Mr. Brendan McDonagh:

I am not allowed to comment on Government policy under the NAMA Act, and I will not do so. NAMA did what it was told to do by the Oireachtas in the legislation. It was always open to the Oireachtas and the Government to change the legislation and do something else with NAMA. Everybody knows that did not happen. The LDA is there now and some of my former colleagues are in the LDA. I hope the agency gets on and is a big success because the country needs it. At this stage of NAMA's life, it is moot because the legislation was promulgated in 2009. The job I had as Accounting Officer was to ensure I stayed operating within the legislation and got the best return I could. People might disagree with NAMA but my job was to do what the Oireachtas passed and I believe I have done it. I have generated a financial return, which was the major objective of the NAMA Act. I fully respect that other people have different views of what NAMA should have done, but I could not have done it because the legislation pointed NAMA in a certain direction. I had to drive the NAMA car, if I can call it that, in that direction.