Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

It is a matter of judgment. The review by the Comptroller and Auditor General will be carried out every three years. The ministerial review relates to the broader policy aspects of the legislation, the state of the property market and the evolution of the banking sector. These are wider matters and a longer period will be required for their consideration. That is why it was decided that the ministerial review should be carried out every five years.

Stating that there will be a ministerial debate every five years will not exclude NAMA from public debate. The legislation simply indicates that the Minister of the day will be obliged to carry out a review every five years. It would be undesirable for the reviews of the Minister and Comptroller and Auditor General to run parallel to each other because matters would become confused. That is the thinking behind the section.