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Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald withdraws committee call

Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald
Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald

SINN Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald has withdrawn a request for a Dáil committee to urgently reconvene to discuss Nama claims.

The withdrawal came after Nama strongly rejected a claim made in a Sinn Féin statement issued yesterday that it was involved in an "off-market" deal.

Sinn Féin had spotted on US law firm Brown Rudnick's website a lawyer who claimed he had sourced and executed "an off-market discounted UK loan portfolio sale from Nama" in 2011.

It appeared to conflict with comments made by Nama chairman Frank Daly when he appeared before the south's public accounts committee earlier this month.

Mr Daly had said that Nama's policy was to openly market assets and loan sales, and that it did not give exclusive access to any potential purchaser.

In a statement yesterday Nama said it has "no control over what people put in their CVs or what statements they make to impress the market".

Ms McDonald said she accepted it "at face value" Nama's rebuttal and her statement was removed from the party's website.