Put your questions to Joan Burton TD about NAMA

Darragh

Heya folks

EDIT:

Short notice I know but I'm going to Labour HQ today in Dublin at 5.30pm to meet Joan Burton as she hosts an "information session" - that will be livestreamed - on NAMA.

Due to business of the House, this meeting has been cancelled. However, talking to Labour, I may be able to get a meeting with Joan and ask her your questions. I'll keep you updated.

If there's any questions you'd like me to put to her, any issues you feel relevant and important or generally anything you don't know about NAMA, please do let me know here and I'll ask them for you.

Thanks

Darragh

ednwireland

why does she never answer a question on her own policies (was sick to death of her evasion in the european election campaign)

Biggins

Assuming that NAMA will go ahead, what changes would they make to the legal operation of it if they gained power in the Dail?
What will they change - NOT like to change!

FlutterinBantam

Why don't you answer straight questions about cost cutting in the Public service Ms. Burton.

Nightwish

Just got a message on twitter that this is cancelled. Is it true?

eoinbn

I would like you to ask her why are Labour so vocal about their opposition to NAMA yet so quiet on our ballooning deficit when the latter is a MUCH more serious and difficult problem that needs to be addressed.

Darsad

Biggins wrote: »

Assuming that NAMA will go ahead, what changes would they make to the legal operation of it if they gained power in the Dail?
What will they change - NOT like to change!

+ 1

The_Minister

Nightwish wrote: »

Just got a message on twitter that this is cancelled. Is it true?

I think she saw post 2 and 4

scudzilla

In LESS than 100 words explain NAMA and how it will affect the Irish people

evercloserunion

eoinbn wrote: »

I would like you to ask her why are Labour so vocal about their opposition to NAMA yet so quiet on our ballooning deficit when the latter is a MUCH more serious and difficult problem that needs to be addressed.

MUCH more serious? Well, NAMA will cost more than twice the defecit, and ensuring that we have a healthy finance system is fundamentally important in the short, nmedium and long term. If we don't clean up the banking system somehow the economy will continue to be crippled by a lack of credit so we can't really hope to properly recover for a long time.

10000maniacs

Hi Daragh,
Here is my question.
She, along with her party voted against the bank guarantee on Oct 2nd 2008.
If labours vote was carried in the dail at that time, there would have been a run on the banks causing many institutions to collapse ensuring millions of savers would have lost their life savings in a fail swoop.
Ask her how she now feels about her no vote?;)

FlutterinBantam

10000maniacs wrote: »

Hi Daragh,
Here is my question.
She, along with her party voted against the bank guarantee on Oct 2nd 2008.
If labours vote was carried in the dail at that time, there would have been a run on the banks causing many institutions to collapse ensuring millions of savers would have lost their life savings in a fail swoop.
Ask her how she now feels about her no vote?;)

Spot on, I'd have been down 50k+ in that scenario.

brianthebard

10000maniacs wrote: »

Hi Daragh,
Here is my question.
She, along with her party voted against the bank guarantee on Oct 2nd 2008.
If labours vote was carried in the dail at that time, there would have been a run on the banks causing many institutions to collapse ensuring millions of savers would have lost their life savings in a fail swoop.
Ask her how she now feels about her no vote?;)

Prove there would have been a run on the banks?

10000maniacs

brianthebard wrote: »

Prove there would have been a run on the banks?

If you recall, there was an already gravely serious run on the banks, which prompted Lenihan to come out and make a swift statement about the guarantee.

hblock21

Ask her for her number

wildrover50

Ask her to rename it NAMAggedon

eoinbn

evercloserunion wrote: »

MUCH more serious? Well, NAMA will cost more than twice the defecit, and ensuring that we have a healthy finance system is fundamentally important in the short, nmedium and long term. If we don't clean up the banking system somehow the economy will continue to be crippled by a lack of credit so we can't really hope to properly recover for a long time.

Where did I say that NAMA wasn't important? Maybe you missed the memo, but NAMA is going to MAKE us €5b! Ok I don't believe that either, but you are confusing the cost of NAMA and the cost of the assets. NAMA will probably lose €10b-15b, so that plus the running cost/interest will be the cost of it, not the ~€54b. If €15b is all it takes to clean up the banks it's a small cost.

PomBear

The country loses €6.1 billion every year through under-the-counter deals lost through the taxman(reported: http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/the-black-economy--is-back-in-business-1917172.html ) ,
do you not feel this would not be a better way of recouping revenue then investing in a make or break 'haircut' investment that will only make €5 billion by the year 2020?
this strategy involves a miniscule amount when compared to the Investment in NAMA and could lead to 11-12 times the profit.
What sort of strategy would you undertake to recoup on this class of tax evasion?

Darragh

Nightwish wrote: »

Just got a message on twitter that this is cancelled. Is it true?

Yes, sorry. However I'm talking to the Labour Party about arranging a Boards.ie specific Q&A session.

Villain

If you do get to question her, ask her:

Being realistic after the next election Labour will have to form a Government with FG, does she believe Enda Kenny is the right man to lead this nation or does she believe that FG have better candidates.

Do Labour accept that the public service at the higher levels are overpaid and need a dramatic Pay reduction.

Does she agree with the Seanad being scrapped.

Does she believe Bertie Ahern won the money on horses that he claims?

Sand

Ask her why Labour ( and the opposition) have proven so ineffective in opposing a policy so clearly unjust and poorly conceived as Lenihan's NAMA proposals? Can it be said they cant outthink or exploit the foolishness of govt spokesmen on NAMA such as Frank Fahey?

Do Labour consider NAMA to be bad policy that should be opposed on its own merits, or do they simply view NAMA as an opportunity to go through the motions of opposing the government without actually halting the bills progress in any meaningful fashion? I.E. will they be satisfied with having set out their stall on the right side of history, even if NAMA goes through?

Will a Labour government honour the obligations of NAMA and pay interest on bonds issued under NAMA to the banks? If they do not intend to honour NAMA's debts, would they consider saying as much now?

Have they considered using the mechanism under Article 27 of the constitution whereby a third of Dail TDs and a majority of Senators can petition the President that an Act due to be signed into law is of extra-ordinary "national importance" and as such should be referred to the judgement of the people in a referendum? Particularly on the basis that the government has lost public support by every measure available and that it can no longer claim to have a mandate to take such dangerous, risky gambles like NAMA on the publics behalf - let alone the secrecy and lack of oversight on the aforementioned gamble.

If not is it because they dont believe NAMA is of such "national importance"?

Or that they cant rally a third of TDs to petition the President?

Or that they cant rally a majority of Senators?

Have they considered pressuring the President to refer the NAMA bill to the Supreme Court under Article 26 to test its consitutionality?