asked the Minister for Finance if the undertakings to pay and to remit claims for payment as set out in the White Paper entitled "Heads of the Ultimate Financial Settlement between the British Government and the Government of the Irish Free State," dated 19th March, 1926, contain any items not previously included in the "settlement" previously made by the cancellation of Article V of the Treaty, and, if so, what items?
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - FINANCIAL SETTLEMENT BETWEEN SAORSTAT AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS.
The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative, and to the second part—"every item."
Will the Minister explain what he means by the first part of the question, in which the answer is in the affirmative?
There are only two parts.
Are we to understand there is no item in the White Paper that was not covered by the settlement made by the cancellation of Article V.?
On the contrary.
There are items, then?
Every item.
Will the Minister say what items? That is the second part of the question as I understand it.
I said every item. The Deputy may not have heard me.
All the items in the White Paper are extra. They are all over and above the items included under the settlement made by the cancellation of Article V. of the Treaty. Is that the case?
I have already answered the Deputy.
I am accustomed to be treated with discourtesy from the Front Benches, but I appeal now to the Chair. Am I not entitled to know what the express purport of the answer is, granted that I am so stupid as to fail to understand it? Is the Minister aware that on December 7th, 1925, the President used these words—I quote them from Vol. 13, Col. 1,312 of the Official Report:—
They—the British Government— were not out to haggle over petty details or minor considerations. They were prepared to take the bold course ... They agreed to close all outstanding questions of controversy with us....
Is the Minister aware that in the Seanad on the 16th December the President practically repeated the same statement?
I have not the President's speech before me and I do not know what he said on the occasion.
Will the Minister reconcile these two statements? In December, when the matter was under full discussion in the Dáil, the President declared that the cancellation of Article V. was practically an agreement to close all outstanding questions. Now we arc given a document which was signed in March which includes a considerable number of items, and these are over and above the items included in the settlement under the cancellation of Article V. Will the Minister give us an opportunity of debating this matter? It is a very important thing. It commits the State to millions of money. It remits payments to which we are entitled and that has been done, so far as I am aware, without the sanction of the House.
AN CEANN COMHAIRLE
We can take that matter up after Questions and before the beginning of public business.
Thank you.