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Dáil
‹ Questions on Promised Legislation

Project Eagle commission

Summary

Deputy Cullinane pressed for a commission of investigation into Project Eagle following the PAC report and allegations about NAMA's loan sales. The Taoiseach said he had agreed in principle to a commission, but wanted Deputies' views on scope, value and cost before proceeding.

The Taoiseach previously gave a commitment to establish a commission of investigation into Project Eagle. In previous responses to questions asked by me and others, he stated he would hold off on doing so pending the report on Project Eagle from the Committee of Public Accounts. The committee's report has been published and we now have allegations that the National Asset Management Agency sold loans worth hundreds of millions of euro in private, rather than through the proper procedure. A commission of investigation into a range of matters is needed. Now that the red herring of the report of the Committee of Public Accounts has been taken from the water, will the Taoiseach provide an update as to when the terms of reference of the commission of investigation will be published and when the commission will be established?

Comment on this
Enda Kenny The Taoiseach Fine Gael

I agreed in principle, when I met the leaders of the parties opposite on a number of occasions, to have a commission of investigation.

Comment on this

It was not agreed in principle; it was agreed.

Comment on this
Enda Kenny The Taoiseach Fine Gael

I believed it was appropriate to wait until the report of the Committee of Public Accounts had been published. As the Deputy is well aware, the report, which will be the subject of a debate tomorrow, is disputed. I need to hear the views of Deputies on the value of the extensive work done by the committee and the areas a commission of investigation could not deal with, both in terms of documentation and personnel who are available or live outside the jurisdiction. Deputies should give their views as to the value and estimated costs of such a commission of investigation and what it would hope to achieve. I am not resiling from the principle we set out but members of the Committee of Public Accounts and others have valid contributions to make and we should hear those. We agreed in principle to have a commission of investigation and there are quite serious constraints upon that, both in terms of legal areas, jurisdictional problems, evidence problems and the extent of work carried out by the committee, which resulted in a disputed report at the end of the day.

Comment on this