SEANAD REPORT:MARK DALY (FF) said his sources were willing to meet the Taoiseach to explain what was happening in relation to the National Asset Management Agency.

An unsuccessful attempt was made by Mr Daly to have the Taoiseach attend the House to discuss Mr Kenny’s statements last week about his sources and what they had told him about Nama. “I find it unusual that the Taoiseach would be agreeing with me in relation to his concerns about developers buying back their own property. He has since rowed back on it.

“I maintain my position. My sources are willing to meet with the Taoiseach to explain to him how this is going on and what is going on.”

He was sure the Taoiseach was well aware of things through his own sources. Mr Daly said his own information had come from a confidential source. He said he was sure that many people in public life had been given information about planning corruption in Dublin many years ago. But timely legislation had not been brought in to punish those who had behaved incorrectly, and a hugely costly tribunal had ensued.

Jim Walsh (FF) said he thought the Taoiseach had been courageous in making his statement concerning Nama. But Mr Kenny had back-tracked, “under pressure from, perhaps, officialdom. That worries me because much of the economic and fiscal difficulties we are encountering are simply because people within the public service weren’t giving the advice that was necessary and the politicians probably didn’t have the expertise or didn’t in fact engage those with the proper expertise in order to chart a proper way forward for us.”

Government Chief Whip Paul Coghlan (FG) accused Mr Daly of being deliberately provocative. It was outlandish to claim that the Taoiseach agreed with him. “Under no circumstances did he.”