asked the Minister of Finance whether—
(a) In face of the declaration made by Mr. Winston Churchill in introducing the Free State Bill at Westminster that:
"Ulster will not have a decision without seeing the form of Government with which she will be associated; and in the meantime that Ulster stands wholly unaffected by the legislation"
he has considered the propriety of defining the extent of Ireland's financial obligation in the event of the final ratification of the Treaty, which provides in Clause V. that "The Irish Free State shall assume liability for the service of the Public Debt of the United Kingdom ... and towards the payment of war pensions"; is he in a position to say approximately what Ireland's annual burden will be under this Clause of the Treaty; if not, does he expect to be able to give the Irish people the necessary information on the subject before the General Election?
(b) Can the Minister of Finance say by what authority Lord Birkenhead stated at Westminster, February 14th:
"It is plain Mr. Collins is afraid an attempt might be made by violence by those who hoped to wreck the Treaty, and destroy the Provisional Government by seducing from them the armed forces upon whom, if it came to a trial of strength, they must in the last resort depend."?