Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Thursday, 1 October 2015
Public Accounts Committee
Northern Ireland Assembly Finance Committee: Discussion on NAMA Project Eagle Sale
10:00 am
Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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I welcome Mr. McKay and his fellow committee members and thank them for coming down here. We are delighted to have them with us. It was stated earlier that NAMA has stated that the Oireachtas Committee of Public Accounts was the appropriate forum for it to conduct its business and that is the way the agency was established under law. NAMA is accountable to us.
Mr. McKay has said that the committee is inviting NAMA to come along, while recognising that accountability. Has NAMA given any other reason for not appearing? Many other witnesses have expressed the view that because there are criminal proceedings taking place in Northern Ireland, or at least that the authorities are investigating Cerberus, they are not prepared to be witnesses but are prepared to give witness statements. Has NAMA said that its representatives would not appear because of the proceedings that are taking place in two jurisdictions with regard to Project Eagle?