Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

As the Taoiseach is set on this road, perhaps he might answer a few questions. We are proceeding to commence with a debate on the Government's NAMA Bill, which will not be the legislation that will emerge at the end of this process, principally because the Taoiseach's partners in Government and members of his own party have yet to decide what further changes they will demand.

Will the Taoiseach explain the circumstances in which an individual, Dr. Bacon, was chosen by Government to produce a report without any other economic analysis or input resulting in the Government being led down one road only without any flexibility to change? How much will the Government pay for the loans to be acquired? Will it be €40 billion, €50 billion or €60 billion? What discount will be applied? The taxpayer wants to know this and I would like the Taoiseach to respond to that.

Is the Taoiseach prepared to move away from paying the long-term economic value and paying over the odds for assets that, in many cases, are useless? What guarantee can he give that in the event of the Bill going through, the money acquired by the banks will be available for lending by them to businesses all over the country? Is it his intention, as reflected by one of his backbenchers, to remove the Minister for Finance from the valuation system in order that there would not be a perception - I do not suggest that the Minister would influence the system - of influence by the Minister of the day on the system? Is he prepared to deal with that? As we are proceeding down this road, the Taoiseach might answer these questions.

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