The head of NAMA has told the Oireachtas Committee on Finance that his salary was never discussed when he was approached to become the so-called housing czar.
Brendan McDonagh said the first time he discussed a possible move to the Housing Activation Office was in April, when he met the Secretary General of the Department of Housing, after which he met Minister James Browne [on 16 April].
Sinn Féin's Pearse Doherty asked Mr McDonagh about what steps were taken by the Government in its approach to him as a potential chief executive of the Housing Activation Office.
The Donegal TD asked Mr McDonagh about the process of moving away from NAMA and while he said it was not relevant to committee proceedings, he said he would be "open and frank" with him.
Mr McDonagh said: "There was a lot of speculation in newspapers for a number of weeks, [but] nobody had discussed anything with me [at that time]."
He said he met with the relevant people in the run up to Easter.
Mr McDonagh said this was not a job he sought, but that Minister Browne told him his name had come up in conversation.
He said he agreed to have his name circulated at Cabinet, following this meeting.
Mr Doherty asked him if he had spoken to anyone else in the Government, to which he said no.
Mr McDonagh said: "On the first of May, given there was a lot of political controversy about the role, I’m not a political person, I’m apolitical, I really felt I didn’t want to be part of that...I’m a public servant and I really didn’t want the story to be about me."
Mr McDonagh said salary was never discussed.
"Was it ever understood you were retaining your €430,000 salary?" Mr Doherty asked.
Mr McDonagh accepted there was a lot of speculation about his salary, but said it had never been discussed.
Mr Doherty also asked him about reports that he rented out a property for €10,000 per week considering the housing crisis, but Mr McDonagh said he would not answer questions about his personal circumstances.
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