Rare procedure used as Nama Bill passes

SEANAD REPORT:THE BILL to establish the National Asset Management Agency (Nama) was finally passed by the Seanad following the use of a rare procedure involving the acceptance of Dáil amendments to changes already made in the Upper House.

Finance Minister of State Martin Manserghthanked Fine Gael for putting forward the amendments relating to the protection of whistle-blowers in Nama entities.

Frances Fitzgerald, Fine Gael leader in the House, said she regretted that the Government had not accepted more of her party's amendments, which would have strengthened protection of taxpayers.

Dan Boyle(GP), deputy government leader in the house, said the unusual procedure of amending a Bill that had already gone through all stages in both houses indicated the seriousness the Government attached to getting the measure as right as it could be.

Eugene Regan(FG) said the entire project was still dependent on EU approval. He expected that Opposition amendments which had not been accepted by the Government would be picked up by the European Commission when it passed its slide rule over the Nama project.

David Norris(Ind) said he remained concerned because he had received a communication from a financial adviser about worries which he had about the Nama project. He hoped that the intellectually based critique provided by Peter Matthewswas being taken into account.

Seanad leader Donie Cassidysaid he also hoped that Mr Matthews's advice had been considered. Mr Matthews had phoned him a short time earlier and had expressed his views strongly. "I hope the Minister will have researched what he said."

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Nothing could better illustrate the need for Seanad reform than the “absolute farce” of the election to fill two of the three vacancies in the House, Mr Norris said.

It was ludicrous that the electorate consisted of just TDs and Senators, currently numbering only 223. The electorates of the universities constituted real constituencies. But the filling of the vacancies had been rigged by the Government, the proof of the pudding being that the newspapers were reporting on who would get the seats. “It’s a real reproach to democracy.”

Jerry Buttimer(FG) urged the Government "as an ecumenical" gesture to offer one of the three seats to a non-party candidate or to someone from the North.

Mr Buttimer asked Seanad leader Donie Cassidy to request the Taoiseach and Minister for Environment John Gormley, “who purports to have a different style of politics”, to have the three byelections held on the same day and to put forward a non-party candidate for one of them.

A motion notifying Mr Gormley of the vacancy occasioned by the death of Senator Peter Callananwas adopted without debate.