PAC to invite McGuinness for questioning on Project Eagle sale

Deputy First Minister wants to answer questions on sale of agency’s North portfolio

Northern Ireland’s Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times

The Dáil Public Accounts Committee has agreed to invite Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness to answer questions on the sale of Project Eagle.

Mr McGuinness had written to the committee asking to appear to answer questions on his knowledge about the sale of the National Asset Management Agency’s Northern Ireland loan portfolio.

The TDs have now agreed to accept his request and a meeting is to be scheduled within the next two weeks.

Committee chairman John McGuinness said Mr McGuinness had a right to respond to the documents released by the Department of Finance.

READ MORE

He said: “Documents released by the Department of Finance pointed the finger at Martin McGuinness and his knowledge of the sale of Project Eagle. He has a right to reply and the committee will facilitate that.”

The departmental documents showed he was part of a conference call with Minister for Finance Michael Noonan and leader of the Democratic Unionist Party Peter Robinson.

The records show a telephone log from January 2014 where the sale of the loan portfolio was discussed.