Nama decision ‘in weeks’

THE announcement that Nama could get involved in developing housing was not an off-the-cuff decision, the Taoiseach said.

Leo Varadkar said on Thursday that the Government was considering repurposing Nama to become a house builder.

He insisted yesterday that the potential change was being fully thought through.

‘It is something that has been under consideration for quite some time, a couple of months. The first person to suggest it to me was Michael Noonan.’

He said Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe have been engaging with Nama and the Government hopes to make a decision ‘in a few weeks’.

Meanwhile, he said he is strongly considering the return of bedsits. ‘It’s something that has to be considered... while you are in a crisis situation you approve policies to do things that you wouldn’t do if there was not a crisis.’