job to police but here is a situation where this is happening within a county or a Garda district. Was it taken up with the chief superintendent in the area? Was there a meeting the chief superintendent and with the county manager in the area to try to get a handle on what was going on here? Did that happen? Mr. Stewart may be able to tell me if it happened.