Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I get several requests from people for meetings, but I cannot meet everyone. I try to meet those who can make a contribution to the economy. There have been many requests for meetings from people representing various funds that want to buy property in Ireland. Normally, they meet representatives of NAMA or the banks and come from abroad. There has been a run of people coming to Dublin, particularly in the past two years, who have been interested in buying property. Sometimes, it is difficult to distinguish between the people who have money and those who have fairy stories. I meet some of them. I met BlackRock on at least one occasion, but I believe it was before 2013. Its lead man in Dublin is an ex-Cork man. That is why I remember when that particular gentleman met me.

The purpose of these meetings on the other people's side of the table is to meet the Minister and ask questions about the availability of assets. I refer them to NAMA because I do not have detailed knowledge of values or quantities. When the Houses of the Oireachtas enacted the NAMA legislation, it vested all of that responsibility in NAMA. The Minister for Finance has no role in any of the commercial decisions taken by NAMA. There is a series of requests for meetings and I try to meet what I consider to be the important ones. Sometimes I get it wrong - I meet people and, after ten minutes, it is obvious that they are not what they purported to be. I meet many people when I am out socially who would have access to billions of euro and would buy half of the town if I would only give them a hearing. I am sure that Deputies Michael McGrath and Pearse Doherty meet them as well.

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