Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I was one of those who was not all that enthused about NAMA when it was first set up, but the situation that prevailed at the time was an emergency. The chips were falling on a daily basis, values were depreciating at a rapid rate and instability became endemic. It was determined by the then Government, rightly or wrongly, that this was the answer. Suggestions have been made on whether NAMA is being administered as it should be. To be fair to the chairman and those who operate NAMA, they are entitled to their say. One should not presume that just because there appears to be a problem it is the problem we suspect it to be. I strongly suggest to those concerned about this, as has been said by the Taoiseach in the House, that they go through the committee with ultimate responsibility for dealing with such matters, which is the Committee of Public Accounts, and make the case there and have answers given on what is causing concern. This is the obvious way to go. The Chairman of the committee is in the House and I know he is fully capable of dealing with the situation in the course of the committee's considerations.

Everybody wants an inquiry into everything that happens, usually in the year in the run-up to an election. I remember saying in the House that there were good grounds for a permanent sitting of the High Court to ensure everything was done in accordance with the wishes of everybody in the House, and it would take a permanent sitting of the High Court to do so. This was approximately 20 years ago, and things have not changed in the meantime. With regard to the allegations of wrongdoing by NAMA - which are denied, I must emphasise - the place to start is in the Committee of Public Accounts, where it can be dealt with, the issues can be examined and there is an opportunity for both sides to make their case, and let the axe fall where it will at that stage. This is the obvious way to do it.

NAMA is seen as, and can be, an answer to some of the housing problems that exist in this country, but I warn people against the supposition that the housing issues that have developed in this country have done so overnight. They are almost 20 years in the making. Houses cannot be built overnight. People get really emotionally upset when they see homelessness, and understandably so, but now is not resolution time. To resolve the housing issue one must start on time, and if one does so and addresses the issues one will not have the type of housing situation that has developed and become obvious to us all in recent years.

Incidentally, I am on record as having raised this issue consistently in the House for approximately ten years. I told the heads of certain well-known charitable institutions 15 years ago that we were coming towards a housing crisis the like of which we had never seen before, but nobody wanted to hear about it. We had changed the system and there was no worthwhile local authority building programme. It was shifted away and major responsibility was given to voluntary organisations, which have expertise in particular types of housing.

The Members opposite will know well that with sheltered housing and special needs, voluntary organisations are way ahead of anything the local authority could do and are well capable of dealing with the issues. Unfortunately, it was decided to move in a different direction and give responsibility for the entire system to voluntary agencies, to the detriment of local authorities. That was a sad mistake and we paid the price for it. That goes to explain the housing problem that now exists, which is undoubtedly an absolute emergency.

NAMA can help in some, though not all, areas. We should not forget that some housing estates throughout the country have not been built in accordance with regulations, for want of a better description. One or two of the estates in particular made headlines but they are not the only problem estates. There will be others, and some will undoubtedly be held by NAMA as well. There is no use in having substandard houses and pretending to hand them out as the State would have to spend more money on them for improvements. That is not something we can afford and we should not do it in any case. We would be far better off buying system-built houses to meet the needs of those who currently require homes. That can be done quickly and effectively in an urgent process.

The solution to the housing crisis is not NAMA alone, although the agency be used to defuse part of the problem and address some of the issues. There is no use in us pretending it will solve it all. With respect to NAMA's administration, in my time in this House over the years, Members usually did not make allegations about malfeasance or misfeasance in the House against people who worked in administration in the public arena. Deputies would have been very slow to do it in the past but it has now, sadly, become common practice. That is why people in the public arena have become reluctant to do anything; there seems to be a constant danger of being accused of something. The people in question may or may not be guilty but until there is incontrovertible evidence to this end, we should not presume that anybody is guilty. I hope that arising from all the confusion we have seen, there will be a clear and lucid explanation of what is required by and from NAMA so we can get some benefit in tackling the housing issue.

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