Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 13 May 2015

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis

Nexus Phase

Mr. Tom Parlon:

You know, there used to be speculation that NAMA was a bailout ... a bailout for developers. Certainly, my experience, it hasn't been. I think they've been fair with people but they've been very, very tough with people. There's people that just are literally working for a salary now that were major operators at one stage, but they are happy to use the expertise they have, and try and work out their situation, and they're responsible people, I think, that feel responsible for the situation they got themselves in. So, you know, I think it is positive, and if you look at some of the big projects that are happening now, and hopefully about to happen, they're happening as a result of NAMA choosing to invest, and when we particularly have a major deficit down around the docklands with regard to grade-A office space, I understand that NAMA are in the act of investing in a couple of very substantial projects there, and that's very positive.