Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

Deputy O'Reilly's question asked whether the Minister is satisfied that he is in a position to put adequate measures in place. The Minister's reply indicated that there are no measures which he can put in place. He indicated that he is at a remove from the real engagement in this instance. Is that the case? Can he be more specific? In light of the assurances the Minister has received in the past, which he has in turn conveyed to the all-party cross-Border group - I am concerned to hear about the "commitment" that has been given in this case. I recall that on the last occasion on which we met, the Minister indicated that the Quinn Insurance proposals, which are an alternative to the Anglo-Liberty proposals, had been scrutinised properly by the National Treasury Management Agency. Since that meeting, however, I have received correspondence from the agency's senior legal adviser to the effect that the agency had no such role and carried out no such function. Its only responsibility was to assess the proposals that were referred to it by the joint administrators for consideration. Is it not the case, therefore, that the belief the Minister expressed on that occasion has been contradicted by the National Treasury Management Agency in the correspondence it sent me in my role as convener of the all-party group? I suggest the position we feared most - that the Quinn Insurance-based proposals would not be given the proper, fair and full consideration they deserved - has come to pass.

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