“Get the popcorn, this could take a while,” is probably the best way to describe how Joan Burton answers questions: at length, in detail and, more often than not, to a question that hasn’t been asked.
And so it was when Fianna Fáil’s Billy Kelleher asked the Tánaiste for a “proper, robust investigation” into allegations of corruption in the £1.2 billion sale of Nama’s Northern Ireland portfolio of loans.
Billy said that Nama should appear before Stormont.
Joan gave a clear, lengthy and detailed history of how Nama was established and the intricacies involved.
Billy said the point was that Nama and the sales process were being questioned and that the integrity of a State organisation should not be undermined.
Joan continued with Nama’s history, which led to Billy’s comment about popcorn. But eventually the Tánaiste said she had no problem with Nama going North, says it was an independent organisation.
But she pointed out that Nama was accountable to the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee, and was that very moment before said body.
What she said of developers could be a perfect description of life after the crash: it is the time of Terrible Regret.
“What we are getting is a Terrible Regret on the part of developers that they did not get to buy their loans by the back door and a wish that the bubble values should have been realised and magicked up by Nama.”
And it is a Terrible Regret that €4 million is needed to fix the firetrap that is the 298-unit apartment complex built by Bernard McNamara at Longboat Quay in the docklands.
Bad planning
Sinn Féin’s Aengus Ó Snodaigh said the 900 residents were now suffering the consequences of bad planning regulations.
Why doesn’t the Government deal with the other estates across the country “too dangerous to live in”. Why no legislation to deal with such flaws and prevent recurrences?
Joan batted that one away. The Government will listen to any Opposition proposals. It is a matter for Dublin City Council and the Dublin Docklands Development Authority, and the wonderful Dublin Fire Brigade. “Washing her hands of it,” thundered Lucinda Creighton later.
The Renua leader said the new offer to fix the complex was derisory. The DDDA was responsible as it engaged in a public-private partnership, so it should pay to fix the apartments. And the Government should insist on it.
Minister of State Sean Sherlock, who was standing in for Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly, said essentially that if the TD was saying the docklands authority should pay for it, effectively she was saying the Government should pay for it.
Lucinda will be waiting. So will Longboat Quay residents.
Like she said, a time of Terrible Regret indeed.
