The Minister for Finance has again insisted that the State got the best possible deal for the sale of SiteServ, but insisted if anything was mishandled that is the fault of Fianna Fáil for introducing a system that did not require deals could be done without government oversight.
Mr Noonan told the Dáil that IBRC did not send him minutes of the meeting where it agreed to the sale of SiteServ, as it was not required to do so at the time.
“This pack of board documents, including the minutes to which I have referred, were the first pack of board documents and the first minutes that were forwarded onto the Department,” he said.
However, the Minister for Finance says that is Fianna Fáil's fault - as they introduced the system where the deal could be done without government approval.
Mr Noonan told the Dáil that the sale of SiteServ was carried out under an old set of rules where the government didn't have to be informed about the deal.
Speaking directly to Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin, Mr Noonan said: “Deputy Martin when you were Minister you sat in government and you approved this (former framework).”
Mr Noonan was speaking as TDs blocked a plan from Fianna Fáil to set up a Commission of Investigation into the handling of the sale to Denis O'Brien's Millington.
Michael Noonan says he is happy to accept the verdict of IBRC's board - who were all appointed under the last government
“It was your board, you appointed it, it was your chairman, you appointed him,” he told Fianna Fáil TDs.
“They had fiduciary responsibilities and they assured anybody who asked the best value was achieved on the sale in the manner they conducted it, and their advisors supported them on this,” he added.
Minister for Public Expenditure Brendan Howlin said a Commission of Investigation into the sale would only be set up if an internal inquiry by IBRC's liquidators discovers enough evidence to justify it.
Mr Howlin told the Dáil a Commission would be too long and probably too expensive - but it will be ordered if there is good reason to do so.
“If at the end of the day such an inquiry is needed it will be provided ... but what is asked is that people actually wait for the facts before turning a charge into a result,” Mr Howlin said.
