Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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The Minister outlined the context of his role in his opening statement and made his legal role clear, explaining that the NAMA Act is framed to ensure there is no political interference. However, it is fair to say, and the Minister probably would agree with me, that he is not passive in this either. As Minister for Finance, he has an insight that the rest of us do not have. He would have been briefed continually. What his role was and what engagement he had with NAMA arose repeatedly in parliamentary questions. The Minister said that he maintains a regular dialogue with NAMA and the chairman, that he received appropriate updates regarding NAMA's ongoing process and future plans and that he had also occasionally met the NAMA board, which provided him with an opportunity to share his views and to understand the board's views. It is fair to say that there is that type of engagement.