NAMA investigations
Senators debate responsibility for establishing NAMA, express concern about its operations and seek an urgent response, while also praising the Garda’s work.
I begin by suggesting to Senator O'Brien that he call to mind who set up NAMA.
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My concerns relate to its operations.
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Nevertheless, I echo his concerns. A Member of the other House, Deputy Mick Wallace, has stated publicly that the people he was dealing with before the crisis are the same people he has dealt with since the crisis. I was very worried to hear that comment. I do not condone whatever the Deputy might have done, but it is disturbing to discover that the same people are sitting on the other side of the table. It seems to be a case of gamekeeper turned poacher. I have exactly the same concerns as Senator O'Brien in that regard.
I seek an update on the implementation plan the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, has put in place for the individualisation of funds in the disability sector. I ask the Leader to facilitate a debate on that issue early in the new year, with a full statement by the Minister of State as to how she proposes to roll out this project in the coming years. The idea here is that the money follows the client, with funding assigned to clients to select services according to their requirements. If we are ever to break up the current model of service provision in the intellectual disability sector, this is exactly the way to do it. The cost of the current system is simply too high, as I have outlined on several occasions.
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I second the amendment to the Order of Business proposed by my colleague Senator O'Brien in respect of the startling revelations he has brought forward.
It is worthy of an urgent debate.
I also wish to pay tribute to the Garda Síochána for the tremendous work it does in keeping our citizens and homes safe each day and keeping the criminals off the street. Sometimes we take gardaí for granted and we seem to hone in on the perhaps 0.5% of people who might have caused a bad name to be given to the Garda. I was startled by a headline and story in the Irish Examiner this morning. Yesterday, Garda intelligence foiled the springing of a dangerous criminal from the Circuit Court in Limerick. The plan was that six armed gunmen on motorbikes would storm the courthouse, which normally has two unarmed gardaí. Judge Moran was sitting. One can imagine the devastation that would have caused. The audacity, cheek and tenacity of the criminals who would do such a thing would put Al Capone in the ha'penny place.