Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

Why did the Minister not inform the House about this secret agreement some time ago with the Commission to pump €8.3 billion into Anglo Irish Bank? Taxpayers only heard the news when he had to come before the House the other day.

The figures quoted by the Minister, which were given to us in supporting documentation, relate to the sectoral breakdown of tranche 1 in the transfer of loans to NAMA and they are seriously suspicious. Will he make an arrangement to have the Opposition briefed? He promised the other day that NAMA officials would brief the Opposition. Why was nobody from the agency available to us for a briefing? According to the tables in the documentation supplied on Tuesday, 65% of the tranche of loans transferred to NAMA was listed as investment property, including rented residential units. That is completed property because I have checked since in addition to another €770 million in loans relating to completed hotels.

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