Nama and bailout

Sir, – Further to "Banking inquiry – Nama could yield '€1bn surplus' for taxpayer" (April 22nd), current estimates of the cost of the bailout are around €40 billion. That Nama might ultimately record a relatively nominal surplus on deeply discounted assets does little to change the fact that a staggering economic burden was dumped on the unwitting Irish taxpayer in the middle of the night. – Yours, etc,

JOHN HACKETT

New York.