Results 821-840 of 2,703 for speaker:Paul Gogarty

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (5 Nov 2009)

Paul Gogarty: I was referring to people's practice of sticking a pin in a list of horses to decide which one to back. If one is trying to obtain a long-term economic value from this, in some ways what one is doing is similar to what will happen with NAMA.

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (5 Nov 2009)

Paul Gogarty: A potential for risk accompanies any asset management agency. However, at least such an agency can attempt to make some money back. It is one thing spinning the roulette wheel and hoping that the ball lands in the black and not in the red. It is another thing to overturn the roulette table completely, which is what Mr. McWilliams advocates and which is what is contemplated under the Labour...

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (5 Nov 2009)

Paul Gogarty: Not really.

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed). (4 Nov 2009)

Paul Gogarty: Perhaps there are reasons for not allowing, at a given time, too much information to be released to the Oireachtas. Whether we like it or not, there will be a conspiracy that it is a bailout for the bankers, where we sort out our friends with a nudge and a wink. There could be issues of public confidence, disclosure and non-disclosure that are very sensitive. In that context, having...

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed). (4 Nov 2009)

Paul Gogarty: We will get to that, but I will stick to the amendment. The Houses of the Oireachtas are trying to reduce the number of committees. How can that be squared with adding another committee and more costs? I understand the Committee of Public Accounts has powers of compellability and that any regulator could be compelled to come before the committee, even if a new committee was not...

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed). (4 Nov 2009)

Paul Gogarty: It will be appointed for a Dáil term.

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed). (4 Nov 2009)

Paul Gogarty: Fine Gael would not set it up if it was in Government.

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed). (4 Nov 2009)

Paul Gogarty: After every election an Oireachtas committee is set up.

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed). (4 Nov 2009)

Paul Gogarty: No.

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed). (4 Nov 2009)

Paul Gogarty: They want to know will Fine Gael set up a committee whether statutory or non-statutory.

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed). (4 Nov 2009)

Paul Gogarty: I will speak for the members of my party. Deputy O'Donnell can speak for his developer buddies.

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed). (4 Nov 2009)

Paul Gogarty: I thank the Acting Chairman for his protection.

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed). (4 Nov 2009)

Paul Gogarty: It is to ensure that it is kept free from political interference.

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed). (4 Nov 2009)

Paul Gogarty: The Green Party has been mentioned several times. I thank the Deputies opposite for their interest in the workings of our party.

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed). (4 Nov 2009)

Paul Gogarty: Just because I disagree with regard to whether a committee should be placed on a statutory footing does not mean that I do not necessarily agree with other amendments - such as that which we are discussing - tabled by the Opposition. Reference was made to the Green Party and it is fair to state that our membership structures need to be changed, particularly in view of the fact that it is not...

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed). (4 Nov 2009)

Paul Gogarty: That is correct. It had not yet even been conceived.

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed). (4 Nov 2009)

Paul Gogarty: There are members of the Green Party and cynical individuals in the media who argue that it was all a con job on behalf of our party leader. These people state that we knew about the SPV and the surcharge and that we were trying to pull the wool over the eyes of our members. For the record, that is clearly not the case.

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed). (4 Nov 2009)

Paul Gogarty: I would give the Minister the benefit of the doubt and state that he was not trying to pull the wool over anyone's eyes. The announcement relating to this matter was only made when the relevant information had been obtained from EUROSTAT. In hindsight, it might have been better to indicate an intention to seek, subject to EUROSTAT approval, the establishment of a special purpose vehicle....

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed). (4 Nov 2009)

Paul Gogarty: That is a fair comment.

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed). (4 Nov 2009)

Paul Gogarty: Indicating an intent to seek the establishment of a special purpose vehicle might have shed some light on the situation. Neither I nor my party colleagues have an issue with the principle behind the SPV, particularly in the context of its being used to remove certain items from the balance sheet. However, there are valid questions to be posed in respect of the make-up of the SPV and also...