Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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216. To ask the Minister for Finance following news that the National Asset Management Agency is selling large portfolios of loans which bundle together loans to a single borrower, if he is concerned that the borrower may derive a benefit from providing pre-sale advice to certain bidders. [18471/13]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by NAMA that it cannot preclude market participants from approaching debtors to discuss their property assets or to indicate potential interest in acquiring either properties or loans. Nor can NAMA preclude debtors from engaging with such potential purchasers. To do either would be counterproductive and could stifle normal commercial discussions in the property market and in particular could discourage international investors from exploring acquisition possibilities in Ireland. However, NAMA has very clear rules regarding the open marketing of loans or of properties on which it holds security.

As set out in response to recent Parliamentary Questions on the topic of NAMA loan sales [44286/12, 44287/12, 44288/12, 44189/12, 1549/13, 8753/13, 8754/13], NAMA has adopted a very thorough approach in line with accepted international market best practice for the sale of loan portfolios. As part of the formal sales process, potential purchasers are required to provide an undertaking that they will not engage with the debtor or other obligors at any stage during the sales process. Both debtors and potential purchasers are aware that the infringement of agreed protocols or undertakings may have an impact on NAMA’s decisions as to whether and to whom it sells a particularly portfolio. Furthermore, where NAMA approves the sale of any loan or approves the sale of any secured property by a debtor, it requires a confirmation that the purchaser is not connected to the debtor or other obligors.

Having ensured, as far as possible, that the sales process is conducted on the basis of all parties having equal access to the necessary information at the same time and that such primary sales are not made to the relevant debtors or to connected parties, NAMA advises that it has no legal right to intervene in any further future management or sales of the loan or underlying property in question post disposal.