asked the Minister for Finance whether he will state the amount of the balances lying unclaimed in Irish banking institutions and if he will indicate what action he proposes to take in regard to such balances.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unclaimed Balances.
Any balances of the kind referred to by the Deputy remain the liability of the banks concerned and, as such, must be met if claims should subsequently happen to be established. Such information as is in my possession indicates that the aggregate amount of these unclaimed balances is not considerable and, accordingly, I do not propose to take any action in regard to them.
Will the Minister say precisely what information he has, so that we can arrive at the amount of the balances? Is it large or small?
It is small—I was surprised how small.
Is it less than £1,000,000?
I would say very much less.