Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)

NAMA concluded the sale of 58 social and affordable units to the Cluid Housing Association in July. The agency has provided a list of over 1,000 other properties to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and I am informed that it is now in discussions with the Minister of State with responsibility for housing, his officials and the Irish Council for Social Housing with a view to identifying properties which may be suitable for social housing.

In addition, I am also aware that NAMA has approved the release of lands in Baldoyle to Fingal County Council for extra parkland; has accommodated the sale of a 13 acre site in Hansfield, west Dublin to the Department of Education and Skills; and has agreed to co-fund with Fingal County Council a link road through lands that NAMA has as security for loans in west Dublin which will link the N2-N3.

More generally, the NAMA board has committed to giving first option to public bodies on the purchase of property which may be suitable for their purposes, including social housing. In addition, NAMA advises me that it is willing to facilitate dialogue between debtors and third parties interested in acquiring property for social or public purposes.

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