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Senator Mark Daly:    I call on the Leader to invite the Attorney General to the House. Under Standing Order 56, he may attend this House and be heard.

Senators:  She.

Senator Mark Daly:    She. Under section 35 of the NAMA legislation a code of practice was to be established within three months. This has been done. The code of practice states that all assets under the control of NAMA should be sold under the code of conduct for the governance of State bodies, which means that every asset, be it a loan or property, should be sold by auction or tender. This is not happening. The reason all assets were to be sold by auction or tender was to ensure public confidence that NAMA is doing its job and that the money given to it is being maximised. I have been informed by people involved in the industry that there is widespread corruption in this regard. People whose assets are in NAMA are now buying back their assets at below market value, which is hard to believe. The taxpayer is now losing not tens of millions of euro but hundreds of millions of euro because NAMA is not selling assets in the manner set down by the Oireachtas. These assets should be sold in a transparent manner.

I wrote to the Office of the Attorney General prior to the election and again after the election. I invited the Attorney General to come to this House to explain the reason it appears NAMA is breaking the laws of the Oireachtas. However, she has neither acknowledged nor replied to my letter. For this reason, I call on the Leader, under the powers of this House, to invite the Attorney General to come to this House to address us on this most important issue. We do not want to have to set up a tribunal of inquiry in two years time to investigate why the State bodies did not do their job as directed by the Oireachtas, resulting in a loss of taxpayers’ money. I ask the Leader to use Standing Order 56 to do this.

An Cathaoirleach:    Senator Darragh O’Brien has proposed an amendment to the Order of Business.

Senator Darragh O’Brien:    A Chathaoirligh, may I raise a point of order? The purpose of the amendment was to address the lack of clarity on the Government side as to whether a water charge or a household charge is proposed. Am I to take it from the Leader’s answer that a household charge will proceed on 1 January of next year? Has the Leader given that clarification, although this was not tied into the EU-IMF deal? If that charge will be in force from 1 January next year, as the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government has said, there is no need to proceed with the amendment.

Senator Maurice Cummins:    That is not what I stated. People can seek their own clarification on this matter. I thought what I had said was very clear. With regard to what Senator Darragh O’Brien said about the charge being introduced on 1 January, I never mentioned such a thing in my clarification.

Senator Darragh O’Brien:    In that case, I will press the amendment.

Senator Mark Daly:    On a point of order, I point to Standing Order 56 which refers to the Attorney General.

An Cathaoirleach:    I have no control over what the Leader says in reply. The point of order must relate specifically to procedure. I have an amendment in the name of Senator Darragh O’Brien, “That statements on the Government proposals for the introduction of water and household charges be taken today.” Is the amendment being pressed?

Senator Darragh O’Brien:    Yes.

Amendment put.

The Seanad divided: Tá, 19; Níl, 32.