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Noonan tells committee: NAMA is only accountable to the PAC

Finance Minister Michael Noonan has told the North's finance committee that NAMA is accountable t...
Newstalk
Newstalk

17.59 4 Aug 2015


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Noonan tells committee: NAMA i...

Noonan tells committee: NAMA is only accountable to the PAC

Newstalk
Newstalk

17.59 4 Aug 2015


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Finance Minister Michael Noonan has told the North's finance committee that NAMA is accountable to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) only and no one else.

The committee wants to quiz NAMA officials about corruption allegations surrounding the purchase of the agency's Northern Ireland portfolio.

Mr Noonan had been accused of snubbing the inquiry, after he failed to respond to a series of letters from them.

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However the group received a response from the Department of Finance yesterday.

Chair of the North's finance committee, Sinn Fein MLA Daithi McKay, says NAMA's failure to answer their questions reflects poorly on the agency.

"We are trying to get a number of witnesses before us - a lot of the witnesses are evasive" he said.

"I think that reflects badly on all of them, that they're not willing to speak to ourselves to address the public concerns because the public - north and south - are concerned about some of the allegations that have been made".

"And of course the fact that taxpayers's money is involved as well".

"It's quite clear that some doors and some shutters are being pulled down in regard to this particular inquiry," he said.

"What we are intent on doing is using our powers to ensure that those shutters are pulled up again, and that witnesses that are here before the committee are compelled to do something.

"We haven't received any acknowledgment from Michael Noonan," he said.

"We still believe that NAMA should appear before the committee, we will exhaust all efforts to have NAMA appear before us but the least we would expect of Michael Noonan is that he responds to our correspondence," he added.

Mr McKay spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning about the latest:


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